Bulgaria: Evaluation Report of Session Six of the ISC Second Phase

Session 6: The Way Forward and Evaluation was attended also by the other members of KNSB Education and Training Department (Ina Atanassova and Lliana Denkova - who participated in the translation of the materials and their dissemination).

The session started in an unusual manner - by watching and discussion of a video of the National Protest Act of Solidarity under the motto For an Adequate Price of the Wage Labour initiated by the federations of 'Metallicy' and 'Metal-Electro' (Affiliates of IMF) and supported by the whole Confederation of the Independent trade Unions in Bulgaria. This protest march was held on 27^th May and was also an act of consolidation. The participants demanded proper living standards on the base of restrictive import policy, proper privatisation without negative social impact.

1. Considering Future Activities

• Discussion of the reports from the other ISC groups (those that were available).

All the reports share similar conceptual positions and similar conclusions concerning the future activities. And we agree with the comments of Great Britain 2 that due to linguistic difficulties there might sometimes appear some statements that are misinterpreted and misunderstood. At the same time the disseminated materials give a good base to become aware and informed and to undertake relevant actions. The report from South Africa concerning session five impressed us a lot because they are the only group that doubted the adequacy of the ICFTU action against MAI. The Kenyan report is very detailed. Some of the suggested activities are long-term orientated like guidelines.

• Discussion:

• What issues should be prioritised?

regular information concerning globalisation and TNC's activities, especially in a certain branch and certain TNCs.

Information/case studies for concrete trade union actions/campaigns for protection of workers' rights and consolidation against the negative impact of TNCs

Approaches for development of social partnerships/employers/trade unions on equal basis in the field of motivation for work, association of the employees, incomes on the base of productivity and efficiency of labour, social protection, workers' representation and participation, development of the individual value system and intellectual and cultural interests.

• What activities can you undertake in the short term?

Strengthening of the grass-root trade union organisations (enterprise level)

Economic knowledge: how to read and understand the gathered information connected with the economic and social development of the TNC in the context of the globalisation

Emphasising on the collective bargaining at a branch level

Solidarity in all actions aimed to protect human and workers' rights

The mass media as a source of disseminating and showing the 'good practice' examples

• What activities can you undertake in the long-term?

Participation in the creation (or at least discussion of draft lows) of laws and monitoring and control of their implementation

Establishment of 'ecology police' (similar to the economic police)

Overcoming the fear and alienation through raising the workers' awareness

Lifelong learning (in the fields of industrial relations, new technologies, etc.)

• What types of international solidarity would be useful to develop?

With trade unionists from the other affiliates of the same TNC

With colleagues from the same branches in different countries

With colleagues from different international organisations (ETUC, ICFTU, IUF, IMF, IFWEA EURO-WEA)

• Who could you work with within your organisation, within your community and elsewhere to build that solidarity?

Trade union members

Potential trade union members

Branch and sectional unions and federations

The other representative trade unions at a national level

Unemployed

Women, youth and other socially disadvantaged groups

Retired persons

Employers' organisations

Local authorities

Governmental bodies and the Parliament

Consumers' unions

Environmental movements

• What resources will you need and where will they come from?

Skilled staff (PC and English and communication skills)

Adequate equipment with the relevant software and Internet access

Regular information flow

Training materials including role games and other active methods

The additional resources should come from different international programme and projects.

• What role should IFWEA and Euro-WEA play in supporting these activities?

A very important and positive role through information, teaching materials, guidelines, projects, and sharing of experiences.

1. Evaluation of the Pilot 2

The second pilot was evaluated as a very practically orientated tool for gathering knowledge using the rich library and translated materials, encouraging being more active on the base of the new ideas and the successful solidarity actions. Our participants like the content, methodology and the structure of the ISC. We have used some of the available translated materials from pilot 1 connected for example with information gathering and exchange.

If this project had been properly financed, many more participants (who are directly involved in the TNC activities) should have taken part in it. Some resources should have been planned also for the translation and dissemination of additional materials meeting the concrete needs of the participants and follow-up activities within TNC representatives who have not been able to take part in the course. So we could reach multiplication of the ISC impact and cover larger audiences. For the next pilot it would be appropriate that some resources are foreseen for new equipment and software products.