The event began with commemoration of the fallen Heroes who gave their lives for the freedom of Ukraine. Yurii Bobalo, the University Rector, Roman Datsko, the head of the Union of Trade Unions of the Lviv Region, and Maria Yatseiko, the head of the Lviv Regional Organization of the Trade Union of Education and Science Workers, took part in the conference.
The opening speech was delivered by Roman Kolodii, the head of the Trade Union Committee of University Employees, Associate Professor at the Department of Telecommunication, who delved into the history of the trade union movement in the world and in Ukraine. In his opinion, during the war, the role of trade unions is significant, as people unite to protect their own interests. Therefore, today it is important to consider the tasks and opportunities of trade unions. His long-time predecessor Volodymyr Haiduk, Associate Professor at the Department of Electromechatronics and Computerized Electromechanical Systems, spoke about the most important events of the trade union movement of Polytechnic since 1990, when, with the support of influential public organizations – Prosvita and the People’s Movement of Ukraine – it got possible to hold a democratic reporting and election conference of the trade union workers’ organizations and vote to elect Orest Kuntyi, Associate Professor at the Faculty of Chemical Technology, as the head of the trade union committee. It was then, in the first years of the new formation of the university trade union, that the work style of the trade union committee changed, and the main direction of which became the social protection of employees. In a short time it got possible to develop normative provisions of the trade union organization, initiate new relations with the administration, and make significant changes in solving the housing problems of employees etc. Roman Datsko and Mariia Yatseiko also joined the conference.
Rector Yurii Bobalo welcomed the participants of the conference, emphasizing the role of trade unions in the formation of independent Ukraine. Reminding the book «The Society that Changed Polytechnic. Memories, Reflections, Documents, and Photos» (under the general editorship of Kh. Burshtynska, edited by Ya. Velychko) Yurii Bobalo expressed his wish to see the appearance of a similar book about the trade union movement at Lviv Polytechnic.
