EVALUATION OF TRADE UNION EDUCATION IN CEE-NIS

1. EVALUATION OF TRADE UNION EDUCATION IN CEE-NIS An assessment of the situation on the basis of a survey organized by the ICFTU and ETUI-REHS September-November 2005 Prepared by Agnieszka GHINARARU

2. “Solidarumas” (Lithuania) LPSK (Lithuania) NSZZ “Solidarnosc” (Poland) CMKOS (Czech Rep.) KOZ SR (Slovak Rep.) MOSZ (Hungary) UATUC (Croatia) CITUM (Serbia & Montenegro) Nezavisnost (Serbia & Montenegro) SSM (Macedonia) CITUB (Bulgaria) Podkrepa (Bulgaria) BNS (Romania) Cartel Alfa (Romania) CNSLR FRATIA (Romania) CSDR (Romania) CSRM (Moldova) KVPU (Ukraine) FNPR (Russia) COVERAGE: 19 ORGANISATIONS & 13 COUNTRIES

3. 1. 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

4. 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

5. 2. Objectives of TU education How the objectives are defined and by whom? • Education Departments • Advisory/consultative body on TU education • General objectives are developed by Executive Body and the detailed by trainers The evaluation • Who evaluates? • Tools? • How often?

6. 3. STRATEGY (steps) 1. TU Education impulse from outside: • 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

7. 4. Educational structures 2 main types of the educational structures: • Inside • Outside Typical tasks: • Needs analysis • Drafting of policy/strategy documents • Implementation • Writing of programs, materials, etc. • Organizing and running of educational activities • Evaluation and reporting • International cooperation

8. Typical target groups: • TU trainers, TU experts • TU leaders • Workers reps • TU members • Women • Youth

9. Main 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

10. 5. TU TRAINERS All organizations have team of trainers – differences: • 1st group: 8/19 organizations – full time trainers • 2nd group: 3/19 organizations – part time trainers • 3rd group: 8/19 organizations – external trainers/experts Core groups trained be foreigners Difficulties with keeping them in the organization (active)

11. 6. PRODUCTS • WRITTEN MATERIALS • TRAINING COURSES • WEBSITES • OTHER

12. 7. ASSESMENT • 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”

13. Main successes: • Solid educational structure • Diversified and flexible educational offer • Changes in mentality of TU activists • Gender mainstreaming – on the priority list • Multi media educational tools • Educational materials • Well developed relations on the European level in the field of TU education • “Summer School”: for TU leaders • Sufficient, annual educational budget • TU leaders are convinced to the educational strategy • Integration of the civic education lessons developed by TU to schools

14. 8. Impact of TU education on TU activates 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 • TU reps are more active in the National Social Dialogue Commission • Women’s structure was set up • Changes in labor law were possible • Rising awareness and interest in TU education • Pool of good negotiators • Women are aware of their rights and their mentality has changed

15. 9. Relations between TU educational structure and other elements of the organization • All have mentioned good contacts • Relations mostly based on current needs • Less structured – rather informal

16. 10. FUNDING 1st group: • educational fund & paid educational staff • (NSZZ “Solidarnosc”; CMKOS; BNS; Podkrepa; CITUB; MOSZ) 2nd group: • paid educational staff but ad hoc funding of activities • (Cartel Alfa; LPSK; CNSLR-Fratia; SSM; Nezavisnost) 3rd group: • no educational fund on confederal level (branch/territorial structures pay for education of their reps) • Paid educational staff (in the centers; institutes, etc) • (KOZ SR; UATUC; FNPR) 4th group: • No educational fund nor paid educational staff – TU education based on ad hoc actions • (CITUM; CSRM; CSDR; KVPU; “Solidarums”)

17. 11. Impact of external assistance • The impact of international projects (assistance/cooperation) • The impact of bilateral cooperation • General assessment of the external assistance: Strong points Weak points • Suggestions for future cooperation

18. The impact of international cooperation International assistance contributed to the development of TU education in the following areas: • Training of trainers’ teams (most of them, at the beginning were trained by external experts) • Building up educational structures, preparing education material and defining educational programmes and curricula • Helping the TU movement to understand the contribution that TU education could give to the consolidation of their organisations (particularly in the “new” unions) • Contributing to the international recognition of the CEEC-NIS partners, and to their integration, in time, in the international and European TU family

19. 12. External relations Who’s responsible for external relations in the field of education? • Education Department (9) • Education Dept. and International Dept. (3) • International Department (4) Who’s responsible for educational projects? • Education Department (in most cases) • Both Education and International Departments Only 5/19 organizations have a project officer.