Ukraine: Coordinated action secures salary increase for teachers
The multifaceted union campaign to raise teacher salaries and value the teacher union as a prominent social dialogue partner in Ukraine stands as a compelling example of the power of collective union advocacy and international solidarity.
In October 2025, the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), together with seven other leading Education International (EI) affiliates from Australia, Germany, South Korea, Ireland, Japan, the United Kingdom, and Ukraine’s own Trade Union of Education and Science Workers (TUESWU), united in a joint letter to President Volodymyr Zelensky. This coordinated appeal underscored the indispensable role of teachers and their union in sustaining democratic values and rebuilding the nation, urging the Ukrainian government to prioritise educators in its post-war reconstruction agenda.
The letter warned that neglecting teachers would erode both educational quality and democratic resilience. It also paid tribute to the extraordinary courage and leadership shown by Ukrainian educators throughout the war.
This joint letter marks another pivotal moment in a broader, months-long lobbying campaign led by EI General Secretary and the European Trade Union Committee for Education, ETUCE. The efforts were strategically timed to influence the Ukrainian Parliament as it reviews the Cabinet’s draft State Budget for 2026.
In September, EI’s General Secretary, acting at TUESWU’s request, submitted a formal petition to the Chair of Ukraine’s supreme legislative body advocating for a meaningful salary increase for teachers.
The issue was also brought to the international stage: raised at an OECD meeting, discussed in a dialogue with Ukraine’s Ministry of Education, and championed during a high-level exchange with Ukraine’s Vice Minister at the United Nations General Assembly in September.
These sustained, multi-channel advocacy efforts, amplified by the voice of global education unions, culminated in a significant policy shift. In late October, TUESWU confirmed that the government was leaning towards approving a salary increase for teachers. The final decision on teachers' pay raise will be officially confirmed in mid-December when the budget is approved.
While welcoming the raise, Ukrainian union leaders expressed concerns about the erosion of real wages through inflation, reinforcing the need for continued vigilance and advocacy.
The international union campaign not only offers support for Ukraine’s educators and their union but also reflects broader global union solidarity and commitment to ensuring that educators are recognised not just as workers, but as pillars of democratic resilience and national renewal.
