GPS saw everything: Izyumov explained why some of the employees of Mykolaivvodokanal were outraged

The CEO of KP “Mykolaivvodokanal” Hennadiy Izyumov said that the conflict with some of the company’s employees after his appointment arose because of strengthened internal control, in particular over the use of equipment and working hours. He said this during a briefing on May 28, 2026.

According to Hennadiy Izyumov, after his arrival the company began to change its organizational structure and introduce new mechanisms for controlling resources. In particular, company vehicles were equipped with GPS navigation to track vehicle routes and the actual operation of the machines. Speaking about the reaction of part of the workforce to these changes, the company director explained that the strengthened control revealed problematic aspects in the use of working time.

“Control increased when the GPS systems started working and vehicle routes began to be tracked. It turned out that people were attending to personal matters during working hours. Accordingly, such a reaction followed,” – explained Hennadiy Izyumov.

Answering a question about the reasons for the internal conflict with some workers who previously appealed to the mayor demanding a change in the company’s leadership, Hennadiy Izyumov said that the dissatisfaction was precisely related to the changes and the increase in control. He noted that any managerial changes cause stress, especially when a new leader begins to see problems that previously went unnoticed. According to him, after the launch of equipment monitoring, orders began to be issued to discipline employees, since cases were revealed when people engaged in non-work tasks during working hours. At the same time, the director of Mykolaivvodokanal believes that the situation inside the company has already been stabilized.

“I constantly visit the sites and talk with employees. People are more concerned about simple things: everyday amenities, workwear and how they are treated. What happened was a surge that died down on its own. I understand that our management team is formed, we have discussed all issues with all managers, everyone understands what we will do next,” – said Hennadiy Izyumov.

He also emphasized that there are no plans for mass layoffs at the company. According to him, this is currently only about a targeted reorganization of the administrative-management staff due to duplication of functions. The director explained that some positions have duplicated functions. Employees whose positions are subject to reduction were offered engineering and technical vacancies corresponding to their field of work. According to Hennadiy Izyumov, this is not about reducing people, but about eliminating positions.

To date, he said, one commercial director position has already been cut, and another four administrative positions are in the process of reorganization. Some employees have already agreed to move to new jobs. At the same time Hennadiy Izyumov admitted that the company lacks skilled workers. In particular, Mykolaivvodokanal needs fitters for emergency repair and restoration work, excavator operators and welders. According to the director, the company constantly posts vacancies, participates in job fairs and tries to attract specialists.

The context of the conflict around Mykolaivvodokanal has been ongoing for more than a month. In April, some employees publicly spoke out against the new leadership and warned of the threat of the company’s collapse, possible privatization and personnel decisions with which they do not agree.

At the same time, the supervisory board and the company’s management previously spoke of a deep crisis at Mykolaivvodokanal, accumulated managerial problems, the need for an audit, internal control and structural reform. According to them, the financial plan for 2026 included a loss of UAH 667.4 million.

Previously we wrote:

• 100 days of changes at “Mykolaivvodokanal”: new management promises an end to the “emergency mode”
• After the scandals, Mykolaivvodokanal opened a line for corruption reports
• Mykolaivvodokanal: 4 years of crisis, a loss in 2026 of UAH 667.4 million, 57% of staff are afraid to expose abuses
• Mykolaivvodokanal employees warn of the company’s collapse and sale for next to nothing
• A revolt erupted at “Mykolaivvodokanal” against the new director: the staff wants to appeal to Senkevych