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

2 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: : members’ protection, onwards: expansion of the scope (e.g. education reform, strategy and quality of education)

3 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 : More than pupils, out of which 48 percent of all of them are in the main cities.

4 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)

5 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)

6 Starting activities ICFTU, EI programs ( ) 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 Adoption of Special Resolution in the 3rd Congress of KSSH in 2004

7 Collaboration with ILO - IPEC Start-up activities in , 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.

8 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”.

9 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

10 Examples of Good Practices Collaboration with ITUAE and other branches of trade unions. The Conference of ICFTU with KSSH and BSPSH, in October 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)

11 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

12 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)