The Impact of Trade Union Education: a Study in Three Countries in Eastern Europe

Abstract

▪ Education is often viewed as a key instrument for effecting change in trade unions. This article examines the experience of a programme conducted by the International Union of Food, Agricultural and Allied Workers' Associations within agricultural unions in Moldova, Ukraine, and Belarus. The analysis develops a typology of different educational approaches related to gender and to varying strategies in relation to union reform, which may have wider application. Results of the educational activities include the development of an international network of activists dedicated to union reform, reallocation of subscription income, and direct effects on industrial relations in a multinational company. The pace and direction of change in these former 'official' unions are sensitive issues because of increasingly hostile state regimes and dependence on external resources. These unions may be seen in future as less fruitful fields for global donor investment and may attract fewer resources than those in other regions of the world.

National and international labour relations in oil and gas Trans National Corporations in Kazakhstan

“…The GUFs have addressed this tension through educational activities designed to share information, transfer expertise and build trans-national solidarity. Long-term workers' educational activities, designed to build international and indeed national organizing, mobilising and negotiating capacities, have proved effective both within and beyond the Russian-speaking world (Croucher, 2004;Sogge, 2004;Cotton & Royle, 2014). However, a consideration stressed by Croucher and Cotton (2011) is vital here: a resource-based view of GUFs' capacities strongly suggests that they have to decide where to put their limited resources.…”

Employee involvement in Ukrainian companies

“…Works councils, a significant potential channel for participation, do not exist. trade unions (Croucher, 2004 The hypothesis, arising from the low representative capacity of existing employee representation institutions is that management is not likely to use any of them for increasing involvement.…”

Compulsory reduced working time in Belarus: Incidence, operation and consequences

“…In Belarus, workers' perceptions of their voice possibilities appear likely to have been affected by the repression of relatively independent forms of trade unionism which occurred since the mid-2000s (Croucher, 2004). In the early 2000s, Belarusian unions were active in public protests again governmental policies.…”

“…In the early 2000s, Belarusian unions were active in public protests again governmental policies. They were also involved in international programmes conducted by the Global Union Federations designed to assist them to move away from their previous Soviet-style welfare and 'legal watchdog' orientations to become more active bargaining agents and protagonists of employee interests (Croucher, 2004). These developments seem likely to have both reflected and conditioned employee perceptions of unions, raising hopes of more representative and bargaining bodies.…”