Development of digital skills to support capacity building of Central and Eastern European trade unions.
Unionists in Central and Eastern Europe must be well-equipped to address various crises and challenges faced by employees, including the societal impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic, a high inflation rate, direct and indirect consequences of the war in Ukraine, climate change, and the proliferation of fake news. Additionally, significant developments in the world of work, such as digitalization and the rapid introduction of artificial intelligence, have further complicated the landscape.
To effectively tackle these challenges, our strategy is to prioritize the enhancement of digital communication skills among unions and employee representatives. This involves supporting the adoption of innovative, efficient, and creative communication and consultation methods. By doing so, unions can extend their outreach beyond traditional channels, reaching more employees, including those in remote or small isolated workplaces.
The project involves the following key elements:
- Identifying training needs for employee representatives and employees in specific sectors and countries
- Organizing training sessions on digital and related skills for employee representatives
- Training trainers to ensure the dissemination of skills within the union movement through peer-learning and mentoring
- Facilitating the passing of skills within the union movement through peer-learning and mentoring
- Implementation of IT services for online union tools, such as online joining for non-members, membership databases, and the sharing of collective bargaining agreements.
We anticipate that this comprehensive digital organizing project for unions in Central and Eastern Europe will lead to an increase in union membership and expanded coverage in collective bargaining agreements.