In Kyiv, a sharp confrontation continues between representatives of trade unions and the Asset Recovery and Management Agency (ARMA) over ownership rights to the Trade Union House, located in the very center of the capital at Maidan, 2. On June 20, a rally took place outside the historic building, attended not only by trade union activists but also by veterans of combat operations.
This is reported by Finway
Trade Unions’ Positions: Legal Arguments and Accusations of Raiding
Participants of the rally emphasize the need to return the Trade Union House and accuse ARMA of raiding. On the website of the All-Ukrainian Union of Defenders of Ukraine, Athletes, and Workers, it is stated that the Agency’s actions have deprived them of access to personal belongings and awards of fallen comrades. According to the head of the union, Serhiy Byzov, representatives of the organization have to write statements in the open air, as they are not allowed to retrieve valuable items from the premises.
“We are forced to write statements in the open air, on the shoulders of our comrades. We have the awards of our fallen inside. They won’t let us take them. And what does ARMA respond? ‘Prove that you are veterans – then we will apologize,'” quotes the press service the head of the All-Ukrainian Union of Defenders of Ukraine, Serhiy Byzov.
The head of the All-Ukrainian Union of Producers and Entrepreneurs, Natalia Zemlyanska, outlined the legal grounds for terminating the management contract for the building with the company “UK ‘KAMparitet'”. According to her, the competition for the manager took place after the Pechersk Court’s ruling in 2023, but on May 21, 2025, the arrest was lifted, which automatically nullifies the contract according to its clause 6.3.
The trade unions insist: after the lifting of the arrest, the contract with “KAMparitet” should have been terminated and a new competition for the building manager should have been held.
ARMA’s Actions, New Arrests, and Accusations of Corruption
The Trade Union House was arrested and transferred to ARMA back in 2023, which designated “KAMparitet” as the manager. However, after the lifting of the arrest on May 21, 2025, the Pechersk District Court imposed a new arrest in early June as part of a criminal proceeding regarding the allegedly illegal alienation of real estate belonging to the Federation of Trade Unions of Ukraine.
ARMA, in turn, accuses the trade unions of conducting “media spectacles” and covering up corruption schemes. The conflict sometimes escalates into physical confrontations. For instance, on May 22, an attempt to seize the Trade Union House by unidentified individuals in military uniforms was recorded, who, according to officials, used force and threats with weapons while trying to take control of the property.
At the same time, according to journalistic investigations, the company “KAMparitet” has won four competitions for managing valuable real estate in Kyiv, including the Trade Union House, within just one year of its activity. The founder and first director of the consortium was Taras Golub, who previously served as an advisor to Olha Stefanishyna, the Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration. Business circles link “KAMparitet” to Stefanishyna’s ex-husband, who stated that he has no information about his business and only financially supports their joint children, as reflected in her declaration.
ARMA also reported numerous violations, including renting out premises in central Kyiv for symbolic amounts and the operation of a casino in the Trade Union House, which should be a symbol of freedom and independence, not a venue for shadow gambling business.
ARMA’s head, Olena Duma, emphasized that the Agency is open to dialogue but insists on compliance with the law. She noted that in the working group discussing the future of the Trade Union House, representatives of the FPU are in the minority, while the trade unions complain about the disregard for their interests.