On 14 May 2018, employees of the Ukrainian state railway network started a work-to-rule action. Drivers at Kremenchug, Kryvyi Rih, Darnytsa (Kyiv) and other rail depots refused to drive trains that do not meet safety requirements, which in turn has led to the interruption of freight traffic on whole sections of the rail network. After all, there are practically no other rail networks in Ukraine.
Difficult working conditions, low salaries and the removal of preferential pensions have led to people quitting their jobs on the railway en masse. Since 2014, the number of workers at Ukrzaliznytsia has been reduced by 30%, and overtime has become a commonplace.
I visited the Darnytsa Locomotive Depot on Kyiv’s left bank to find out how railway employees work and what they are fighting for.
