The Solidarity Center (SC), as the implementer of USAID's Labor Union Project, promotes respect and implementation of ILO Core Labor Standards and assists independent trade unions and progressive labor leaders participate effectively in the development of a democratic civil society and free market economy. The goal of the Labor Union Project is to strengthen the ability of labor unions to function democratically and independently and to effectively represent their membership in the social, economic and political development of Macedonia. To accomplish these goals, the Labor Unions Project works in Organizational Development, Capacity Building and Conflict Mitigation.
Labor Union Organizational Development: Prior to USAID's support through the Solidarity Center (SC), the labor movement in Macedonia had limited technical experience to represent its membership in an effective, constructive manner. The SC overhauled the technical departments of the Federation of Trade Unions of Macedonia (SSM) to make them more transparent, responsive and accountable to the membership and provided technical assistance and training in strategic planning and leadership. The Solidarity Center focused its efforts on labor union activists within the SSM and the branch unions who were advocating for an independent and democratic trade union organization that would promote democratic values and ethnic diversity, social and economic stability, and respectable living standards for its membership.
Capacity Building: a group of reform-minded trade union leaders left the SSM in 2005 in response to their perceived lack of reform within the SSM. The Project will in the coming year, work with this group to establish it as a democratic, multi- ethnic Confederation of Free Trade Unions of Macedonia (CFTU). Through training and technical assistance the Solidarity Center will help the CFTU establish trade union centers in major cities to provide critical service to workers and local union organizations. The Solidarity Center will also provide training in collective bargaining, membership organizing and communication, and strategic planning.
Conflict Mitigation through Political Participation and Ethnic Tolerance: The Trade Union of Education, Science and Culture (SONK) is a positive example of a multi-ethnic civil society organization in Macedonia. With the support of the Solidarity Center and a joint program with the American Federation of Teachers, SONK has reached out to ethnic groups and has grown from 15,000 members to over 35,000 members over the past three years. SONK has developed multi-lingual training materials, information and union identification cards, and has maintained the unity of the union and its membership. SONK is now the leading trade union calling for a more democratic, transparent and free trade union movement that will represent workers through collective bargaining and social dialogue with the government.
Currently, the SC is implementing the following activities:
1. Strengthening the new confederation of free trade unions of Macedonia through organizational development and training in modern trade union practices;
2. Training to encourage gender awareness and leadership and genuine inclusion of women and ethnic minorities within the labor union leadership ranks;
3. Improving the effectiveness of legislation and regulations that respect workers' rights and internationally recognized core labor standards, highlighting violations that exist in the informal economy and proposing solutions that can contribute to exposing and eradicating corruption;
4. Increasing the capacity of labor unions to represent their members and participate effectively in economic reform, privatization, company restructurings, and social dialogue;
5. Enhancing the role of organized labor unions in promoting good corporate governance through shareholder action and improved labor-management relations.
The Solidarity Center is a non-profit organization that assists workers around the world to build democratic and independent labor unions. The Solidarity Center works with labor unions worldwide to achieve equitable, sustainable, democratic development and to help men and women stand up for their rights and improve their living and working standards.
The Labor Union Project is implemented by the American Center for International Labor Solidarity
For more information:
U.S.Agency for International Development
U.S Embassy, Samoilova 21,1000 Skopje, Macedonia
Telephone: +(389) 2 310 2000 Fax +(389) 2 310 2463
USAID Mission contacts:
Melita Cokrevska
E-mail: mcokrevska@usaid.gov
Kathy Stermer
E-mail: kastermer@usaid.gov
USAID Development Outreach and Communication office
Biljana Velickovska, DOC Specialist