CATUS Serbia Youth Section and Women Section seminar

On October 16-17, 2019 in Vrnjačka Banja a seminar was organized by the Confederation of Autonomous Trade Unions of Serbia (CATUS) with the help of the ITUC Pan European Regional Council and support of Swedish trade unions "Union to Union".

This was the first joint seminar of the two Sections. The seminar was opened by the CATUS President Ljubisav Orbović, ITUC/PERC office coordinator Enisa Vranac Salimović and Presidents of the CATUS Youth and Women Sections. Mrs Vranac Salimović pointed to a good example of how CATUS works with young people, regarding the need for the global trade union movement to focus on the engagement of young people.
CATUS President Ljubisav Orbović got the participants familiar with the election activities in company trade union organisations that started on October 1, later there will be activities at the level of territory and in branch trade unions and big finish is the CATUS Congress in May 2020. President Orbović pointed out the need to a larger engagement of youth and women and invited them to nominate as many members as possible in their company trade union organisations and other levels of trade union organization.
The next seminar session was about the violence against women. Violence at work place was presented by the President of the Women Section, Radmila Obrenović, through her presentation of trade union role in the protection of women’s labour and social rights. It is important to say that trade unions will be able to provide additional support through the most recent ILO Convention on the prevention of sexual harassment and violence. Mirjana Mitić from the Autonomous Women’s Center talked about violence in the family and provision of support for women – victims of violence. Constructive discussion developed on the issue of myths and prejudices about bullies and their victims.
Youth Section President Ružica Grabovac talked about her experience at the European Youth Trade Union Academy and future activities of the CATUS Youth Section in 2019 and 2020.
At the seminar an important youth and women’s initiative was adopted – Presidents of these two Sections ought to become CATUS Presidency members. The proposal will be submitted to the CATUS bodies for consideration.
Aleksandra Knežević from the Youth Development Center presented Regional Project ‘Rights at Work, Work on Rights’ and invited trade unions to develop project capacities and cooperation. Several representatives of the CATUS Youth Section, who had the opportunity to take part in that Project, spoke about their impressions and knowledge they gained through the participation.
The seminar ended successfully and in a productive atmosphere, with the guidelines for future work, development and cooperation with partners.