The two trade union movements in Moldova – Free Trade Union Confederation “Solidaritatea” (FTUCS) and Trade Union Confederation in Moldova (TUCM) – could merge into a single trade union organisation in the next few months. The appeal recently made by “Solidaritatea” Trade Union to consolidate the trade union structures into a single trade union centre was supported by TUCM on Tuesday, January 23. Vice president of “Solidaritatea” Oleg Budza, stated at Tuesday’s press conference that on January 17 the executive Committee of the FTUCS has unanimously launched the initiative to merge the two trade union centres and create a single trade union centre at national level, which automatically would become the assignee of both Confederations. As Budza states, such actions will enable the trade unions to become a great organisation for a closer cooperation with the social partners – Patronages and Government. He is hopeful that this process will be carried out democratically, transparently, without the interference of the public authorities or political parties. As Budza says, the amalgamation of the two institutions may take place within 4 months, a deadline set for approving the statute of the new institution and registering it at the Ministry of Justice. Requested to comment on the decision to support the merger, CTUM leader Petru Chiriac told Info-Prim Neo that the appeal of “Solidaritatea” received a positive response to the CTUM’s initiative to fuse the two institutions, repeatedly launched in the last six years. The action related to the amalgamation could take time, depending on the consensus reached while working out the projects concerning the necessary documents, and on the consensus regarding the observance of the right of workers, trade union rights, right to independence and democracy of the trade unions. While “Solidaritatea” asserts that in 2000 it detached itself from CTUM because of some doubtful financial interference of the leaders of the trade union movement running at that time, CSRM says that the new trade union movement was created to support the communist party that took power. “Solidaritatea” has over 400,000 members and 28 trade unions as branches at present. As for the CTUM, it has 300,000 trade union members and 7 trade unions as branches, including mostly members from education, medicine and small business.