ICFTU CEE UNIT TRADE UNION EDUCATION IN CEE & NIS REGION

DEVELOPMENT OF STRATEGIES AND POLICIES OF TU EDUCATION 1. TU Education “imported”:  Passive receivers  Developing of educational structure with foreign help  Problems with needs analysis  Lots of trainings for different target groups 2. Developing and functioning of the educational structures  Differences appeared:  a/. Some organizations takes responsibility for further development of educational structures (ensuring financial resources)  b/. Others are developing their educational structures and activities still mostly basing on external assistance (human and financial) 3. To adapt TU Education to new challenges  Just a beginning  Revising of TU policies, including educational ones

ICFTU WORLD CONFERENCE ON TU EDUCATION – Denmark 1994  INFORMAL ESTABLISHING OF THE CEE EDUCATORS NETWORK  MORE STRUCTURED ACTIVITIES  MORE AND MORE COORDINATION  METHOD OF “NETWORKING” IN CEE AS AN WORKING APPROACH APPEARED

ETUCO-ICFTU PHARE PROJECT  EAST – EAST COOPERATION AND EXCHANGE  STRENGTHENING OF THE NETWORK  FINAL CONFERENCE /Zlenice, Czech Republic/ RECOMMENDATIONS in the following areas: Basic TU education Training of trainers Vocational training Distance learning Financing of TU education

2005 – ASSESMENT OF TU EDUCATION IN CEE / NIS  CEETUC THEMATIC DEBATE ON TU EDUCATION AND ITS RECOMENDATION  SURVEY

CEETUC RECOMENDATIONS 2005:  TU education is a basis for TU action  CEETUC asks the ICFTU to strengthen its support in building facilities and devising strategies  The need to involve educators in TU policies  Help with devising and evaluating education policies  Advised that ETUC, WCL and ICFTU should ensure better coordination between their programs

PLANS FOR 2006 / 2007: ASSESMENT OF TU EDUCATION  SETTING UP/ PREPARING OF THE “EVALUATION TEAM”  ASSESMENT OF TU EDUCATION IN SOME ORGANISATIONS  REGIONAL CONFERENCE ON TRADE UNION EDUCATION

EVALUATION OF NATIONAL LEVEL ACTIVITIES - based on the survey TU policy on TU education Priorities Educational structures and Trainers Target groups Obstacles and successes Impact of TU education on TU activities

TU POLICY ON TU EDUCATION  All organizations have policy on TU education  In 17/19 cases it is covered in Congress documents (general)  In many unions also in other documents of the organization (more detailed)  Educational departments are responsible for its implementation  Education departments are also involved in drafting policy/strategy

Is it really working?  Not clear answers  Full implementation of the policy/strategy – certain conditions are needed: - education fund is created – providing the necessary resources to organise the activities according to the defined policy - well organized, educated training teams exist, and function properly - activities exist on a regular basis, with clearly identifiable and evaluable objectives

TYPICAL TARGET GROUPS  TU trainers, TU experts  TU leaders  Workers reps  TU members  Women  Youth

PRIORITIES  Collective bargaining, collective agreements, social dialogue;  Trade union and fundamental workers rights, labour legislation;  Principles of trade unionism (basic TU training), TU policy;  Market economy, globalization, privatisation;  organizing and recruitment; motivation of TU members;  Trade Union management, strengthening the TU; modernizing the TU movement;  Health and safety at work;  European issues – including European Workers’ Councils,  Gender equality;  Young trade unionism  Communication

EDUCATIONAL STRUCTURES Most organisations have educational departments All organizations have team of trainers Core groups trained be foreigners Difficulties with keeping them in the organization (active)

MAIN OBSTACLES:  Mentality  Small structures – no funds  Lack of trainers in all structures  Paid educational leave – problems  Transition period (social & economic situation)  Structure of organization & distribution of membership fee  Lack of awareness  Coordination of the educational activities  Participants expecting “a fish” instead of “a fishing rope”

The effects/results of educational activities:  Budget for organizing & recruitment is growing in regions  Changes in attitude/mentality  More and better collective agreements  Educational materials are better and more concrete  TU activists/leaders are better performing their tasks  Better labour legislation  Rising awareness and interest in TU education  Pool of good negotiators  Women are aware of their rights and their mentality has changed  Women’s structures were established and operating

TYPES OF REGIONAL LEVEL ACTIVITIES (1)  THEMATIC WORKSHOPS for the top leaders of the Region - Organized by the CEE Unit - On regular basis (2/year) – IFIs, informal economy, pension reform, education…  THEMATIC ACTIVITIES organised by different CEE Unit offices in the Region (for TU experts and leaders): - Moscow office: e.g. TUR - Vilnius office: informal economy - Sarajevo office: legal protection - Zagreb office: discrimination in the labour market

TYPES OF REGIONAL LEVEL ACTIVITIES (2)  ACTIVITIES organized by the ICFTU partner in the Region (i.g. ILO, FES, ACILS, etc.)  East-east NETWORKS: - Women - Youth - Educators - Trade Union Rights - Organisers

CASE STUDY East-east Networks in Education: ICFTU-WCL CEE&NIS Women’s Network Established – November 1997 Merged with the WCL – October 2005 TODAY: 45 structures in 25 countries

Why the ICFTU CEE Unit started in the mid of 90s building the East-east networks? ICFTU CEE East-east networks are a specific model of cooperation within CEE and NIS region, operated by the ICFTU CEE Unit. The network structures - work methods employed in networking - suitable for enabling equal cooperation and flexible reactions to dynamic development. Most important from the educational point of view – it has been proved as the best functioning and the cheapest training model.

Why… Central objective of these networks - regular communication, exchange of information and training projects - important to transform unions to be more democratic and build capacity within the unions. Instead of having a one-time conference, East-east networks have helped trade union activists from different countries and engaged in different fields to transcend borders and work together on long-term projects that empowers people and organisations.

TYPICAL MODEL OF EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES OF THE WOMEN’S NETWORK  Annual Women’s School + Regional women’s conference develop Priorities – Women’s Network + CEETUC (7th School under preparation; last year 165 participants)  Project development  Fundraising  Developing “own” training material  Subregional trainings of trainers  Translation of the training material/printing/disseminating  National trainings of trainers/sponsored or self- financed  Trainings at different levels

PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE & ACHIEVEMENTS IN AREA OF EDUCATION & TRAININGS “Empowering trade union women” a. Research on the position of women b. Public presentation of reports; issuing books c. Regional report issued d. Developing of the manual and training programme e. Translating to 16 languages f. Subregional trainings of training – 100 trainers g. National trainings – 710 trainers h. Follow up: app women trained

“Collective negotiating” a. Developing of 4 manuals: company level; territorial, sectoral and national level; European level; Strategy and techniques of negotiating b. Evaluation of the manual; printing; disseminating c. Translation of the kits – so far 17 languages d. Subregional trainings – 90 trainers (men and women) e. National/sectoral trainings – so far at least 1,500 trade unionist trained

SPECIAL TIPS FOR TRADE UNION EDUCATION IMPORTANT 1. Regional trade union ownership of the training material 2. Case studies from the regional practice/experience 3. Training material – a la carte (choose yourself); cut-paste 4. Interactive methodology of training

TIPS 5. Participants – partners in training 6. Strengthening of the networks – training used for establishing or spreading the network 7. Strong cooperation with the regional NGOs 8. Importance of the continuous advanced training of the same group of women and men (national coordinators) 9. Grass root based educational programmes 10. Actions – campaigning, research, request for the ILC ratification etc. to follow