❝Russia is crushing labour rights in occupied Ukraine – the ILO must go beyond declarations – Geneva Solutions

Report on Labour Rights Violations in Russian-Occupied Ukraine and Implications for Sustainable Development Goals

Introduction

This report details systematic violations of labour rights and international law by Russian occupation forces in eastern and southern Ukraine. These actions directly contravene multiple Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly those concerning decent work, peace, justice, and strong institutions. The International Labour Organization (ILO) faces calls to implement stronger accountability measures in response to these documented abuses, which threaten the core principles of social justice and international law.

Violations in Contravention of Sustainable Development Goals

SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

The situation in occupied territories represents a severe regression for SDG 8, which promotes sustained, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment, and decent work for all. Key violations include:

• Forced Labour (Target 8.7): Reports from the UN, ILO, and Ukrainian unions indicate a pattern of forced labour. Workers are coerced into accepting Russian labour law and passports under threat of dismissal or detention. Furthermore, research has identified facilities where abducted Ukrainian children are allegedly forced to assemble military drones.
• Denial of Fundamental Rights at Work (Target 8.8): The right to freedom of association and collective bargaining is systematically suppressed, in direct violation of ILO Conventions 87 and 98. Union property has been confiscated and transferred to Kremlin-controlled entities, effectively dismantling independent worker representation.

SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

The actions of occupying forces undermine the promotion of peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, access to justice, and the building of effective, accountable institutions, as outlined in SDG 16.

1. Erosion of Justice and Rule of Law: The imposition of an occupying power’s legal framework extinguishes local democratic life and access to justice.
2. Violence Against Civilians (Target 16.1): There are documented instances of targeted violence against workers. These include “double-tap” missile strikes deliberately targeting rescue workers in Pokrovsk and the abduction, torture, and killing of individuals such as journalist Viktoriia Roshchyna and nuclear power plant director Ihor Murashov.
3. Institutional Accountability (Target 16.6): The continued presence of the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Russia (FNPR), a Kremlin proxy implicated in seizing Ukrainian union assets, on the ILO’s Governing Body challenges the credibility and accountability of international institutions.

SDG 4: Quality Education

The occupation has had a detrimental impact on SDG 4, which aims to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education.

• Suppression of Cultural and Educational Freedom (Target 4.7): Teachers in occupied regions are reportedly forced to use pro-Russian curricula and are banned from teaching Ukrainian history and language. This political indoctrination undermines the principles of quality and inclusive education.

Institutional Response and Recommendations

Call for Enhanced ILO Action

Despite regular reports to the ILO Governing Body since 2022, the institutional response has been described as insufficient. There is a demand for the ILO to move beyond observation and utilize its constitutional mechanisms for accountability, which have been used historically in cases of severe rights violations.

Proposed Measures for Accountability

To align with its mandate and support the SDGs, the following actions are being called for:

1. Establish a Commission of Inquiry: Launch the ILO’s highest-level investigative procedure to address the serious and persistent breaches of labour conventions.
2. Implement a Permanent Monitoring Mechanism: Create a dedicated body to monitor the situation of workers in Russian-occupied Ukraine, similar to the mechanism established in 1980 for workers in occupied Arab territories.
3. Leverage International Partnerships (SDG 17): Democratic member states and the global trade union movement are urged to use ILO oversight mechanisms to hold the Russian Federation accountable, thereby strengthening global partnerships for sustainable development.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

  The article extensively discusses the violation of labour rights, which is the core focus of SDG 8. It highlights issues such as “forced labour of children,” “targeted attacks on workers,” “suppression of free association,” and the confiscation of union property. These actions directly undermine the goal of promoting sustained, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment, and decent work for all.

• SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

  This goal is central to the article’s narrative, which describes a complete breakdown of justice and institutional integrity in the occupied territories of Ukraine. The text points to “illegally seized eastern and southern regions,” the imposition of a “rule of terror,” and systematic violations of international law, including core ILO conventions. The call for the ILO to hold Russia accountable and the mention of targeted killings, torture, and abduction directly relate to promoting peaceful societies, providing access to justice, and building effective, accountable institutions.

• SDG 4: Quality Education

  The article touches upon this goal by describing how education is being weaponized as a tool for political indoctrination. It states that “Teachers are banned from teaching Ukrainian history and language, and forced to use pro-Russian curricula.” This undermines the principles of quality education, which include fostering critical thinking and promoting cultural identity and peace, as envisioned by SDG 4.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

   • Target 8.7: Take immediate and effective measures to eradicate forced labour, end modern slavery and human trafficking and secure the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labour, including recruitment and use of child soldiers, and by 2025 end child labour in all its forms.

     The article directly references this target by mentioning “forced labour of children” and a report from Yale University that identified facilities where “Ukrainian children abducted from occupied areas have been allegedly held and forced to assemble drones.” It also describes how adult workers are “compelled to accept Russian labour law… or risk detention or dismissal,” which constitutes forced labour.

   • Target 8.8: Protect labour rights and promote safe and secure working environments for all workers, including migrant workers, in particular women migrants, and those in precarious employment.

     This target is addressed through the article’s detailed account of the “suppression of free association,” the confiscation of “union property and equipment,” and the silencing of unions. The text explicitly states that these are “deliberate violations of core ILO conventions – … 87 on freedom of association and 98 on the right to organise,” which are foundational to protecting labour rights.

2. SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

   • Target 16.1: Significantly reduce all forms of violence and related death rates everywhere.

     The article provides clear examples relevant to this target, including “targeted attacks on workers,” “deliberately targeted” rescue workers with “‘double-tap’ missile strikes,” and the killing of civilians. The case of journalist Viktoriia Roshchyna, whose “dead body was returned by Moscow a little over a year later with clear signs of torture,” is a direct indicator of violence and death rates.

   • Target 16.3: Promote the rule of law at the national and international levels and ensure equal access to justice for all.

     The entire article is a call to uphold the rule of law at the international level through the ILO’s mechanisms. It describes how Russia has trampled on the ILO’s “founding principles” and international conventions. The abduction and interrogation of individuals like Ihor Murashov, the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant’s director, without due process, exemplifies the collapse of the rule of law and access to justice.

   • Target 16.A: Strengthen relevant national institutions, including through international cooperation, to build capacity at all levels, in particular in developing countries, to prevent violence and combat terrorism and crime.

     The article critiques the inaction of the UN system, specifically the ILO, stating its response is “beyond inadequate.” The authors call for the use of the “UN labour agency’s oversight mechanisms to hold Putin’s regime to account,” which is a direct appeal to strengthen an international institution’s capacity to prevent and address such violations.

3. SDG 4: Quality Education

   • Target 4.7: By 2030, ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including, among others, through education for sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence, global citizenship and appreciation of cultural diversity and of culture’s contribution to sustainable development.

     The article implies a direct assault on this target by describing how teachers are “banned from teaching Ukrainian history and language, and forced to use pro-Russian curricula.” This action replaces education for peace and cultural appreciation with political indoctrination, directly contradicting the spirit of Target 4.7.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

• For Target 8.7 (End Forced Labour): The article implies indicators such as the number of children subjected to forced labour (e.g., assembling drones) and the number of workers coerced into accepting new labour laws or passports under threat of dismissal or detention.
• For Target 8.8 (Protect Labour Rights): Implied indicators include the number of union properties confiscated, the number of independent unions suppressed or replaced by “Kremlin-backed structures,” and documented violations of ILO Conventions 87 (freedom of association) and 98 (right to organise).
• For Target 16.1 (Reduce Violence): The article points to measurable indicators such as the number of civilians and rescue workers killed in targeted attacks (e.g., “double-tap” missile strikes), the number of journalists killed or disappeared (e.g., Viktoriia Roshchyna), and the number of individuals subjected to abduction and torture (e.g., Ihor Murashov and his employees).
• For Target 16.3 (Promote Rule of Law): An indicator is the number of complaints submitted to and acted upon by international bodies like the ILO’s Committee of Experts or Committee on Freedom of Association regarding violations in occupied Ukraine. The failure to establish a “commission of inquiry” is a negative indicator of progress.
• For Target 4.7 (Education for Sustainable Development): An implied indicator would be the number of schools or educational institutions where the national curriculum has been forcibly replaced with an external, politically motivated one, and the number of teachers forced to abandon teaching their native language and history.

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators Table

Source: genevasolutions.news