CONFEDERATION OF FREE TRADE UNIONS OF MACEDONIA

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AND COOPERATION

The Confederation and the affiliated branch unions have intensive international cooperation with the trade unions in the region, and wider.

KSS branch unions are members of their related international branch federations such as the EI (Education International), ICEM (International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions), PSI (Public Services International), ITF/ETF (International Transport Federation/European Transport Federation), EUROMIL (European Organization of Military Organisations), etc.

The KSS also takes part in many local, regional as well as international activities, through its membership into PERC (Pan European Regional Council), within the ITUC (International Trade Union Confederation). KSS actively cooperates with other national trade union organisations within the EU countries and in the region of SEE. Our branch unions, as members of their branch federations also participate in different project activities in their field of interest.

With the ILO (International Labor Organization), we are involved in series of activities and projects, mainly through the local office for Central and Eeastern Europe, located in Budapest, but also in the other activities. Currently, the KSS is involved in the ILO Project for strengthening of the national social dialogue and branch (industry) level negotiations, which is implemented in all countries in the region of Western Balkans and Moldova.

The KSS has submitted request for affiliation to the ITUC for full membership and is pending a positive reply at the next meeting of the General Council which will be held this autumn.

KSS has also submitted application for affiliation into the ETUC, European Trade Union Confederation, a process which goes parallel to the country’s integration into the EU.

CONCLUSIONS FROM SEE TRADE UNION FORUM REGARDING THE IMPACT OF THE GLOBAL ECONOMIC CRISES

The SEE Trade Union Forum held an extraordinary meeting on 27 of February 2009, in Podgorica, Montenegro. Some 20 trade union leaders and experts from the countries of South Eastern Europe, representatives of the PERC, FES Regional office in Belgrade and the Deputy Prime Minister of the Government of Montenegro discussed the impact of the global economic crises in the SEE region and wider context and the Trade Union responses in the SEE countries.

At this meeting, members of the SEE TU Forum adopted the following conclusions and recommendations:

1. The development of tripartite and bipartite social dialogue in the countries of SEE needs to be strengthened as a real form of dialogue where each side discuss the matters of common concern based on arguments and mutual respect with the aim of building consensus. The financial and economic crises gives an opportunity in making the actors in social dialogue sensible for a genuine social dialogue.

2. The Trade Union organizations in the SEE region need to be fully involved in the supervision and control of the measures undertaken by the Government on the consequences of the economic crises.

3. It is necessary that the Government policies and measures in the region include employment policies that will keep the employment trough the creation of new and better jobs.

4. The Trade Unions will pay special attention to the developments in the banking sector in the region.

5. The SEE TU Forum member organizations will insist on the reduction of the company profits and salaries of the company managers requesting that these funds should be invested into the vocational training of workers.

6. The SEE TU Forum members demand better and regular contacts and consultations with the IMF, EBRD and the WB in the countries of the region on issues related to the reforms of the social security systems, for instance on the pension system reforms, initiated by the World Bank, which resulted into a fact that today more pensioners leave in poverty than before the mentioned reforms. The ITUC and the PERC will be informed about the lack of consultations of the IFIs with the Trade Unions. The ITUC PERC is asked to provide its political support and expertise on this matter.

7. The EU integration processes of the Western Balkan countries should be continued and the role of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) should be strengthened in promoting regional cooperation and the different initiatives in the region. The SEE TU Forum is asking the Regional Cooperation Council to assist in the organization of a joint meeting with the Adriatic Region Employers’ Centre (AREC) in 2009 on social dialogue.

8. The SEE Trade Union Forum agreed to organize the next ordinary meeting on 7-8 of April 2009, in Zagreb, Croatia. The General Secretary of the PERC, brother John Monks and president of PERC, brother Mikhael Shmakov, will be invited to the meeting, as well as, Prof. Vladimir Gligorov, economist, from the Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies.