New activity ahead of us: TRADE UNIONS ARE IN – ENGAGE, ACT, INFLUENCE

Young trade union members are not just a number in their general statistics – they are a driving force that can influence the needs and priorities of young people through their actions, affecting the entire society.

Young people want full respect for their labor rights, a better position in the working community, opportunities to demonstrate their knowledge and skills at work, and trade unions are there to show them that they are not alone in these efforts, and that through unions their voice can be heard louder.

This is precisely the goal of the project “Trade unions are IN – engage, act, influence” which will be implemented in the period January 2023-February 2025, with the intention of resulting in the creation of a network of young trade union leaders and activists, both in the Balkans and on a wider international level, strengthening youth activism and participation in decision-making processes.

The project will examine young people’s views on the trade union as a structure that can and should represent their views, and based on the results of the research, create a Trade Union Academy curriculum to meet the new generation of trade union leaders. In continuation, Europe will receive the first generation of young trade union activists who will attend the Academy and later transfer useful knowledge and information to the countries and structures they are coming from.

Working part will be accompanied by a dynamic campaign of the same name as a project, the primary focus of which will be to guide the wider community to all opportunities that can be obtained by getting involved in trade union activities, and to the possibilities of influencing decision-makers through the trade union.

In order not to leave everything on capacity building and information, in the project final phase, the team will also visit the relevant structures in Brussels, sharing with them the results of the project and providing support for further development of the trade unions’ youth sections, as well as their involvement in development and implementation of European youth policies.

Project whose coordinator is the Trade union UPOZ from North Macedonia introduces youth sections of the trade union into the world of youth participation at the European level, showing that trade unions are an actor that must not be forgotten when decisions concerning young people are made.

Partners in the project are Development Center for Youth and the Institute for Philosophy and Social Theory of the University of Belgrade from Serbia, SCEO associations from North Macedonia and USB from Greece, as well as the trade unions MLADI PLUS from Slovenia and the Union of Employees in Local and Public Administration from Turkey. In an informal partnership, there are also the Trade Union of Administration and Justice of Montenegro and the Trade Union of Administration of Republika Srpska, whose representatives will participate in the project activities as well. By combining actors from the trade union, youth and educational sectors, partners showed an understanding for a multi-sectoral approach to the topic, and a desire to respond to it from different angles.

It is implemented with the support of the ERASMUS+ program of the European Union, through Key Action 3 – EUROPEAN YOUTH TOGETHER.