FIET Commerce
FIET Central and Eastern Europe
22 February 1998
The FIET solidarity project
in Bosnia and Herzegovina
FIET Commerce FIET Central and Eastern Europe 22 February 1998 |
The FIET solidarity project in Bosnia and Herzegovina |
The first joint trade union structure in post-war Bosnia and Herzegovina was established in the commerce sector at a FIET-sponsored meeting in Sarajevo on 5 February 1998. Representing the Independent Commerce Trade Union of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Commerce and Tourism Trade Union of the Serb Republic, the eight participants had been empowered by their executive committees to establish this new structure. The main task of the new 'Commercial Workers' Coordinating Committee of Bosnia and Herzegovina' is to deal with those issues which in accordance to the Dayton Peace Agreement are dealt with by the joint authorities of the country. The committee will also coordinate the relations with FIET, as the International recognises only one joint commercial workers' trade union in the country.
At its first meeting, which was chaired by Jan Furstenborg of FIET, the coordinating committee discussed how to protect workers' interests in the privatisation process, which is now starting in commerce. It was agreed to arrange a joint seminar on this subject, in cooperation with FIET and its affiliated commercial workers' trade unions in ofter central and Eastern European countries. The committee also welcomed FIET's initiative to arrange a seminar for young trade unionists from the Balkan region in Thessaloniki later this spring, in cooperation with Greek bank workers' trade union OTOE.
The Commercial Workers' Coordinating Committee of Bosnia and Herzegovina consists of between eight and fifteen members, representing commercial workers from all parts and both entities of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The eight seats on the committee which were initially filled are held by four executive committee members from the Independent Commerce Trade Union of Bosnia and Herzegovina and four from the Commerce and Tourism Trade Union of the Serb Republic. The two presidents, Hasan Kovac and Bogdan Davidovic, are both members of the committee. At the Sarajevo meeting it was decided that there would not be any internal structure of the committee, but that the FIET project organisation would call the meetings and provide the secretarial services that are needed.
Bogdan Davidovic invited the committee to hold its next meeting in the Serb Republic.
FIET helps Sarajevo trade union staff to send youngster to Vienna for leukemia treatment
In co-operation with its Austrian affiliate, Gewerkschaft der Privatangestellten GPA, FIET has helped the staff of Sarajevo's trade union house to send a young boy to Vienna for medical teatment. The fifteen year old young man, whose mother is a building maintenance worker at the 'Dom Sindikata', suffers from leukemia. Some time ago, he was able to receive treatment at a Vienna hospital, thanks to the support of the Public Services International PSI and its Austrian affiliate. Running out of medicines, he now urgently needed to go back. Supporting the initiative of his mother's colleagues at the trade union house, the FIET project office in Sarajevo contacted GPA and the St Anna children's hospital in Vienna and arranged for mother and son to fly to Vienna on 20 February. This was made possible by contributions from several organisations and companies, including many FIET affiliates and Austrian Airlines.
Finnish social partners prepare joint project in Zenica
Finland's social partners in commerce, Liikealan Ammattiliitto LA and Kaupan Työnantajaliitto KTL are preparing a joint project in Zenica in central Bosnia and Herzegovina. The project, which has been initiated by FIET, will help renovate the local commerce school, which is in poor shape after having served as a military hospital during the war.
The education secretary of LA, Mr Timo Näsänen visited Zenica in February together with Mr Fikret Plivcic of the BiH commerce trade union and held talks with local trade union leaders and with representatives of the commerce school. These preparations were later followed up in Helsinki, where Jan Furstenborg of FIET met with the Finnish social partners and with representatives of a polytechnical college, Arcada, which is now considering to take part in this project.
Five photocopy machines from Austria arrived in Sarajevo in mid-February, as a donation from FIET-affiliated Gewerkschaft der Privatangestellten GPA. Delivered by Austrian SFOR troops to the FIET project office in Sarajevo, the equipment came immediately in use. One of the photocopiers is now servicing the whole trade union house in Sarajevo, the Dom Sindikata, and another one was sent to the commerce and tourism union office in Laktashi, the Serb Republic. Also the FIET project office in Zenica now has its own photocopier.
Meeting in Gran, Norway on 27 January, the presidents of four FIET-affiliated Nordic commerce unions pledged their continued support for the project activities in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Hosted by Sture Arntzen of HK Norway, the Danish, Finnish and Swedish union leaders decided to continue bearing the financing responsibility for the joint project implementation costs also in 1998. This includes most expenses for the FIET project offices in Sarajevo and Laktashi as well as the costs for the new Coordination Committee for Commercial Workers in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Also individually, the Nordic commerce unions play a leading role in the project. HK Norway, which has made it possible for the Independent Commercial Workers' Trade Union of Bosnia and Herzegovina to rebuild its structures and revive its work is now expanding its FIET-project to trade union organising and women's activities in the Serb Republic. In addition, HK is supporting a large number of other initiatives. In the Mostar region and later in other parts of the country, the Norwegian commerce union will support mine clearing and the establishment of safe playgrounds. There will also be young football payers from Mostar participating in this summer's Norway Cup.
Handels of Sweden has taken a particular responsibility for supporting the work of the Commerce and Tourism Trade Union of the Serb Republic. These activities will now be stepped up further during 1998. Together with the FIET project structures, Handels is now preparing for local initiatives also in the Federation.
HK Handel of Denmark, together with Danish commerce employers' DHS, are continuing their preparations for a large project to support the reconstruction of the Economics School of Sarajevo. The renovation of the building itself, which was badly damaged during the war, is proceeding well and will be completed by the end of March.
Finland's LA will now come in even stronger than before, through a joint project with the commerce employers' KTL, in support of the commerce school of Zenica.
For the first time, FIET project representatives have held discussions in Pale with local trade union representatives. At a meeting in mid-February with union leaders in the ski resort of Jahorina just outside Pale, Jan Furstenborg and Alex Rüdig of FIET agreed on developing local trade union co-operation in the Sarajevo region. The aim is to establish a small FIET project contact office, which will be the first international trade union presence in the eastern part of the Serb Republic. Also joint activities with participants from both entities are being planned.
Kenth Pettersson, president of Euro-FIET Commerce, married Irene Wennemo at a ceremony on 7 February in the Municipality of Sarajevo, accompanied by private friends and trade union leaders from both entities. This unique trade union wedding attracted much media attention in the Bosnian capital and was welcomed as a gesture of a deep commitment to the common cause of reconstruction. In connection with the wedding and at the initiative of kenth and Irene, a fund was established which enabled FIET to help send a young boy with leukemia for treatment to a children's hospital in Vienna, Austria.
Among the many guests at the wedding were the BiH trade union confederation president Suleiman Hrle, the commerce and finance union presidents Hasan Kovac and Fuad Sahacic and the commerce and tourism union president from the Serb Republic, Bogdan Davidovic.
Kenth Pettersson is also president of Swedish commercial workers' union Handels and Irene Wennemo is an economist at Sweden's trade union confederation LO. Since the start of the FIET trade union solidarity project in Bosnia and Herzegovina in October 1996, Kenth Pettersson and his union have been strongly engaged in the activities.
Satellite link from Sarajevo to Cardiff - the project in BiH is high up on Conference agenda
The FIET trade union solidarity project in Bosnia and Herzegovina has a prominent place on the agendas of the two European trade union conferences that will be held in Cardiff, UK at the end of March. The project will be presented both at the Euro-FIET Commerce Conference on the 26th to 28th of March and at the Euro-FIET Conference which is held immediately afterwards, on the 29th to 31st of March.
The Euro-FIET Conference delegates will be able to discuss live with a group of people in Sarajevo, who are involved in the project activities in both entities. This will be made possible through a satellite link, established with the assistance of BBC and BiH TV. The speakers in Cardiff on this subject include Mr Suleiman Hrle, president of the Independent Trade Union Confederation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Mr Sture Arntzen, president of HK Norway.
For the Euro-FIET Commerce Conference, a video presentation of the project is being prepared.
The FIET Solidarity Project in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Our e-mail address is: jan_furstenborg@fiet.org