Trade Union Confederation to present in Geneva proofs about the violation of trade union rights in Moldova

The Confederation of Trade Unions of the Republic Moldova (CSM) will present at the International Labor Confederation, held on 31 May - 16 June 2006, in Geneva, information about the violation of trade union rights in Moldova by central and local bodies. „We have proofs regarding the violation of CSM rights and state’s interference in its internal unions’ affairs”, announced the chairman of CSM Petru Chiriac. According to him, CSM addressed on March 4, 2004 a complaint in this sense and is waiting for the conclusions of the International Labor Organization. Previously, Chiriac made public statements about the intimidation and pressures made by the state authorities on the members of the trade union in order to force them to join the other Confederation – „Solidaritate”. „We will continue to protect our interests in spcialized institutions, as these actions of the state cannot be tolerated, if we want to create a law-based state and to join the European Union. Even if ILO recommends and does not impose respecting the conventions, Moldova has to respect them because it has ratified them, if it wants to benefit further of the facilities provided by the international organizations, with ILO accept”, Chiriac noted. According to him, besides the non-respect of the right on freedom of association, he will complain as well in his report about the non-respect of other international labor conventions, especially those regarding the conclusion of collective agreements and wages protection. Chiriac says that now, in Moldova wage debts are about 100 million lei, and the employers deny completely the idea of concluding collective agreements. This is an additional contract compared to the individual one, setting, as a result of the general assembly of the employees and employers, the basic principles of the activities that every part has to comply with. 1,000 collective agreements compared to thousands of institutions of Moldova is very few in order to affirm that there were made any efforts this way, he also noted. About the issues or achievements that the Moldovan delegation will present the conference in Geneva, another member of the Moldovan delegation, the deputy minister of Economy and Commerce, Sergiu Sainciuc, declared that Moldova has ratified 38 ILO conventions of those 190. Until September 1 the Moldovan part has to present the Committee on International Labor Standards reports on implementing its provisions, coordinated with social partners. Depending on the items presented in the report, the committee will make recommendations. On the grounds of reports presented annually, by each member state regarding the level of implementation of international labor standards, ILO placed Moldova in the category of countries with satisfactory achievements. „It is hard to evaluate the necessary time to implement fully ILO standards in RM, as long as there are more economically developed countries which do not respect international labor norms”, Sainciuc underlined. The deputy minister also underscored that within the conference the country program on decent work in RM 2006-2007 will be concluded, program stipulating a range of actions on ensuring the implementation of the international labor standards. At the conference, in order to elaborate a Convention or Recommendation hygiene and labor security items will be discussed. Also the Global Report on Children’s Labor will be discussed etc. Over 3,000 leaders of governments, trade unions and employers convened at the International labor Conference. The Moldovan delegation will attend the works of the conference starting June 5, 2006. Moldova is member of ILO since 1992.