General Confederation of Trade Unions Proposes Securing Trade Union Rights in Enterprise Bankruptcy
The General Confederation of Trade Unions’ (GCTU) proposals are reflected in the draft CIS model law “On Cross-Border Insolvency and Bankruptcy.”
Trade unions must have the right to represent and protect workers’ interests in the bankruptcy of international companies, according to Viktor Pinsky, Member of the State Duma of the Russian Federation and General Secretary of the GCTU.
“Workers are the most vulnerable category of creditors in cross-border bankruptcy. It is crucial to guarantee their legal protection now, as the CIS is establishing a system for regulating cross-border bankruptcy and drafting a special model law. Objectively, in any CIS country, the trade union is the only organization specifically created and specialized in protecting workers’ rights. This is why the General Confederation of Trade Unions insists on legally enshrining the trade union’s right to represent workers’ interests in the bankruptcy of international companies,” said Viktor Pinsky.
The GCTU has initiated the inclusion of provisions ensuring privileged status for workers in wage payments during the liquidation of cross-border enterprises, as well as the right of trade unions to represent and defend the collective rights and interests of workers in bankruptcy proceedings. The latest round of discussions on the draft model law “On Cross-Border Insolvency and Bankruptcy” took place on February 26 at the Tauride Palace in St. Petersburg. The working group included representatives of the parliaments of CIS member states, experts, academics, professional associations, and the international trade union association General Confederation of Trade Unions.
Work on the CIS model law “On Cross-Border Insolvency and Bankruptcy” began a year ago. The first meeting of the working group was held on March 6, 2025.
The text of the draft law has also been amended and clarified based on proposals from CIS member states. The delegation of the Kyrgyz Republic proposed the need to provide legal assistance to foreign administrators, as a foreign administrator may lack sufficient knowledge of the law of the recognizing state.
The delegation of the Republic of Kazakhstan submitted proposals to detail the powers of administrators in recognizing foreign proceedings and the information powers of administrators.
The delegation of the Republic of Belarus proposed that states be granted the right, when incorporating the model law into national legislation, to specify the circle of debtors to whom the provisions of this law apply. A number of proposals were also made to clarify terms such as “subsidiary liability,” “controlling person,” “foreign court judgment,” “reorganization,” and “rehabilitation.”
Following discussion and voting, the working group members decided to approve the draft model law in principle, subject to further refinement based on the comments and remarks received during the meeting.
GCTU News
-
Viktor Pinsky: "The meeting of the General Confederation of Trade Unions Council in Dushanbe is a landmark event for the entire trade union movement of the Commonwealth of Independent States"
Dushanbe, Tajikistan, July 1, 2026 – Viktor Pinsky, Chairman of the Commission of the Russian State Duma on Regulations and Organisation of State Duma Activities and General Secretary of the General Confederation of Trade Unions (GCTU), called the meeting of the GCTU Council, held on July 1 in Dushanbe, a landmark event for the trade unions of the Commonwealth of Independent States.
-
Viktor Pinsky Met with Deputies of the Parliament of Tajikistan
June 30, Dushanbe, Tajikistan – The work on developing model labor legislation within the CIS format was discussed during a meeting between Viktor Pinsky, Chairman of the Commission of the Russian State Duma on Regulations and Organisation of State Duma Activities and General Secretary of the General Confederation of Trade Unions (GCTU), and Makhmadshokh Gulzoda, Chairman of the Committee on International Affairs, Public Associations, and Information of the Majlisi Namoyandagon Majlisi Oli of the Republic of Tajikistan. The meeting, held today in Dushanbe at the Parliament of Tajikistan, was also attended by other deputies of the Tajik Parliament: Orip Amirsoda, Chairman of the Environmental Commission; Naima Solizoda, member of the Commission on Deputy Ethics; Karakhon Chillazoda, Chairman of the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Tajikistan; and Margarita Usova, Deputy General Secretary of the GCTU.
-
Viktor Pinsky met with the Deputy Minister of Labor of Tajikistan
June 30, Dushanbe, Tajikistan - The gradual formation of a common labour market and the regulation of labour migration among the member states of the Commonwealth of Independent States were the main topics of a meeting between the Chair of the Commission on Rules and Maintenance of Activity of the State Duma, and the General Secretary of the General Confederation of Trade Unions (GCTU), and Sharif Norzoda, Deputy Minister of Labour, Migration and Employment of the Republic of Tajikistan.