On April 22, 2021 the Conference of the Labour collective of Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute took place. 341 delegates were elected to the conference, including: scientific-pedagogical, pedagogical and scientific workers - 257 people, higher education applicants - 57 people, delegates from other categories of university employees - 27 people. The quorum during the videoconference ranged from 82% to 90%. Voting took place by raising hands, in addition, the delegates were sent the signature sheets of personal voting the day before, which indicated the results of the expression of will for the decisions on the agenda. After the conference, the signature sheets are handed over to the trade union committee and attached to the conference minutes.
The conference was attended by the chairman of the Kyiv city organization of the trade union of educators and scientists of Ukraine Oleksandr Yatsun.
Delegates reviewed the implementation of the Collective Agreement, the Labour Protection Covenant and the Collective Covenant between the administration and the students' trade union for the period from April 2020 to April 2021, approved the Collective Agreement and the Collective Covenant for a new term - 2021-2024, considered and decided on other issues.
Rector Michael Zgurovsky made a report from the administration on the work and implementation of the Collective Agreement for the period from April 2020 to April 2021. He noted that in the pandemic conditions university had to solve a number of problems related to large-scale automation of educational and management activities. The Rector spoke about the activities of the university in its main areas and noted that during the reporting period the university worked hard to implement the tasks set by the Development Strategy until 2025, taking into account changes in the management system of education and science.
One of the main changes was the introduction of formula funding for universities, which provides a guaranteed receipt of 80% of budget funds to support universities' statutory activities, and the rest - depending on the position in international rankings, employment of graduates, the amount of contract work and more. Funding for science in Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute was carried out from the general and special funds. In total, in 2020, 68 research works were performed. In the reporting period, it was possible to increase funding for science from 70 to 84 million UAH. The leaders were IMZ, TEF, ITS. The main sources of income are funding from the Ministry of Education and Science, economic contract work, grants from the National Research Fund, research services and government procurement. The ratio of funding from the special fund to the general fund was 50%.
One of the important tasks of the university was to improve the system of internal self-analysis in accordance with the requirements of the labour market and the Licensing Conditions for Accreditation of NAQA. The results of this work were changes in the structure of educational and research units. In particular, the E.O. Paton Institute of Materials Science and Welding was established on the basis of the association of scientific and pedagogical schools of engineering-physical and welding faculties. In order to consolidate efforts in the field of space research, the Centre for Space Technology was established on the basis of the IAT. 16 departments were reorganized, recruitment for 90 educational programs was merged and terminated, and on the basis of them 41 programs of the first and second levels of higher education were created in accordance with market demands and accreditation conditions of NAQA.
A significant challenge for the university was to conduct an introductory campaign in terms of distance learning. Currently, the main and almost the only source of information about the university for applicants and their families have become websites and social networks. Thus, under the conditions of the pandemic, work with schoolchildren and entrants is carried out mainly in the information space, in particular in the social networks "Instagram", "Facebook", "Telegram". The "Introduction to Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute" page has been created on the YouTube channel, and the "Entrant Catalogue" has been developed. In search of talented young people, we have expanded cooperation with the Small Academy of Sciences, schools and lyceums. At the same time, the average competition for applications in last academic year was 8.9 applications for one place. The number of students studying at the expense of individuals and legal entities has increased.
The work under the conditions of quarantine accelerated the improvement of the "Electronic Campus" of the university and the creation of its own distance learning platform "Sikorsky".
A memorandum of cooperation was signed with the Student Polyclinic and the “Miy Likar” Clinic under pandemic conditions. This allowed students to receive medical advice during quarantine, even without declarations. The campus has created places for self-isolation of students, patients are provided with comprehensive care.
The IX Festival of Innovative Projects took place online. A total of 175 projects were submitted to the competition, 56 reached the finals, 18 of them from Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute. Investments were received by 38 projects.
Economic services ensured the livelihood of all parts of the university. The property complex of the university was kept at the proper level, which includes more than 80 objects of complex infrastructure, a large adjacent territory. From March 2020 until now, all facilities, especially in campus, have been regularly disinfected, a set of measures aimed at strengthening the safety of students and staff of the university was organized and implemented. The implementation of the Energy Efficiency Program continued. Energy saving measures during the epidemic reduced the total cost of energy consumed by UAH 34 million, or 27% compared to 2019, cold water - by 27%. And during 2020, a new system of planned procurement of goods and services on the principle of "Single Window" was introduced. Considerable attention was paid to landscaping of the university. A new square "Pioneers of Aviation" has been created near the Department of Aviation and Cosmonautics.
The university budget for 2020, approved in the amount of UAH 1.8 billion, was executed by 98.1%, with the general fund revenue plan executed by 100% and the special fund revenue plan by 91.2%. The reasons for the non-fulfilment of control indicators are the decrease in the volume of activity of recreation centres, campuses, and CSFs during the epidemic. The salary fund of employees of the university compared to the previous year increased by 11.5%, average monthly salary by 12.7%. The creation of the Development Fund allowed for a planned, progressive solution to the urgent problems of the university.
Analysing the implementation of the Collective Covenant for 2020, the rector noted that all its clauses and the Agreement on labour protection in general have been implemented, and reported in detail on the implementation of each of its sections. At the end of the report, Michael Zgurovsky stressed that the nature of the challenges was one of the most difficult in recent decades. However, overcoming all challenges, the university managed not only to ensure stable operation in all areas, but also to achieve significant results in the formation and improvement of its educational, scientific and economic work.
The chairman of the trade union committee of the university Mykhailo Bezuglyi reported that the implementation of collective agreements of all faculties and institutes was analysed based on the results of the work of the relevant commissions, and their leaders received a positive assessment of their activities, which according to pos. 1.7.1 of Collective Agreement was transferred to the ECC of the university to decide on the implementation of the terms of the contract. This year's reports of vice-rectors and chief accountant were considered and approved at the meetings of the Academic Council of the University in January-March, information on budget execution for 2020 was discussed at meetings of the Administrative and Academic Councils and published in the newspaper "Kyiv Polytechnic" № 13-14. Thus, the requirements of the current legislation on the reports of managers at all levels were met, and the rector reported on his activities directly at the conference.
He also said that the commission proposed to conclude a Collective Agreement of the university for 3 years from this year, and Covenant on labour protection to be renewed annually.
Summing up the implementation of the provisions of the collective agreements of the subdivisions and the all-university Collective Agreement, Mykhailo Bezugly stated that their sections were generally fulfilled, as evidenced by the relevant acts signed by representatives of the administrative and trade union parties. However, the degree of readiness of the facilities included in this year's agreement on labour protection is the lowest in the last two decades. Therefore, the unfulfilled items will be under the quarterly control of the commission for verification of the implementation of the Collective Agreement, and the adjusted items will be transferred to the Agreement on labour protection for the next period.
Speaking about the funding of the university, Mykhailo Bezuhly noted that according to the protected articles, it was stable in 2020. In addition, some units have improved their performance in the special fund. However, university-wide units, such as the Centre for Student Food, the Centre for Physical Education and Sports, the Centre for Culture and the Arts, and especially the campus, did not meet the admission plan due to quarantine restrictions. The introduction of lockdowns has led to the need for employees of these units to go on regular paid leave, to make a simple personal application, and in some cases (for example, in CPES, CCA and CSF) - people were forced to go on leave at their own expense, and some were even reduced . Funding for the salaries of such employees directly depends on the presence of students at the university, so there is a possibility of their priority employment after returning to normal working conditions.
The statutory activity of the trade union committee of the university for the last year was aimed at the implementation of measures of material support, social and legal protection, rehabilitation of employees and their families. Representation of employees' interests in the commissions and councils of the university was carried out mainly in a remote form, but no less effectively.
In 2020, hospital payments were made in accordance with the legislation from the general fund of the university and the social insurance fund. However, from January 1, 2022, as proposed by the Ministry of Social Policy, 100% of hospital stays will require more than 20 years of experience, which significantly restricts the rights of employees. Trade unions, including the Kyiv City Trade Union of Educators, are determined not to allow the bill to be passed and to allow the Pension Fund to once again patch up the hole at the expense of social guarantees and the health of workers.
Last year, the number of employees and members of their families who used the services of the university's health departments almost halved. However, Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute managed to reduce the cost of vouchers by 1,200 hryvnias for employees, their children and grandchildren. This year, the health campaign at the university is planned in compliance with all sanitary and epidemiological requirements. Compensation for the purchase of a full voucher with food for employees, their children and grandchildren will be 1350 UAH, and for the purchase of a full voucher without food - 500 UAH. Last year, the trade union committee at its own expense also continued the implementation of the program of sanatorium treatment for university employees in accordance with medical indicators. 15 people received a 50% discount on a two-week rehabilitation course in sanatoriums.
Children's rehabilitation in the traditional camps "Sunny Beach" in Odessa region and "Verkhovyna" in Ivano-Frankivsk region for children of employees was postponed last year, and then was cancelled altogether. Therefore, last year's opportunities were aimed only at preferential family vacations in "Mayak", "Polytechnic", "Pine" and "Physician".
The trade union committee continued to financially support various categories of employees, including war and labour veterans, and employees who contracted the corona virus, and in 2020 provided financial assistance to almost 1,900 union members in the amount of UAH 4,096,000. Although the number of beneficiaries has decreased, its average size has increased by 15%.
As a result, the chairman of the trade union committee said that the university administration and administrative departments complied with the provisions of the Collective Agreement and that the Trade Union Committee recommended to adopt reports on the implementation of the University Collective Agreement for the period from April 2020 to April 2021.
The chairman of the trade union of students Igor Stepaniuk told about the significant daily work carried out by the organization to improve the living conditions of students and reduce the impact of various external negative factors.
The conference adopted the reports of the administration and trade union committees on the implementation of the provisions of the Collective Agreement of the University for the period from April 2020 to April 2021 and on the work of the rector and unanimously recognized them as satisfactory.
The conference considered and approved all sections of the Collective Agreement and the Collective Covenant for 2021-2024 with editorial amendments proposed by the working commission.
Finally, the conference elected a commission on labour disputes, the council of the labour collective on housing and social issues. Delegates approved amendments to the Statute of Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute, And to the Honour Codex of Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute. In addition, the conference, as regulated by the Law of Ukraine "On Higher Education", elected representatives to the Academic Council of Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute.