|
|
What bombs destroyed,
union solidarity repaired: Mostar's Dom Sindikata now has a roof, thanks to Nordic workers' support
The trade union house, Dom Sindikata, is on the main street, in the middle of old Mostar. The sufferings of this beautiful Bosnian town during three years of war and terror can hardly be described. Dom Sindikata, a historical building from the first years of the last century, came out badly damaged by artillery grenades. Many promises were made after the Dayton agreement ended the overt violence. Some of them concerned Dom Sindikata, it would be repaired with project support, from the European Union or other sources. This never materialised. Finally, the FIET-UNI project decided to take over the responsibility. Money was collected from Nordic finance and commerce trade unions and also some employers participated. Now, the first stage of renovation is completed and Dom Sindikata has a new roof. This has saved the building, say the construction engineers from Norwegian Peoples Aid (NPA) who have overseen the works, on behalf of the project. The next construction stage was discussed late February, when Jan Furstenborg of UNI Commerce met with leaders of the trade union confederation and the Neretva Canton trade union, in Sarajevo and Mostar. Priority must be given to rebuild some of the floor constructions which have been damaged by rainwater entering from the broken roof. The whole electrical network must be renewed as well as the windows of the building. Also the outer walls need a new coating. The FIET - UNI project, the trade union confederation and the cantonal trade union organisation have agreed that priority should be given to those facilities which directly serve the trade union members. This means that training and meeting space will be built, in addition to the necessary administrative office facilities. Already for two years, the FIET - UNI project is operating an INFO Cafe on the ground floor of the building. This facility, which serves employed and unemployed workers in Mostar, will continue to exist. In the Nordic countries, it is Magnus Neuberg - retired general secretary of Sweden's finance trade union - who has been the leading force in collecting the funds for this project. Zelja Grubicic, our senior project representative in Mostar, has been responsible for overseeing the works.
|
