Informal economy: Workshop for the NHS – UATUC Women and Youth Sections

In Framework of the ITUC/PERC-FNV Project: Promotion of workers rights and their representation in the Informal Economy National thematic Workshop was hold on April 2, 2009 in Zagreb in organizations of the NHS and UATUC and with the financial support of PERC and FNV.

The 29 representatives of the NHS and UATUC Women and Youth Sections and 3 moderators, Ms. Milica Jovanovic (NHS), Mr. Goran Bakula (NHS) and Mr. Domagoj Ferdebar (UATUC) were participated the Workshop.

Since it has been planned to manage several different activities during the project such as: thematic workshops, tri-partite meetings and campaigns for workers, it was easier to involve participants in work after they were informed on the project goals and possible workshop outcome. So, after the workshop opening and brief introduction of all participants and moderators, Ms. Milica Jovanovic, project coworker, has presented the complete three-year project: Promotion of workers rights and their representation in the Informal Economy.

The lecture of Mr. Goran Bakula, project coworker, on the past and currently stage of the informal economy and black market in Croatia, has raised discussion among the participants on how they see the problems that workers, who are involved in the informal economy and especially in the black market, are facing with. Whereas that this problem is very expanded in the Republic of Croatia, in all segments of economy, mostly in the private sectors but in the public sectors also, most participants have explained their own experiences of work in the black market.

Mr. Domagoj Ferdebar, project coworker, had a presentation on the current trade unions efforts in struggle against the work in the black market. Through the educative campaigns for citizens and workers but also for the employers, on the all negative consequences of work in the black market, the UATUC in cooperation with the local government representatives is implementing the ongoing project “Stop to work in the black market”.

During the afternoons part of the workshop, the participants have been divided in three working groups which have offered own suggestions on the sat thematic question.

I. How to recruit the workers who are involved in the ILICIT work for a trade union activities? 2, How the problem of the ILICITI work make significant for the public and politicians?!
3.The possible solutions that are able to be offered on the local and state levels?

The conclusions of this workshop are made out of the working groups offered suggestions:

- To establish the appropriate educative and informational system for workers on their rights in the labor market, but also for the employers and government on the all negative consequences of the informal economy.

- To provide the information on the trade union work to the workers who are involved in the ILICIT work and enable them enrollment with the trade unions (without payment of the membership fee).