Dear colleagues!
Due to the catastrophic state of financing of the scientific and technical sphere, primarily academic science, and extremely negative social consequences in terms of employment and wages, employees of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine and other national branch academies of sciences held a large-scale protest and rally near the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine on April 19, 2016. On the same day, a meeting of the trade union delegation with the Chairman of the Parliament A.V. Parubiy took place, which was also attended by the Minister of Education and Science L.M. Hrynevych, the Chairman of the Budget Committee A.V. Pavelko, the First Deputy Chairman of the Science and Education Committee O.V. Spivakovsky, and the Chairman of the Committee on Industrial Policy and Entrepreneurship V.V. Galasyuk. A constructive conversation took place, during which a proposal was approved to amend the State Budget of Ukraine for 2016 in terms of increasing the funding of the academies of sciences. The very next day, the Committee on Science and Education at its meeting considered and approved the draft "On Amendments to the Law of Ukraine "On the State Budget of Ukraine for 2016" regarding increasing state support for the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine and national branch academies of sciences" (reg. No. 4477 dated April 20, 2016). The draft law provides for an increase in funding for academic science by UAH 621.782 million, including the NAS of Ukraine - by UAH 483.362 million. But then the blocking of a positive solution to the problem began. The draft law was never considered at the meeting of the Committee on Budget (allegedly due to objections from the Ministry of Finance). The planned meeting of the trade union delegation with the Prime Minister of Ukraine was, if not canceled, then postponed indefinitely. Under such circumstances, the academic community cannot expect alms from the authorities, which hide their wealth offshore, and prepare for the people only new and new tariffs and levies. If today many institutes work 3-4 days a week, then soon only 1 day will remain paid. Given the above, the Presidium of the Central Committee of the trade union decided to hold a new protest on June 15, 2016 with a picket of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine. OUR DEMANDS: 1. Urgent adoption of draft law No. 4477 on increasing the funding of the NAS of Ukraine and national branch academies of sciences from the general fund of the State Budget of Ukraine for 2016 by 621.782 million UAH. 2. During the preparation of the draft State Budget of Ukraine for 2017, to implement Articles 36 and 48 of the Law of Ukraine “On Scientific and Scientific-Technical Activities” regarding the payment and stimulation of the work of a scientific worker and the financial support of scientific and scientific-technical activities, taking into account the stages determined by the final and transitional provisions. 3. Holding a meeting of the trade union delegation with the Prime Minister of Ukraine V.B. Groysman. The gathering of the protest participants is on Independence Square, from where at 9:30 the march of two columns will begin: Khreshchatyk and Hrushevskoho sts. and Instytutska sts. to the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, where the rally will take place. The Central Committee of the trade union will send appropriate appeals to parliamentary factions with an appeal to support the protest action and its legitimate demands. Dear colleagues! It is necessary to realize that no one but us can avert the threat of destruction of the domestic scientific and technical sphere, loss of work to which we have dedicated our lives. The key to the success of our action is its mass scale and organization.