The workshop aimed at analysing the existing trade union experiences in the field of campaigning and communication on workers’ rights, the use of new media technologies by the union structures, social media as well as to brainstorm how to contribute to better vertical and horizontal trade union communication in the framework of the PERC.

The participants were introduce to the work of the ITUC-PERC and the ILO-ACTRAV by Anton Leppik and Sergeus Glovackas as well as to the ITUC campaigns and global actions by Kristin Blom, ITUC Campaigning and Communication department. She presented the current ITUC priority campaigns, including Play Fair, which will have a new momentum in the region linked with the European Football Championship in Ukraine, Olympic games and World Footbal Championship in Russia, the 7 Horrors of the World campaign, youth campaign, and Decisions for Life campaign. Special attention was devoted to the World Day for Decent Work and the added value of globally coordinated actions to the national and local activities of unions.

In groups the participants brainstormed elements for joint actions in framework of the WDDW and the youth campaign, particularly how the actions run by the national centres can have a specific regional dimension by engaging and mutually reinforcing public relations and communication work of the national centres.

During the second day the workshop focused on the means of communication used by the unions, particularly, electronic means. Kristin Blom presented the means the ITUC was using as well as some other examples from the affiliated or partner organisations. Andriy Hnatyuk from the union of IT workers of Ukraine focused on the use of webtechnologies for organising webminars, virtual meetings and even bargaining with employers in IT sector. Maksim Hislavskiy from the KTR explained the basis of the work of the union news generalising engine "Unions today" that provides with hourly updated trade union news from Russia, NIS and the world. Vyacheslav Perju from the National Confederation of Trade Unions of Moldova, presented the communication policy and the activities of that confederation.

In the following discussion the participants exchanged views on utility of social means as well as brainstormed how exactly the unions from the region could use them for preparation, coordination and implementation of global days of actions.

Aleksandr Shershukov, secretary of the FNPR, presented the experiences of the FNPR and its affiliated structures as well as the work of the FNPR central newspaper Solidarnost and its web-version.

The participants also debated the proposals for the revision of the PERC communication policy and the functioning of the Russian website and agreed on the regional action plan this group would be implementing. The next meeting is planned for the Autumn 2011, in Brussels.