The National Trade Union Confederation of Moldova (CNSM) and the Labour Institute launched today, June 21, in Chisinau, a new edition of the Trade Union School of Moldova. Thirty-eight students representing 14 national trade union centres have attended the ninth edition of the School of Trade Union Studies in Moldova.

The general objective of this School is to contribute to the training and professional development of the functional, social and professional skills of trade union activists, which will have the effect of strengthening primary trade union organizations, in order to defend and promote the rights of employees and trade union members.

At the opening of the event, Lilia Franț, the vice-president of CNSM, and Viorel Braga, general director of the Labour Institute, addressed a greeting message to the trainees and the audience, and pointed out that this educational project plays an important one for the whole trade union movement. Moreover, it aims to develop the skills and knowledge of trade union leaders, and urged the trainees to be active, to come up with new initiatives that will contribute to the development of the trade union movement in the Republic of Moldova.

The event was also attended by presidents of national trade union centres, including graduates of previous editions of the Trade Union School of Moldova, who wished the trainees success in their studies and urged them to take advantage of the opportunities they will benefit from during their studies at the Labour Institute.

The training of the trainees will take place during this year in 4 sessions, and the trainees will meet for three consecutive days, to study and improve their skills in different trade union and general development areas, being trained by trainers from CNSM and several experts. At the same time, trainees will make fact-finding visits to grassroots trade union organizations.

The following topics will be addressed during the trainings: managing a successful trade union organization; legal and social-economic protection of employees; social partnership and social security; communication; occupational safety and health; leadership and trade union team, etc.

Together with their mentors, the participants delegated by the national trade union centres, will prepare individual or group projects to be implemented in their business units or trade union federations , throughout the sessions provided. Upon the completion of the School, the trainees are awarded certificates of completion.

The Trade Union School of Moldova was created in 2012. The model of this school was taken from trade unionists in Austria and adapted to the realities and needs of trade unions in the Republic of Moldova. Graduates of the previous editions were able to advance in trade union positions, participate more actively in decision-making processes at the level of economic unit and branch. From 2012 to the present, 141 trainees have been trained at the Trade Union School of Moldova.

For more photos of this activity, visit the CNSM Facebook page.