Promotion of the Social Dialogue,Strengthening of Workers Organizations and the Collective Representation through Education, Information and Consultation with a Special Focus on Nordic Companies in the Baltic States Project supported by the European Commission

Project Partners Main partner organisations: ITUC – International Trade Union Confederation; ETUC-European Trade Union confederation LO/TCO Bistånsnämnd (Sweden); LPSK – Lithuanian TU Confederation; LBAS – Latvian TU Confederation; EAKL – Estonian TU Confederation; TALO – Estonian TU for Professional Employees. LDF- Lithuanian Labour Federation LPS”Solidarumas” Lithuania Other possible partner organisations: GUFs, Norwegian, Finnish, Danish TUs, other labour movement NGOs.

Project Co-ordination Office ITUC Vilnius Bureau Jasinskio 9 Vilnius, Lithuania Tel.: Fax:

Project Co-ordination Office Project office in Vilnius National Co- ordinator LT National Working Group National Co- ordinator LV National Working Group National Co- ordinator EST National Working Group Project Working Group LO-TCO Biståndsnämnds

Project Advisory Group Vilnius Project Office LO-TCO Biståndsnämnds ITUC/PERC

Information flow Vilnius Office Nordic Industry Federations BTUCETUCBASTUN

Target Sectors Commerce; Finances; Services; Industry; Transport; Telecommunication; And other interested areas having Nordic investments.

Expected Results Strengthened Social Dialogue in the targeted sectors; Trade Unions have better skills organisational development and collective negotiations; Informational network; Increasing membership,number of collective agreements and negotiations Efficient cross border co-ordination in the Nordic- Baltic TU family; Young workers and women activated in targeted sectors

Project Activities – Work plan PhasesDates No. of participants Venues Events Preparatory December 1310Stockholm, SEBaltic Co-ordination meeting for Swedish Tus January 2215Vilnius, LTProject Working Group meeting January Vilnius, LTIntroduction conference for Nordic- Baltic partners Main event March 5-727Parnu, ESTWorkers organisation capacity building. How to develop social dialogue in service sector-seminar March Jurmala, LVStrengthening gender perspective in social dialogue - seminar June 1716Vilnius, LTBaltic TU Council meeting June 27-July 342Palanga, LTTraining for Young workers representatives Sept Jurmala LVIT Training for TU activists Follow up October Druskininkai, LTGeneral evaluation conference for Nordic-Baltic partners October 226“Project Working Group meeting

Background Information Number of population Number of labour force Unemployment, %4,46,25,1 Inflation, %11,317,912 Minimum wages, Euro Average wages, Euro Foreign direct investments, per capita, Euro GDP, millions Euro GDP per capita Growth of wages in 2007, %15,223,622,5

POPULATION AND SIZE POLAND Population: 38.5 million (2008) Area: 312,685 sq. km BELARUS Population: mill. (June 2008) Area: 207,600 sq km RUSSIA Population: mill. (2007) Area: 17,075,200 sq km LATVIA Population: 2,271 mill. Area: 64,589 sq km ESTONIA Population: 1,341 mill. Area: 45,226 sq km LITHUANIA Population: 3,366 mill. Area: 65,200 sq km KALININGRAD OBLAST Population: 947,000 Area: 15,100 sq km

Membership numbers, thousands

Results achieved in the targeted sectors in three Baltic countries

Challenges Staff turnover inside union organisations; TU organisations are overloaded with different projects; Lack of co-ordination among international organisations; How to maintain the established organisation? Lack of professionalism and competence; Disability to accept criticism.

Recommendations ETUC, PERC, BASTUN should act together in the Baltic region; BASTUN should become the main umbrella organisation for programmes and projects; European Federations, GUFs and Nordic federations should work closer in the region; Once a year a joint Baltic region meeting of all interested partners should be organised; Migrant workers after coming back may become the active members in TUs; East-Baltic-Nordic tripartite co-operation should be encouraged.