A three-day training seminar for trade union activists from across Ukraine has concluded in Uzhhorod. The event was organized by the Federation of Trade Unions of Ukraine (FPU) in cooperation with the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions (LO) and the NGO Labour Initiatives. The seminar was led by Nina Monsen, Senior Adviser at the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions, and Nataliia Yeremieieva, Ukraine Specialist, who shared Norway's experience in building healthy workplaces based on the principles of social dialogue and the promotion of employees' mental well-being.
The seminar aimed to develop workplace mental health support programs and promote their implementation across labor collectives, while facilitating the exchange of practical tools and best practices that have already proven effective in European countries.
Representing the All-Ukrainian Trade Union of Defenders of Ukraine, Deputy Chairwoman Sofiia Cherepanova took part in the seminar. On the third day of the program, she was among the speakers at the roundtable discussion "Workers' Mental Health as a Component of Decent Work" and, during the panel discussion "Reintegrating Veterans into Working Life," presented the Trade Union's experience in supporting veterans, their families, and people affected by the war.
“Today, employees' mental health is an integral part of decent work, especially in times of war. When we speak about veterans' reintegration, we often overlook the fact that they return home first—to their families. That is why not only our defenders, but also their loved ones need support. For more than two years, the Women's Wing of the All-Ukrainian Trade Union of Defenders of Ukraine has been running a psychological support program for people affected by the war. In addition, our psychologists conduct training sessions for workplace teams, helping to create working environments where people who have experienced trauma feel understood, accepted, and supported. It is through initiatives like these that we are building a workplace culture in which caring for people is not the exception, but the standard,” Sofiia emphasized.
