< Federata Sindikatave të Bujqësise, Ushqimit, Pylltarisë dhe Ambientit të Shqipërise organizon në rrethin e Mirditës seminarin me temë : “Fuqizimi i sindikatës varet nga anëtarësia e saj”

The Celebration of 20th Anniversary of the Founding of Confederation of Trade Union of Albania (CTUA)

Speech of Mr. Kol Nikollaj, President of Confederation of Trade Union of Albania (CTUA)

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Dear Colleagues and Friends,

The Day of June 5^th 1991, 20 years ago, was an important event in the history of Albanian Trade Union Movement as a historic day when began its activity and development The Confederation of Trade Unions of Albania.

20 years ago also the communist Albania abducted hurricane of democracy and pluralism that had rapidly conquered the Eastern Europe. In that period in Albania, which was exhausted and isolated from 50-year communist regime, began the major political -, economic and social transformations. The beginning of these transformations, the establishment of market economy, recovery and regaining of private property, sought as absolute necessity to provide these social changes and the social aspects of the working class of Albania which began to organize itself in terms of management and activity of Trade Union.

The Workers of 90^th years in last century, eager for democracy and pluralism, but also to be danger from difficult economic transition and rapid changes of ownership in Albania, were aware and were organized into professional groups for self-defense and to realize their aspirations.

Since October 1990 up to June of 1991, Albanian workers were organized in their professional organizations which not only contributed to overthrow of the totalitarian system but also by opening a new way in the organization and their modern functioning in conformity to Western Trade Unions

The union of all trade union organizations by profession that named the Federation and all local unions in all districts of Albania made possible by 5 June 1991 to establish their own umbrella organization named the Confederation of Trade Unions of Albania.

This new Trade Union organization, which for 20 years as a leader in the Trade Union movement, led the Albanian association with hundreds and thousands of workers, in the Foundation Conference approved the founding act of founding, statute and program management structures and elected the leadership structure of the Confederation of Trade Unions of Albania.

During these 20 years, the Confederation of Trade Unions of Albania became the largest labor organizations in Albania. It worked and works as a great social family, which now is accomplished 2 decades of its activity.

In these two decades our trade unions became part of the democratic movement by acting as a worthy social partner of the social construction of market economy. But today’s market economy is built, surname “social” remains is yet an objective and challenge for us.

During these 20 years of its existence, the Confederation of Trade Unions of Albania has designed, led and protected policies of the movement of syndicates in Albania, especially in the areas of labor relations, wages, pensions, the continuous improvement of living and working conditions, safety social needs and social protection, economic and cultural needs of trade unionists, the unemployed, pensioners, women, youth, invalids, immigrants, etc..

These 20 years of Confederation of Trade Unions of Albania activity was served with devotion all generations of workers to run them to the largest highway of European trade union movement.

These 20 years have been years of work and commitment on all sides to create chances and new opportunities for all our union’s membership in Albania. All this activity has been the main purpose of respectability the freedoms and the fundamental human rights, its well-being and dignity.

In these years we have worked as an independent institution and with high sense of responsibility to develop and implement a common strategy for sustainable peace, political and social stability and improvement of quality of life.

We are proud to have contributed more than anyone for the adoption and observance of international norms and standards in the development of democratic processes and ensuring fundamental freedoms and human rights. We develop and promote economic reform as a necessary tool to reduce poverty, promote employment, fighting corruption, the informal market, tax evasion, and to create a healthy and productive environment for our society.

Strategic and political orientation of CTUA over the years has been distinguished. We are united and integrated into the forces that support and carry the democratic transformation of our post-communist society.

During this period we are made significant institutional actors, we did our legitimate social and economic requirements in fulfillment of our noble mission as a real safeguard the socio-economic interests of the Albanian workers.

These requirements have constantly associated with specific missions and activities of our union movement. We attempted and managed using debate, consensus, social and civil dialogue in order to alleviate and amortization of political, economic and social reforms with only one intentions that those reforms conducted with as little pain and consequences for our members and community in general.

CTUA as in the following 20 years of its existence since it was founding and in the future will continue to carry the values inherent in the creation and strengthening of the trade union movement in Albania.

CTUA has already understands and realizes practically that:  the development and the new reality requiring new working methods, new activities and relationships, people with the capacity of the force with modern influences to adapt to these realities and to move forward in full compliance with the resonance of time and society in general.

Of course during these 20 years we have had one hard way with non-fulfillments, or formalization, but these have returned to teaching and correcting them on our future that we have built solid.

I want to mention only one of them that is the fragmentation and the confrontation. We have that the fragmentation and the confrontation should be avoided with cleverness of leadership and transparence in taking of decisions and replace them with improving coordination and pragmatic cooperation.

Excessive limits of trade union pluralism, the lack of transparency in decision’s making and not collegiality at work and excessive objections that often have no sense, brought damage to our trade union movement.

We are trying and keep trying to see the future of our union to look like a "highway" with more passing, with choice of competing ideas of good options to the future and not as a one-way street that hinders progress and development of democratic competition. Only in this way we managed our union and we have to present to the public by increasing the public face of its image and making a real test with the public.

During all these years we tried and we are focused and found the way of change because only by changing ourselves we come to contribute to the change of the society which today has more need than ever for change.

Therefore the device of CTUA-IV Congress was: "CTUA is the trade union of all workers with mission to change Albania" and future our devise will be: “We want change; the change we are”.

This congress clearly defined the specific strategy for organizational development with ambitious objectives and concrete results to be phased short-, medium-, and long term.

Through this strategy we target and will achieve that:

Change and reform of our entire organization and political activity.

Promotion and implementation of this strategy CTUA make a solid organization consolidated and clear profile of its functional duty as protector of economic and social interests of the Albanian workers.

CTUA already has been turned into a potential player and an integral part of all important political-, economic and social reforms in Albania to painful passageway to the European Union.

Guarantee of our success is and will be in the future: the including of trade union activities to concrete actions, proposals and show alternatives and competitive elections, expanding internal democracy in decision making and transparent decision making by increasing the efficiency of decision-making organs

CTUA has guaranteed a potential cooperation with civil society, writing and visual media, Community, political and social organization etc.

Through this cooperation has clear its visions for changes in the present and perspective for the future with slogan “We want change; the change we are."

CTUA is a organization of all workers to change Albania and it has made substantial changes in all organizing work and its management. This was achieved through institutional development within its organization and the management and development of a serious of all human and economic resources at its disposal, and to organize successfully with social dimensions towards to a union of 21 century, towards a European Union.

Reforming and democratization in the form and content of statutes, regulations and agreements between colleagues, among horizontal and vertical organizational plans that undertook CTUA IV's Congress, have already secured sufficient eligible and a real internal democracy and a representative democracy by including of all in a co-decision making of the statutory implementation of these rules and decisions.

We are now proud that the implementation of decision of the congress after years of efforts, achievements or any failures , we managed to achieve a just proportion between organizational consolidation in vertical plane (Federal) and horizontal plane (Territorial) making possible the maintenance of internal reports and balances of Federal (Professional) Independence and a successful federal coordination, the unity and successful solidarity and a coordination of the positive forces and energies of all the CTUA ’s Structures by successfully achieved in solving the majority problems of Albanian workers.

In all its 20 years of activity, the CTUA has paid a special attention to working with people, especially the strengthening of their capacities. Focusing only the merits of the past can not affect now the new developments, especially the new membership.

We are leaving behind the old structures, political networks and conflict of the past and successfully we are walking in the path to a modern society with European standards. And for need the people with new knowledge.

"Knowledge is power and strength; as many the trade unions members and functionaries to possess knowledge and insights so great will power and strength carried implementing of our union."

This is the motto that heads the Center of Training and Research Association of Albania that also now reaches 15 years of its activity, and not without purpose it has a common anniversary with the Confederate of Trade Unions and stands only because it is in function and performance of CTUA duties that it serves as intelligent brain in realizing its goals.

This center has successfully realized education and training by the best service, an integration of age and generation capacity in trade union, one natural flow of activists and leaders, and promoting an effective equality of offering young people new guarantee not only the young age of the union but also a technological revolution in the infrastructure of our daily work. This center with its activity in support of CTUA, through training and education, and perfect union has reached our capacity to develop successful social dialogue, civil dialogue, collective contracting and to reach consensus and compromise and to use successfully The social democratic resistance to match the demands of the membership needs of our interest.

For all these reasons, we are proud to lead and manage the trade union with full energy and positively, which it has been and will remain in the future a worthy advocate not only for its membership but also for all Albania workers.

Thank you.

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