From 21 October to 1 December 2010 activists and members of the Confederation of Free Trade Unions of Ukraine (KVPU) participated in a series of protests at the Independence Square in Kyiv against the adoption of the Draft Labour Code of Ukraine and the Draft Law on Social Dialogue. The protest actions coincided with protest actions by entrepreneurs and small businesses against the adoption of the Tax Code of Ukraine.
On 8 December 2010 the Independent Trade Union of Miners of Ukraine (NPGU), the KVPU’s affiliate, received a letter from the Kyiv Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine demanding that the union submit a list of its members who participated in the protest actions at the Independence Square from 21 October 2010 to 1 December 2010 as well as their personal data and other available and helpful information in order to conduct an urgent criminal investigation.
On 10 and 14 December 2010 Mr. Volynets, KVPU and NPGU Chairman and Member of the Ukrainian Parliament, and four other members of Parliament received through the Secretariat of the Parliament summons to appear as witnesses before the Unit of Investigations of Felonies and Grave Crimes of the Kyiv Investigation Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine. The criminal case was opened under Art. 194 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine - Intentional destruction or damage of other people’s property.