ABSTRACT
Ukraine is now one of the worst-performing transition economies in Eastern Europe. In 2001, real GNP was about one-third of what it was in 1991, when Ukraine became independent. In 2000, industrial production was only 28 per cent of its 1990 level (Ukrainian Economic Trends, December 2000). Ukraine’s record is even substantially worse than that of Russia. It is no surprise that the condition of the Ukrainian working class has deteriorated dramatically. The average wage was US$46.6 per month in 2000, only 64 per cent of that in Russia. Moreover, wages are not always paid.
