On 17-18 March, the National Trade Union Confederation of Moldova (CNSM), in cooperation with SOCIEUX+, organized a workshop in Chisinau entitled “Strengthening Social Dialogue. Good practice examples from the EU Member States”. The workshop brought together 24 representatives of national and branch trade union centres.

Together with SOCIEUX+ experts, Konstancja Piatkowska, Public Policy Specialist and Advisor at the Ministry of Economic Development and Technology in Poland, and Noviti Spero Houmey, Legal Advisor and Permanent Secretary at FGTB Centrale Générale in Belgium, participants had the opportunity to discuss issues related to social dialogue, advocacy, involvement of members in trade union activities and institutional development. The workshop also facilitated the exchange of good practice between experts and participants.

Opening the event, Lilia Franț, Vice-President of the CNSM, welcomed the presence of the SOCIEUX+ experts in Moldova, noting that they had met with the leadership of the CNSM and several national and regional trade union centers, as well as with trade union leaders and activists from the Cimislia district.

The Vice-President of the CNSM underlined the willingness of the experts to support the strengthening of social dialogue at all levels, to share experiences on consultation and collective bargaining at European level, European social dialogue mechanisms and social partnership. They also expressed their willingness to contribute to the capacity building of trade union trainers from the Republic of Moldova, who will use the knowledge gained during the workshop in trade union training processes.

During the activity, the experts presented information on social dialogue in Belgium and Poland, as well as on the mechanisms of functioning of social partnership at EU level. The participants, divided into interactive groups, analyzed the major challenges for strengthening social dialogue in the Republic of Moldova and identified concrete measures to address them.

Trade unionists discussed the role of social partners in the development and implementation of public policies, the use of European funds in Poland, as well as ways of financing and strengthening trade unions in Belgium. They also improved their advocacy skills.

The visit of SOCIEUX+ experts is part of the action “Capacity Building for an Effective Social Dialogue of the CNSM”, carried out within the project implemented by the National Trade Union Confederation of Moldova in cooperation with SOCIEUX+. The main goal of this action is to strengthen organizational capacities and improve social dialogue in the Republic of Moldova.

SOCIEUX+ is a platform for technical cooperation between public and social partners, established and co-funded by the European Union. Its overall objective is to broaden and improve people’s access to better employment opportunities and to support the development of inclusive social protection systems.