IMF holds workshops in Ukraine and Russia

UKRAINE/RUSSIA: In conjunction with IMF-affiliated national trade unions in Ukraine and Russia, the IMF's Project Office for the CIS held two workshops on education, one in Kiev in October and the other in Moscow in November. Some 90 participants from Ukraine and 120 from Russia, representing union leaders and future trade union trainers, took part in the respective workshops, which participants say play an important role in strengthening unity and solidarity within and among the unions. Participating in the workshop in Ukraine were the Automobile and Agricultural Machinery Workers' Union, the Professional Union of Radioelectronic Workers' Trade Unions, and the Central Council of Trade Unions of Defence Industry Workers. Taking part in the workshop in Russia were the Miners and Metallurgical Workers' Union, the Mechanical Engineering Workers' Union, the Shipbuilding Workers' Union and the All Russian Defence Industry Workers' Union. The Project Office reports that since the start of the transition period in Central and Eastern Europe most of the traditional national trade union centers in these countries have not been able to provide the necessary trade union training to meet their own education needs. Thus, unions in the sub-region are making efforts to set up their own education structures. In this connection, Russian and Ukrainian metalworker unions have requested IMF assistance for training union trainers, with projects expected to get underway in 2003. The Russian unions will be assisted by the IMF's German and Norwegian affiliates, IG Metall and Fellesforbundet, and working with the Ukrainians will be IG Metall, France's FO-Metaux, and the Swiss metalworkers' union SMUV/FTMH.