Ukrainian care workers’ union growth shows strength, resilience during war 

In the heart of a war-torn nation, Ukraine’s care workers are showing extraordinary resilience and unity in some of the most difficult conditions imaginable. Through their union Be Like Nina (BLN), these healthcare heroes are organizing under challenging circumstances not just to protect their livelihoods and improve their jobs but also to strengthen a healthcare system stretched to its limits. 

 

Since August 2024, Be Like Nina, supported by UNI Global Union and our COZZ organizing centre, is carrying out a massive organizing effort to counter the harsh realities faced by Ukraine’s healthcare workers. 

 

Operating in all 24 administrative regions, including occupied territories, this campaign has reached nearly 2,000 workers, and the union has grown by nearly 70 per cent. Roughly 140 workers are ready to set up new branches of the union at their workplaces. 

 

The union is providing a platform for solidarity and empowerment across the country. A BLN member expressed gratitude for the organizing drive, stating, “This project is so important, and we are grateful for support! It gave us the opportunity to call every member of the union, whom we reminded that they are not alone with their problems.” 

 

Since the beginning of the war, 42,000 care professionals in Ukraine have left the sector – 7,000 doctors and 35,000 nurses – many of whom exited due to low wages and lower morale along with heavy workloads and the unrelenting stress of conflict. Additionally, the country has fallen under martial law during the war, adding pressure on civil society. 

 

“Be Like Nina’s progress is a beacon of hope for a sector grappling with severe challenges,” said Christy Hoffman, General Secretary of UNI Global Union. “Healthcare workers worldwide face mounting pressures, especially in the wake of COVID-19. But Ukraine’s care workers face an extreme burden as they contend with the dual crises of war and healthcare system collapse. The organizing push by Be Like Nina shows that even in dire circumstances, solidarity creates pathways for progress.” 

 

Hoffman went on a international solidarity mission to Ukraine in June this year, including to Ohmatdyt, Ukraine’s primary children’s hospital, which Russia later bombed. Be Like Nina won UNI’s Freedom from Fear Award during our World Congress in August 2023. 

 

To learn more about the struggles and triumphs of Ukraine’s healthcare workers, visit the union’s website.