|
Part of a series on
Organized labour |
|---|
|
Academic disciplines
|
Direct Action (ukr. «Пряма дія») is a network of the independent student trade unions in Ukraine. This trade union was founded in 2008 by the students of the National Taras Shevchenko University of Kiev. Legalized on April 15, 2009, the trade union has its branches in a number of Kiev universities and also in several regional centers of Ukraine.
Contents |
The student trade union under the name of “Direct Action” has already existed in Kiev in the middle of 1990-s. During the time of its existence, the trade union succeeded in a number of actions[1], aimed at the students’ rights protection. These were the first attempts to raise the students’ movement in Ukraine. The trade union have been existing until 1998.
In 2008, when the students decided to create the new independent trade union, it was decided to take “Direct Action” name as a sign of maintenance of the youth resistance traditions. Thus, “Direct Action” of 1990's was conventionally named “the first generation”. Some activists of the “first generation” are still contributing to the work of the trade union now.
According to the “Direct Action” manifesto, the trade union is aimed at the creation of student organization from below, which is based on the horizontal principles of coordination. This organization should gradually replace the bureaucratic apparatus and form the relations in the educational sphere on the basis of equal rights, direct democracy and cooperation.
The trade union is fighting against the commercialization of the education, aiming at the absolutely free education. At the same time, it asserts the social rights of students, which include improvement of the conditions in the dormitories, the rise of monthly allowances, the elimination of requisitions, student exploitation etc.
“Direct Action” advocates the principles of free (libertarian) pedagogy in the educational process. The trade union strives for the equal rights of the student and the lecturer, for the democratic forming of the educational programs, the facultative attendance and subjects’ choice. It also supports the full secularization of science and education.
One of the main tasks of the trade union is the creation of the strong student movement, the unite with of the Ukrainian and foreign liberative and emancipative movements.
“Direct Action” is based on the syndicalist principles of the direct self-governance. It is a non-leader structure. The leader posts exist only formally – all decisions are taken on a general meeting through the procedure of reaching the consensus.
The trade union is called independent because it declares its full independence from political parties or commercial structures, and is not financed by the administration of the universities.
The statute of the trade union states that the membership in the “Direct Action” is prohibited to the people who have racist, nazi or sexist views or support any chauvinist doctrine.
“Direct Action” cooperates with a number of youth and left organizations, some of the contr-culture formations, and also with the independent trade unions “Work Protection” and “Ukrainian Confederation of the Anarcho-Syndicalists Work”.
From the moment of its foundation the trade union became a member and the initiator of several campaigns devoted to the protection of students’ and workers’ rights.
The standing self-educational project exists on the basis of the trade union.The seminars and trainings on the natural sciences and humanities are carried out, as well as on the attainment of some practical skills. Self-educational project functions on the basis of the libertarian pedagogy – without the teachers’ authoritarianism and compulsory methods.
“Direct Action” publishes the newspaper of the same name. The publication covers the trade union’s activity, the international experience, the history of the student movement, the theory of the liberation movement, the contr-culture resistance. The newspaper is distributed for free in a number of capital and regional universities.
Priama Dija (Direct Action) is a network of the independent student trade unions in Ukraine aimed at the creation of student organization from below. Union itself claims to be "fighting against the commercialization of the education, aiming at the absolutely free education" which, according their claims in widely distributed paper[7], interfere with interests of university and faculty board.
Trade union claims their activists and supporter are subject to pressure, threat of being expelled from university and interests of intelligence services members after "series of successful actions (together with other youth organizations) against the establishment of fees for previously free services in the universities, against cutting funds for scholars and against the plans to suspend scholarships for students who received even a single grade of “3”- (C)."