The Russian aggression against Ukraine has paralyzed the economy with nearly half of businesses forced to close and the other half struggling to keep afloat. With ILO support, the Federation of Employers of Ukraine  is helping them to stay open and supporting local producers.

Thanks to the joint project of the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA) “Inclusive labour market and job creation in Ukraine”, the Federation of Employers of Ukraine has provided immediate humanitarian aid to the population of Kharkiv and Mykolaiv, two regions heavily affected by conflict.

More than 3,550 food boxes were distributed directly to people across the two regions with the support of two partners, the Agro-industrial holding Astarta-Kyiv and the Foundation “Believe in Yourself’ , who covered the production and the transportation logistics.

“We need to reduce further economic loss and ensure business continuity. Helping our fellow Ukrainians is a good way to support our local producers. Each product in these food boxes is made by Ukrainian hands at Ukrainian enterprises. The project allowed to keep up production and pay salaries to more than 200 workers for a week,” explained Ruslan Illichov, FEU Director General.

The Federation of Employers of Ukraine is recognized as the most representative national level employer organization in the country, with a membership of 140 regional, sectorial and associated employer associations. It is estimated that FEU members contribute to about 70 per cent of the national GDP and offer employment to over 5 million workers.

Although the war has put the FEU operational continuity and finance under strain as membership fees decreased significantly, the organization adapted quickly and continued to support its members remotely. Among other things, FEU has kept members updated with the latest changes in the legislation, held online trainings, supported companies to relocate their operations and facilitated business matchmaking.