TUFESA AND CHILD LABOUR IN ALBANIA

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TUFESA AND CHILD LABOUR IN ALBANIA
TUFESA (Trade Union Federation of Education and
Science of Albania)
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TUFESA BACKGROUND

• TUFESA -- the largest and the most important TU
  in the education sector in Albania.
• MEMBERSHIP 22,000 members (teachers and other
  employees in the education and sciences sectors)
• AFFILIATION KSSH, EI, and Pan European
  Structure of Education
•  ACTIVITIES
• - 1991 - 1999 members protection,
• - 2000 onwards expansion of the scope (e.g.
  education reform, strategy and quality of
  education)

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TUFESA Child labour - Background

• Child labour and child trafficking in Albania.
• Child labour 50,000 child labourers.
• Child trafficking 5,000 children trafficked in
  Greece 3,000 trafficked in Italy.
• Drop-out rate 70 of working children have
  dropped out from the school, compared to 30 of
  children who work and allegedly continue to
  attend the school.
• Drop-out in 2004-2005 More than 8 000 pupils,
  out of which 48 percent of all of them are in the
  main cities.

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TUFESA Child labour - Reasons

• Economic conditions (poverty, insufficient
  income, large families, etc.)
• Family reasons (divorces, death of parents,
  parents health problems, etc)
• Educational environment (poor school attendance,
  lack of schools near the residence area,
  expulsion from school, poor performance at
  school, and dislike of school)

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TUFESA Child labour Areas of Intervention

• Capacity building (trainings, seminars
  workshops with trade unionists).
• Prevention (teachers child labourers, community
  work)
• Lobbying advocacy (GOA - MOE, community)
• Awareness raising (newsletters Tribuna
  Sindikale, publications ACTRAV Manual Trade
  Unions and Child Labour, leaflets)

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Starting activities

• ICFTU, EI programs (1998-2000)
• ILO-IPEC collaboration (2001-onwards)
• October 2004 Conference on TU against child
  labour in Albania (ICFTU KSSH, BSPSH, TUFESA
  ILO IPEC).
• A National Plan of Action against CL.
• Adoption of Special Resolution in the 3rd
  Congress of TUFESA in 2004.
• Adoption of Special Resolution in the 3rd
  Congress of KSSH in 2004

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Collaboration with ILO - IPEC

• Start-up activities in 2001-2002, joint seminar,
  education TU and others
• Action Programme in 2003 child labour and trade
  unions (70 trade unionists trained in Tirana,
  Vlora and Pogradec).
• Action Programme in 2005 Trainings in Elbasan,
  Korca and Berati, Manual on TU and CHL, Action
  plans in respective districts
• Trade Unions and SCREAM.

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Collaboration with counterpart organisations
against CL

• Albanian Education TU AOB, FNV in Holland
• (Tirana, Fieri, Elbasan and Shkorda) 
• Set up of working groups in each district. 
• Three days workshops (more than 50 local leaders
  trained). Special role of AOB experts..
• Other two workshops to be organised, June and
  September concrete work ongoing
• Concrete results in reducing the number of pupils
  dropped out from the school
• Regional Conference on The role of Teachers
  Trade Unions in combating child labour.

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The main aims and results

• The main aim is reducing the number of child
  labourers, (links between ChL and dropping out
  from the school,
• Turning back to school of the pupils dropped out
  
• Some results already achieved
• - Fieri- 90, (40 from Roma community), (out of
  400 )
• - Elbasan- 110 (out of 470) - Tirana 220 (out
  of 1297),
• - Shkodra is a problem, impacts also blood
  revenge,
• Plans for the future
• - Continuing in Shkodra and Tirana - Starting
  in Durresi and Korca
• Focusing especially in the schools, mobilising
  more and more teachers
• We have a good experience, we have a basis for
  further work and good results, we have all the
  human risources, trainde tecahers etc,
• We still need some financial support

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Examples of Good Practices

• Collaboration with ITUAE and other branches of
  trade unions.
• The Conference of ICFTU with KSSH and BSPSH, in
  October 2004.
• Adoption of a Special Resolution in the
  Congresses of FSASH and KSSH against CL. 
• Using collective agreements as an important
  instrument for CL prevention.
• Translation of ILO ACTRAV Manual Trade Unions
  and Child Labor.
• GAW against CL (24-30 April 2006)

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ChL and Collective Agreement

• Trying for the first time, now under the
  bargaining process,
• Institutionalisation of the collaboration with
  school administrations and local governments,
• Providing a special fund for special activities
  in the schools ( musical instruments, sports
  activities),
• Motivation of teachers dealing concretely with
  pupils who have problems in school attendance and
  performance,
• Limitation of the number of pupils in the
  classrooms

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Future activities

• Further engagement of teachers at schools and in
  the community, in the framework of the program
  with AOB/FNV
• Working groups
• Regional Seminars
• Extend collaboration with ITUAE and other branch
  trade unions against CL CT.
• Strengthen cooperation with ILO IPEC
• SCREAM Training
• Awareness Raising
• Concrete activities in the schools
• International Conference TU CL
• (20-21 October 2006)