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2 July, 2007
An assembled 36 delegates from ICEM affiliates in Azerbaijan, Belarus, Moldova, Russia, Ukraine and Uzbekistan attended the ICEM Regional Committee meeting for Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and South Caucasus on 30 May and 1 June 2007 in Moscow. The meeting was preceded by a meeting of the region's Women’s Committee on 30 May.
ICEM General Secretary Manfred Warda and President of the ICEM EECA&SC Regional Organisation Ivan Mokhnachuk
The delegates received a progress report on transitional membership in the region. During the period under review, nine transitional affiliates applied for, and were granted, full membership in the ICEM. The delegates agreed that 15 years was more than ample time for transitional members to make up their minds and become affiliates of the ICEM, and unanimously decided to abrogate the transitional membership status in the region.
Delegates stressed, however, that this decision did not shut the door to the ICEM to any union who would be willing to take the decision to become a member of the ICEM family, and to respect its statutory requirements.
Country reports drew a picture of the region’s diverse political and economic challenges, with reports on union initiatives, while accentuating the need for greater solidarity and coordinated activities between trade unions. Major themes in the country reports included political instability, privatisation problems, and organising activities and social dialogue in multinational enterprises.
Participants visiting a Moscow trade union history museum
The Conference re-elected Ivan Mokhnachuk, Rosugleprof, as ICEM Vice-President and Lev Mironov of Russia's Oil and Gas Workers' Union (ROGWU) and Valery Matov of the Nuclear Power and Industry Workers' of Ukraine as ICEM Executive Committee members. Eugenia Esenina of ROGWU was elected to a women seat on ICEM's Executive Committee, and will retain one of two Women's seats on the Presidium.