SEE Youth Network meeting

SARAJEVO, Bosnia and Herzegovina - The meeting of coordinators of trade union youth sections of South-Eastern Europe was held on 25th of March 2011 in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. There were representatives of trade unions from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina – Federation and Republic of Srpska, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia. The meeting was opened by Ismet Bajramović, president of Confederation of Trade Unions of B&H and Enisa Salimović, coordinator of ITUC-PERC Office in Sarajevo as well as by Ana Ljubojević, coordinator of the Friedrich Ebert Foundation regional project for labour relations and social dialogue in SEE, whose foundation financed the meeting. The meeting was chaired by Ivana Prnjat, coordinator of the SEE Youth Network and member of the PERC YC.

‘Basic link of trade union - unity and solidarity - has lost by time’, said Barjamović, and added that it’s encouraging that that link exists among young people. Enisa Salimović presented the activities of PERC in the region with special focus on women and youth.

The aim of the meeting was to exchange experiences from work with youth and develop the agenda and plan of the Youth Network of South-Eastern Europe for the follow-up period. After being informed about conducted activities in the previous period, both at national and regional level, the meeting was led to the direction of strengthening and improving cooperation between DGB Youth and it is planned the third encounter in October in Berlin with the trade union youth from SEE and DGB youth.
The agenda of activities for 2011-12 was drafted, based on empowering youth within the unions, recruiting new active members and improving both mutual and multinational cooperation by organizing all forms of gathering (seminars, round tables, etc.) as well as planning joint activities in occasion of the 7th of October-World Day for Decent Work and the 1st of May- International Labour Day.

Written by,

Ivana Prnjat,
Coordinator of Youth Network of South-Eastern Europe
Member of Pan-European Regional Council