Alexander Yurkin

Biography of Vladimir Yurkin

Date of Birth: 27.02.1956

Place of Birth, Education. Born in Novoshakhtinsk, Rostov region. Economist, Master's in International Management (graduated from the Higher School of Trade Union Movement and the Academy of Foreign Trade).

Career. Started working in 1975 as a locksmith for the repair of turbine equipment at the Reactor-Turbine Plant of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant.

After military service, he worked from 1977 as a duty locksmith, machine operator, and senior technician for the maintenance of the 'Shield' object, Secretary of the Komsomol Committee of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant.

From 1984, Yurkin worked in the trade union movement: initially as deputy chairman of the trade union committee of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant and from 1991 as chairman.

After the independence of Ukraine, he was the initiator and active participant in the establishment of the union of employees of nuclear and industrial enterprises of Ukraine. The Atomic Union was founded in 1992 on the basis of trade union organizations and enterprises of nuclear and industrial enterprises that were part of the union of employees of nuclear and industrial enterprises of the USSR. Yurkin was appointed as the head of the Atomic Union, which he led until January 2005. On January 21, 2005, he was elected as its chairman at the III meeting of the Council of the Federation of Trade Unions of Ukraine (FPU).

In April 2006, Yurkin was elected chairman of the FPU for a five-year term at the V Congress of the Federation.

On July 17, 2008, he resigned at his own request.

Scandals. Yurkin's dismissal from the position of chairman of the largest trade union association in Ukraine was linked to an incident in early July with his deputy Sergey Kostyn. The latter was arrested by law enforcement for accepting a bribe of $50,000. As a result, Yurkin submitted his resignation.

At a meeting of the FPU presidium, the chairman stated that he could not act otherwise because he is responsible for his subordinates. After his speech, he immediately left the hall and named in the corridors of the Federation for the first time those whom he believed had initiated the change in the FPU leadership. Among them were: the head of the National Forum of Trade Unions of Ukraine Myroslav Yakibchuk, the deputy chair of the National Service for Mediation and Reconciliation Sergey Herbeda, and the deputy of the Regions Party Valeriy Kharlym. According to Yurkin, they conducted negotiations with a number of leaders of trade unions - members of the FPU - about initiating a change in the leadership team of the Federation.

Previously, shortly after Kostyn's arrest, Yurkin stated that the FPU had been the target of an information attack from semi-criminal economic structures and 'yellow unions' over the past year. 'The numerous publications in some mass media, which represent open slander, the attempts of bribery of individual members of the presidium and the council of the federation - this is only the outer part of the actions of the aggressor,' he emphasized.

Awards. Received a commendation from the government of Ukraine (2002), the Order 'For Services' III class (2004).

Family. The former head of the FPU is married and has two sons.

Death. Died on September 10, 2018.

25.02.2019