Dear Mr. Director-General,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is a great honor to participate in this prominent annual event, which brings together social partners from across the globe.

I truly appreciate the opportunity to highlight some of the most pressing challenges confronting us today, alongside the strategic priorities of Moldova’s trade union movement, rooted in our unwavering commitment to European integration, EU candidate status, and the profound changes transforming the labor market.

I strongly believe that promoting and ensuring decent work must remain the fundamental objective not only of the trade union movement but also of all social partners worldwide. In the Republic of Moldova, trade union efforts focus on securing a fair minimum wage that meets the needs of workers and their families, ensuring safe and healthy working conditions, and protecting workers’ rights in accordance with international labor standards – including the right to establish and join trade unions.

It is regrettable that in September 2024, the National Trade Union Confederation of Moldova (CNSM) was compelled to alert the International Labour Organization about a serious case of anti-union interference and the lack of prompt response from state authorities. This case is documented in the Committee of Experts’ Report on the Application of Conventions and Recommendations, reviewed during this year’s Conference.

We are living in an era of profound transformation, where technology is reshaping not only the way we communicate but also the very nature of work itself. While digital platforms provide increased flexibility and rapid access to services and products, this flexibility often comes at a significant cost to workers: the weakening of labor rights, inadequate social protection, and precarious working conditions.

I am deeply convinced that decent work for platform workers entails more than just an individual employment contract and a guaranteed minimum wage. It means respecting workers’ rights and interests, ensuring a safe and healthy working environment, providing genuine opportunities for training and professional advancement, as well as access to social protection – elements that, sadly, are often lacking for many platform workers.

We fully welcome and support the initiative to adopt a Convention and a Recommendation on protection against biological risks in the workplace. Preventing these risks is becoming an essential component of occupational health and safety. In this regard, the Government of the Republic of Moldova approved in 2024 the Regulation on the protection of workers against the risks related to exposure to biological agents at work, thereby aligning with the EU acquis. Furthermore, it is crucial to develop occupational health services capable of identifying these risks and preventing occupational diseases.

I am firmly confident that preventing biological risks should not be seen as an expense, but rather as an investment in a healthy and productive workforce. In this context, the trade unions of the Republic of Moldova insist on the urgent implementation of ILO Convention No. 161 on Occupational Health Services, which was ratified by the Republic of Moldova in 2021 but, unfortunately, has yet to be enforced. Occupational health and safety are not a privilege but a fundamental right.

I call on all social partners to strengthen our efforts to transform workplaces into safe spaces where biological risks are recognized, controlled, and prevented.

Today, I must point out that, ten years after the adoption of Recommendation No. 204 on the transition from the informal to the formal economy (2015), the informal economy continues to affect workers and economies, not only in the Republic of Moldova.

Over the years, the National Trade Union Confederation of Moldova (CNSM) has supported and successfully promoted initiatives aimed at formalizing jobs and wages, benefiting in this process from the constant support of the ILO.

A relevant example in this regard is a national awareness campaign recently launched by the National Trade Union Confederation of Moldova (CNSM), with the support of the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO). The campaign aims to inform the public about the risks of the informal economy and the urgent need to intensify efforts for a secure future for workers.

On behalf of the workers, I would like to commend the signing of the Decent Work Country Programme for 2025-2027, which encompasses several priorities aimed at strengthening social dialogue at all levels, enhancing worker protection, and reinforcing employment policies, skills development, and enterprise growth. This Programme will also ensure continuity in the transition towards formalization.

Honored guests,

We face numerous challenges ahead, but I am confident that together, through mutual support, we can overcome them. Through social dialogue and collective efforts, we can ensure a fairer future of work – one where all workers enjoy respect, dignity, and equal opportunities in the workplace. Decent work should not be a privilege, but a reality for all.

Thank you for your attention!

The video of this speech is available on the CNSM Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/sindicate.md