The ICEM/IUF Trade Union Education Project in South-Eastern Europe

The IUF (International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering Tobacco and Allied Workers’ Associations) and the ICEM (International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers’ Unions) have launched a four-year trade union development (education and organising) project in South-Eastern Europe.

The project comprises three stages: the first is a basic course on the role, mission, structure and working methods of a union; the second deals with the functions of trade union shop stewards and works council members: organising, membership services, equality issues, works council elections and activities of works councils, labour law, privatisation, occupational safety and health and protection of the environment; the third stage is a specialised course on issues that are specific to the industrial sectors, work with transnational companies and foreign investors, European Works Councils and international co-operation and the unions’ role in the restructuring processes.

The purpose of the programme is to develop a trained group of trade union representatives and trade union education officers at company level and at local and regional level, and to stimulate the exchange of experiences between trade unionists in the different countries involved.

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