ITUC Human and Trade Union

Rights DepartmentPERC HTUR Network

Nadine Thevenet

PERC Summer School, Bratislava

September 2009

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Context

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• Reorganisation of the HTUR Department

• Steven Benedict, new director

• Nadine Thevenet in charge of PERC issues

• Set up of the HTUR Committee and Networks

• Strenghening of regional capacities on TURs

• Existence of legal networks within the region

• Build on former experiences

Role of the HTUR Department

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• Coordination• Follow-up of the PERC Network activities• Follow-up of European issues impacting TURs (EU, ECHR, …)

in relation with ETUC and ETUI• Regional cooperation to ITUC activities

• ILO supervisory mechanisms• CEARC comments• CFA complaints

• Annual Survey• Protest letters and appeals

• Liaison with PERC • Regular contribution to the PERC Newsletters• Regular contacts between the 2 departments• Exchange of information

• Contact point• Information on TURs• Support and advise affiliates on issues related to HTURs and during the

adoption of new legislation

Objectives of the HTUR Department

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• Increase regional participation and autonomy– ILO supervisory mechanisms– ITUC solidarity action– Exchange of experience

• Building regional activities on TURs– Campaigns– Seminars– Training– Research

• Setting up regional reporting mechanisms– Planning and communication channels– Report to the ITUC HTUR Committee each year

Building on existing Networks

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• Existing PERC networks• SEE TU Network• Other subregions’ experience?

• ETUC Netlex - coordinated by ETUI Wiebke• Composed by approx. 130 lawyers • Focus on UE labour/social laws ( + ESC and ILO when relevant)• One SEE Netlex• Activities:

• Exchange of information and capacity building on UE Labour issues• Legal advice to new candidate countries• Annual conference

• Other HTUR Networks• Africa, Asia and Latin America

We will discuss and draw the lessons learnt from those networks

Role of the Regional Networks

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• At national level• To report national issues/activities to the network• To ensure transmission of network’s information at

national level• Contribute to HTUR activities

• At regional level• Exchange of good practices and experiences• Develop regional activities on TURs

• Research • Crisis and its impact on TURs in Europe• New attack on TURs• Etc

• Capacities building• Legal support

• Report to HTUR Committee

HTUR Networks - Objectives

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• A focal HTUR person per country to ensure operational work and stability

• Objectives– Enable operational work within the region on each

HTUR issue

– Ensure automatic dissemination and exchange of HTUR information within the region

• Letters of protest and appeals

• Input to the Annual Survey

– Increase participation in and development of campaigns

– Follow-up of activities within the region and report to the HTUR Committee

Annual Survey

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• Objective: Improve the quality, the use of the survey and the visibility of the ITUC Annual Survey

Reminder: the Annual Survey country profiles are sent to the CEARC annually as well as used for other purposes (ESP WTO reports, etc)

• HTUR department - Revision of the Survey – Content: Questionnaire on the Survey to be answered– Format: New Structure being developed

– Legal part– Affiliates have/will receive(d) the legal part of their country profile in a new structure:

to be checked and completed by the end of September

– Violations– Detailed and concrete information– Sources of information– Updated information (cases follow-up)

– A database will be developped– Further analysis, « statistics » and transversal reports

– Need for comparable and reliable data

Annual Survey (2)

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• Role of the PERC HTUR Network– Need to contribute to the enhancement of the information flow and

quality• Regular reports

• Changes in legal framework• Cases of violations (documented and followed-up)

• Weakness of current input• More dynamic information gathering and checking by affiliates

• Need to enable a better visibility• Communication tools• Enlarge the audience

• National and regional promotion• Affiliates• Media• Governements• NGOs

• Regional reports/analysis• Specific regional topics to be highlighted

Solidarity Actions

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• Protest letters and appeals - objectiveIncrease affiliates' participation in HTUR actions to ensure concrete results – Protest letters

• Need to communicate relevant, clear and detailed information to the HTUR Department

• Elaboration of protest letters by the affiliates • How to ensure the protest letters have a real impact?» Dissemination» National networks

– Appeals • Need to increase solidarity action within the

region and with other regions» Regular respond to appeals» Dissemination and follow-up • Need to reach concrete critical mass with

appeals to have a real impact» Today participation is rather low

Solidarity Actions (2)

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• Campaigns - Objective: Increase research and analysis on specific countries and issues– Country campaigns

• In case of crisis / countries at risk» Belarus» Georgia» Others?• Long term sustained campaign

– Thematic campaigns• Need to develop specific regional thematic campaigns» New ideas for campaigns relevant for the region

– Increase visibility of campaigns - How to promote a campaign?• What kind of materials to be developed?• Lead on a campaign by a specific country• Targeted audience

• Objective: Enhance affiliates' understanding and contribution – Supervisory Mechanisms

• Submissions to CEACR • Comments on Governments' Reports to the CEACR• Within the ILO schedule – before September 1st• Complaints to the CFA• Region:

• How the network could increase affiliates’ participation and quality of contribution

• How to strenghen this participation?• What capacities/means are lacking?

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Input to ILO work

Training

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• Objective: training should enable concrete capacity development within the region and should be focused

• Identify training needs for the region – Specific regional topics– Building on capacities

TO BE DISCUSSED

Steps forward – Work in small groups

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• How to strenghen the work on TUR in the region within the new context and by building on existing networks and former experiences?

• Concrete and operational working plan• Reporting mechanisms• Communication channels

• What should the PERC HTUR Network focus on?• Subjects

• Specific PERC TUR issues

• Activities at PERC regional level• Training

• What issues remain unclear?• To strenghten the capacity of the network

• How to concretly organize and work?• What did not work so far?• To make sure it works

• Specific activities, concrete commitments

• Building on existing networks, past experiences and concrete capacities

NETWORK Workplan to be endorsed by the PERC Summer School

Thank you and never hesitate to contact us

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Contact details within HTUR Department

Nadine Thevenet

HTUR Officer in charge of the PERC Region

Boulevard du Roi Albert II 5, B 1, BE-1210

Brussels, Belgium

Email: nadine.thevenet@ituc-csi.org

Tel (direct): 00 32 2 224 03 10