On June 5, the IV meeting of the Council of Heads of the All-Ukrainian Trade Union of Defenders of Ukraine, Athletes, and Workers in Various Fields took place, during which a number of organizational issues and changes for the development of the organization were decided.

Among those present were Anatoliy Ostapenko, Head of the Subcommittee on Social Protection of Veterans' Rights of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Social Policy and Veterans' Rights Protection; Yevhen Drapyaty, Deputy Head of the Federation of Trade Unions of Ukraine; Serhiy Poznyak, Head of the Association of Veteran Entrepreneurs; Ivan Tymochko, Head of the Reservists' Council of the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine; and others.

The Chairman of the Trade Union, Serhiy Byzov, emphasized that the trade union organization is currently growing and changing, so appropriate decisions are needed to help improve the effectiveness of the trade union members' work.

Before voting on work-related issues, guests and members of the Trade Union spoke. For instance, Anatoliy Ostapenko, Head of the Subcommittee on Social Protection of Veterans' Rights of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Social Policy and Veterans' Rights Protection, thanked the organizers for the invitation and emphasized the changes in current legislation. He mentioned, for example, changes to the law adopted in 1993, "On the Status of War Veterans, Guarantees of Their Social Protection."

"Times are changing, and legislative norms also need to be improved. Accordingly, we are trying to refine the legislation. There is a synergy between the Trade Union of Defenders and the legislators, which will yield fruitful results," said Ostapenko.

Yevhen Drapyaty, Deputy Head of the Federation of Trade Unions of Ukraine, congratulated the trade union members and stated, "With the arrival of the Defenders' Trade Union to the Federation of Trade Unions of Ukraine (FTU), this house has felt the spirit of struggle." He also recalled the events of Euromaidan and the ideals fought for at Maidan Nezalezhnosti. Mr. Drapyaty emphasized the assistance and support provided by the FTU.

Serhiy Poznyak, Head of the Association of Veteran Entrepreneurs, and Ivan Tymochko, Head of the Reservists' Council of the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, also addressed the gathering.

During the procedural matters, changes were made to the governing body of the Trade Union. After the vote, Lieutenant General Yuriy Dumanskyi and Sofia Cherepanova, a representative of the "Women of Steel" organization, were appointed as deputy chairpersons of the Trade Union.

Additionally, a vote was held to change the Trade Union's development strategy, approve the decision for financial assistance for the repair of the sports facility in Mykolaiv, and honor trade union members with awards.

"The Trade Union has made great progress over the past year. Today, our ranks include more than 87,000 members, and this requires us to review and improve the trade union system. In many aspects, the Trade Union is and will continue to be a reliable support for military personnel, veterans, athletes, and their families," says Serhiy Byzov.