About 5,000 Ukrainians took part in a union-led protest in Kiev on Tuesday to demand higher wages and more social protection in the ex-Soviet republic, which has been hit hard by the global economic crisis. Holding signs such as "No to the impoverishment of the people" and "Patience is not unlimited," the protesters gathered in a central Kiev square before heading to the seats of the Ukrainian government and parliament.
They gave authorities a petition calling for higher wages and lower fees for communal services. They also demanded a law prohibiting commercial banks from raising interest rates on consumer loans. "We are protesting against the arbitrariness of the government. They are freezing our wages," said one protester, Irina Kulich, a 46-year-old from the Black Sea port city of Odessa.
"We call on the president and the prime minister to stop the destruction of the national economy," another protester told AFP. The demonstration was organised by the Federation of Ukrainian Trade Unions with support from two pro-Russian opposition parties, the Regions Party and the Communists. Similar protests took place in major cities on December 17.
Ukraine has been among the countries hardest hit by global financial turmoil as the plunging price of steel, the country's main export, has exacerbated a credit crunch and a sharp fall in its stock market. Industrial production in the country crashed 15.2 percent in November compared to the previous month and 28.6 percent compared to November 2007. Meanwhile the country's currency, the hryvnia, has lost nearly half its value against the dollar over the past six months.