Ei-iE

The EI Asia-Pacific regional office organised two intermediate trade union workshops of 28 participants each for members of its national affiliate, the Republican Trade Union Committee of Education and Scientific Workers (RC-STES). The first one was held in Kayarakum from 2-4 April, the second one in Kurgantube from 6-8 April.

These events were sponsored, among others, by EI itself, by its development cooperation partners, UN agencies, the Friedrich Ebert Foundation, and were led by EI representatives and consortium partners.

Trade union workshops’ value

In Kayarakum, “it was heartening to note that all the participants who had attended the Basic Level Course previously had gone back and did things differently in their schools or rayons (districts),” noted EI Asia-Pacific regional coordinator, Jerome Fernandez. “I am sure they will do even better after this Intermediate Level Course.”

‘’The group is very enthusiastic and they will go far, as they are mainly young participants,’’ he said. He added that they needed more training on the proper ways of leading negotiations, as they formally start negotiations at school level with the school administration shortly.

Fernandez went on to stress that in Kurgantube, the district was badly affected during the civil war and the people seemed to be in a state of trauma, explaining the need to revisit this district later to help out.

Trade union workshops’ objectives

These workshops aimed to:

• Reinforce participants’ knowledge and skills acquired in the basic seminar/workshop at oblast (national administrative level);
• Improve trade union leaders’ leadership qualities;
• Help participants understand the concepts and principles of administration and trade union programmes;
• Increase participants’ knowledge on the value of trade union meetings and communication within and outside the trade union;
• Help participants understand the value of assertiveness in the trade union; and
• Strengthen the trade union’s negotiating position in concluding Collective Agreements.

Various methods, such as interactive discussions, role-playing, or question and answer sessions were used to tackle the diverse topics.