Trade union organizing, a fundamental condition for the expansion of the trade union movement

More than 40 people – trade union trainers, vice-presidents, responsible for organization, education and information from the national-branch trade union centres, heads of CNSM departments – participated today, September 17, at the seminar “Sustainable development through trade union organizing” organized by the National Trade Union Confederation of Moldova, whose special guest is Stephen Benedict, the director of the Global Organizing Academy, a notorious name for reference to the international trade union movement.

Oleg Budza, president of the CNSM, noted that Stephen Benedict has long been expected in our country, because his experience in the field of trade union organizing under the aegis of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) will allow trade unionists from Moldova to learn many new and effective practices in this field. Apart from that, mentioned CNSM president, Stephen Benedict is a remarkable specialist in the methods and instruments for recruiting new trade union members, his recommendations are useful from the perspective of expanding the trade union movement in our country.

Also, mentioned Oleg Budza, the recommendations of the Director of the Global Organizing Academy are opportune in the context of this year’s CNSM national campaign “The Collective Labour Agreement – the guarantee of your rights”, through which the CNSM proposed that the employees be better socially-economically protected, trade union members really feel members of the trade union family in our country, which are reliable premises for asserting strong, viable structures of the trade unions.

“Strengthening the factor that employees represent, in the view of Stephen Benedict, is the main task, to which the trade union organizations must be involved.” In this context, he pointed out that the trade union organization is a fundamental component from the perspective of the expansion of the trade union movement. He warned that activists, trade union leaders must not forget for a moment that employees are the basis of trade union organizations. Therefore, it is imperative, urged the Director of the Global Organizing Academy, to constantly communicate with employees at their workplace. This, in his opinion, is one of the main conditions for the efficiency of recruiting new trade union members.

As for the chances of strengthening the capacities of trade unions, Stephen Benedict has stated that, first of all, it is mandatory to mobilize trade union members so that they realize that trade unions are able to defend their rights and interests. Likewise, it is necessary for trade unionists to be as receptive as possible, more sensitive to workers’ wishes, to become more involved in the process of solving employee problems.

Tomorrow, September 18, the seminar “Sustainable development through trade union organizing”, with the participation of Stephen Benedict, organized by the CNSM, will continue with the involvement of the CNSM leadership, the presidents of the national-branch trade union centres.

Department of mass media and international relations of CNSM