Viktor Pinsky, Secretary General of the General Confederation of Trade Unions (GCTU), believes that the GCTU should take a leading role in developing a system for training, retraining, and upgrading the skills of personnel, exchanging experiences, and educating leaders and trade union activists across the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS)

"We already have successful experience in organizing trade union education. This year over 400 people from six countries participated in the GCTU’s first two educational programs. The idea to launch such programs came directly from the requests of our member organizations. Internships are another in-demand format, especially among young people. They provide an opportunity to personally visit international organizations and see their work from the inside," said Viktor Pinsky.

The new GCTU Concept of Educational Activities includes upgrading the skills of trade union members from different countries, developing trade union educational centers, pooling resources, and exchanging experiences among member organizations, as well as internships in international structures. The draft text of the Concept was discussed at a meeting of the GCTU Commission on Trade Union Development and International Cooperation, held on March 18.

The Concept of the GCTU Educational Activities was presented in the report On Activating Educational and Methodological Work and the Feasibility of Establishing a Center for Educational and Methodological Work. Particular attention was paid to the GCTU’s already successfully implemented international educational programs, as well as its scientific and methodological activities, participation in working groups, and expert councils of the Interparliamentary Assembly of the CIS.

Yevgeny Makarov, GCTU Vice President and Deputy Chairman of the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Russia, emphasized that the Concept needs clearly formulated political goals. "We must help our member organizations represent and defend the interests of trade unions and strengthen the GCTU as an international organization. This is the main goal of the educational process," the speaker noted.

Murat Mashkenov, Secretary General of the Kazakhstan Confederation of Labor, focused on the trade unions’ participation in the work of state power representative and executive bodies. "As a labor confederation, we proposed the participation and allocation of special quotas for trade unions in the new People’s Council of Kazakhstan," he said, calling for this practice to be extended to other CIS countries.

Irkin Umarakhunov, Rector of the Institute for Advanced Training of the Federation of Trade Unions of Uzbekistan, supported the idea of the high demand for educational programs among trade union members. "We should focus on engaging young people. They are mobile, open to innovation, and new approaches," the professor said. He also noted that activating educational and methodological work is a crucial factor in strengthening the trade union movement.
"Upgrading the skills of trade union personnel and activists, new educational programs, and a center for educational and methodological work are indeed necessary," said Anna Varfolomeyeva, Secretary for International Affairs of the Belarus Federation of Trade Unions.

Natalya Chernysheva, Chairperson of the International Confederation of Trade Unions of Workers in Trade, Public Catering, Consumer Cooperation, and Various Forms of Entrepreneurship, believes it is important to invite lecturers from trade union movements abroad. "Interaction with colleagues from trade unions outside the CIS can become one of the means to develop and expand the GCTU’s international trade union cooperation and that of its member organizations," she said.

Ismoil Fayzizoda, First Deputy Chairman of the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Tajikistan, supported the Concept. "Timely and high-quality training of trade union activists has always been and remains one of the main priorities for trade unions," the speaker noted.
The meeting of the Commission was chaired by Aleksey Zharkov, Secretary for International Cooperation of the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Russia and Chairman of the GCTU Commission on Trade Union Development and International Cooperation.