Trade union membership and minorities, final conference of CGT project

With the Final Conference, held in Paris, France on 23-25 April, the CGT France and TU Confederations from South- East European Countries (Serbia, Bosnia Herzegovina and Kosovo) finalized implementation of the Project “ Trade Union Membership and minorities”. The Project aim was to train the trade unions to include the struggle against discrimination in their recruitment campaigns and to encourage them to become more active in rebuilding society, overcoming ethnic conflicts and struggling against discrimination. It was also wish to strengthen the links between unions and civil society.

The SEE Trade unions worked with the representatives of Roma’s population. In this line, the following activities were run: collecting information and analysing a position of Roma’s population in the society, access and rights in educational system, position on labour market, access to health care and particularly discrimination in employment. Three days seminars were organized in Sarajevo, Banjaluka, Mitrovica and Gračanica where the Roma’s position and rights were presented and discusses. Direct or indirect discrimination of Roma’s was recognized in all of these fields. With the aim to attract Roma’s population to trade unions, the leaflets in Bosnian, Serbian and Albanian language with general information about TU structures in respective countries and fundamental human and workers rights were produced and distributed. Project results were presented and discussed on the Final Conference. The future TU active role in combating discrimination of minorities and their full integration is more than ever needed.
In the thematic sessions contributed Mr. Jean-Michel Joubier- Head of Europe International Department CGT, Mr. Bernard Dreano – Helsinki Committee, Mr. Malik Selemkour-Human Rights League, and Mr. Michel Mine- Academic, legal expert of French Unions to the ETUC, Mr. Grigor Gradev- PERC Executive Secretary and Ms. Jacqueline Dernes- Le Courier des Balkans.

ITUC-PERC SEE Office Sarajevo