M A C E D O N I A KSS

CONFEDERATION OF FREE TRADE UNIONS OF MACEDONIA WWW.KSS.MK Confederation of Free Trade Unions of Macedonia   PO Box 79, 1001 Skopje, Republic of Macedonia Tel./fax: +389 2 2 466 238 info@kss.mk; kss@t-home.mk

WHY JOIN THE UNION ? Through its network of branch unions, KSS offers free legal assistance to all its members. KSS has regional offices countrywide, and has offices across the country which provide technical, economic and legal assistance to all KSS members. KSS is the majority trade union of public sector employees, and is the only signatory from the union side of the National Collective Agreement for the public sector (January 2008). This is an additional motive for the future members, because in accordance with the provisions of that Collective Agreement, it only applies to members (those members at the time of the signing, and those who would join KSS after the signing). KSS is offering big democracy in the organizing of branch and local unions at the local level. The Confederation is open and has easy access for communication with the leadership structures. Additional incentive for joining is the low affiliation fee for KSS, which, in compliance with the Constitution of KSS is 10% of the income which the unions receive form membership dues. 

The most important roles and functions of KSS are: Representing member organizations in front of social partners with the goal of negotiating the improvement of legislation in terms of improving labor rights and health and safety at work; Negotiating collective agreements for the private and public sector at the national level for the private and public sector at the national level, and providing conditions for implementation of all; Care for timely informing of members about legislative changes, which are of concern for working people and their families; Representing members in international organizations and associations and providing international support; Trade union education and organizing union campaigns; Providing free legal protection and legal representation of members; Care for unity and solidarity in mutual support to members; Coordinated informing of public about problems which members face, about ongoing activities and successes and providing support from domestic and foreign public, etc.

GENERAL OF TRADE UNION The Confederation of Free Trade Uinions of Macedonia (KSS) unites all workers, regardless of their national, religious or social background or gender, upon the principle of solidarity, into one free, democratic and independent trade union movement. The KSS is fully and genuinely committed solely to defending and ensuring respect to rights and needs of the working people and as a labor movement is completely aside from any interference of political parties or employers.   The establishing of KSS is represents accomplishment of the truly needed thorough change, new direction in Macedonia’s labor movement, with the aim of restoring workers’ hopes in prosperity and respect to labor. The Confederation is guided by the principles of democracy, human rights, social justice, and solidarity and acts in the defence of workers’ fundamental rights guaranteed in every democratic society.

STRUCTURE The structure of KSS is laid on the principle according to which its membership, and not the union leadership, is the guiding force of the Confederation. Only the membership has full right to adopt the key decisions through the legitimately elected bodies in the local unions. We have a structure where decisions and conclusions are adopted in full consultation with the base, with decisions adopted consensually by horizontal and vertical decision-making. KSS is a trade union which rests solely on its membership as its force.       The Confederation has the following bodies: Congress, the highest decision-making body of KSS, Conference (the highest KSS body between two Congresses), Central Board (the executive body of KSS), Supervising Board and Statutory Committee. The funding of KSS is based on membership dues which cannot exceed 10% of the unions’ income from dues. Such a setup is owed to the flexible administrative apparatus which doesn’t require mass-employment of staff for the needs of the KSS. The President of KSS is Mr. Rasko Miskoski, elected at the latest KSS Congress in November 2007. At the outset, KSS had around 53,000 members. The process of recruiting new members is constant, and our union in the meantime grew to around 70,000. According to Constitution, membership is organized into branch unions, which form two Federations – Federation of Public Sector Workers and Federation of Private Sector Workers. Even though relatively young, KSS in the past period grew significantly and set up new branch unions. The following are the branch unions – affiliates to KSS: AUTONOMOUS TRADE UNION OF EDUCATION, SCIENCE AND CULTURE (SONK); AUTONOMOUS TRADE UNION OF EMPLOYEES IN THE DEFENCE (SSVO); AUTONOMOUS TRADE UNION OF EMPLOYEES IN THE ENERGY, MINING AND INDUSTRY (SSERI); TRADE UNION OF TRANSPORTATION AND COMMUNICATIONS (STV); TRADE UNION OF WORKERS IN AGRICULTURE; TRADE UNION OF EMPLOYEES IN STATE ADMINISTRATIO (SADU); AUTHONOMOUS TRADE UNION OF EMPLOYEES IN LOCAL ADMINISTRATION (SSVLS); TRADE UNION OF CATERING AND TOURISM; TRADE UNION OF FINANCIAL ORGANIZATIONS OF MACEDONIA.  

INTERNATIONAL COOPERATIONS AND RELATIONS The Confederation and the affiliated branch unions have intensive international cooperation with the trade unions in the region, and wider. KSS branch unions are members of their related international branch federations such as the EI (Education International), ICEM (International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions), PSI (Public Services International), ITF/ETF (International Transport Federation/European Transport Federation), EUROMIL (European Organization of Military Organisations), etc. The KSS also takes part in many local, regional as well as international activities, through its membership into PERC (Pan European Regional Council), within the ITUC (International Trade Union Confederation). KSS actively cooperates with other national trade union organisations within the EU countries and in the region of SEE. Our branch unions, as members of their branch federations also participate in different project activities in their field of interest.   With the ILO (International Labor Organization), we are involved in series of activities and projects, mainly through the local office for Central and Eeastern Europe, located in Budapest, but also in the other activities. Currently, the KSS is involved in the ILO Project for strengthening of the national social dialogue and branch (industry) level negotiations, which is implemented in all countries in the region of Western Balkans and Moldova. The KSS has submitted request for affiliation to the ITUC for full membership and is pending a positive reply at the next meeting of the General Council which will be held this autumn. KSS has also submitted application for affiliation into the ETUC, European Trade Union Confederation, a process which goes parallel to the country’s integration into the EU.