TUTC - Trade Union Training Committee of the Turin Centre

1.

Through the delivery of advanced training courses, the production of training material for residential/online education, advisory services and specific projects, the Programme for Workers’ Activities of the ILO Turin Centre is designed to respond to the changing training needs of workers’ organizations.

2.

The structure and the content of the Programme aim at responding to the main challenges imposed by globalization on trade unions throughout the world. The main features of this process are related to the expansion in the volume and variety of cross-border transactions in goods and services, the development of technologies in the area of information and transportation that made possible the process of globalizing production cycles and the increase in international capital flows.

3.

All these global developments, mainly driven by technological changes, were also accompanied by political decisions, which played a major role in shaping the economic and social outcomes of globalization. The introduction of neo-liberal economic policies based on the liberalization of trade and privatization of public services, the reduction of welfare provisions and the instability of labour markets are the main global features of policies which worked against the transformation of this first phase of globalization into an opportunity for working people. Economic and social crises have provoked a general rethinking of these policies and they have prepared the ground for the developments of new approaches associating economic reforms to a social agenda. In addition it should be emphasized that if we measure globalization in terms of increased world opportunities in trade, foreign direct investments and distribution of income, data shows that globalization is still limited to industrialized countries and to a limited number of newly industrialized countries (NICs).

4.

The introduction of new technology and the development of new forms of work organisation have resulted in constant modification and fragmentation of production patterns within small units and in the reorganisation of production networks on an international scale. This process, mainly driven by multinational enterprises, has guaranteed greater productivity gains that are rarely distributed to working people. Such new systems of work have completely redefined the composition and characteristics of both blue and white-collar workers and have decreased the number of workers employed in the industrial sector.

5.

Development of new technologies, particularly in the last decade, have paved the way for the rise of the so-called "knowledge economy. At the same time, a strong informal economy has emerged in developing countries, while in industrialized countries the number of "working poor" has increased dramatically.

6.

All of this serves to render the international economic and social scenario similar in many different parts of the world: globalization has been perceived by workers as a threat because it is not associated with social development.

7.

Another important dimension of globalization is related to the rapid growth of financial markets with the lifting of capital barriers and the creation of an enormous mass of financial resources, that is mainly used for speculation. Today, these recent developments are having a great impact on the aspirations and needs of working people. The respect of core labour standards promoted by trade unions and the development of the new ILO agenda built around the concept of "Decent work for all" will contribute to consolidate links between economic and social development. Within this prospective the role of International Labour Standards, the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work and its Follow-up is important tool for trade unions and for their challenge of ensuring a social dimension to globalization.

8.

Upgrading the skills of union leaders and staff who provide trade unions with support/advisory services and training trade union members are both essential in this period of rapid change. New trade union training policies and programmes should enable unions to autonomously develop their responses in several areas. These areas are related to the agenda of "Decent Work" and they also include: rebuilding strong trade union organizing patterns; confronting multinational enterprises on the labour front through concrete national and transnational programmes and plans leading to multinational collective agreements and negotiated framework agreements. Education and training can play a positive role to foster co-operation between trade unions, on a more global level. A strong and well-prepared trade union staff to service the leadership of workers’ organizations can also contribute to the development/strengthening of social dialogue and stable labour relations.

9.

The Turin Centre’s programme for Workers’ Activities is an integral part of the ILO’s major programme on workers’ activities under which all training activities concerning workers’ organizations, both at headquarters and in the field, are co-ordinated. The Programme has the following long-term objectives:

• to strengthen the process of institution and capacity-building of trade unions;
• to increase the capacity of trade unions to plan and deliver educational programmes in line with their educational policies;
• to support the development and strengthening of specialized technical departments within the trade unions, particularly in the field of economic and social policy;
• to strengthen staff development within trade unions;
• to provide training to trade unions on ways and means to be better involved in the work of both the ILO Standards and the Follow-up to the ILO Declaration;
• to strengthen tripartism and social dialogue with the development of bi-tripartite courses and with an increased number of workers involved in the training activities of the ILO Turin Centre;
• to promote gender mainstreaming in all the activities of trade unions;
• to promote the development of trade union networks with the support of Information Technology and the exchange of trade union practices/policies.

10.

The specific objectives of the Turin Centre’s Workers’ Activities Programme are:

• to deliver high-quality training with appropriate methodology, technology and skills, in order to help participants improve their training capacity in specific areas;
• to improve the quality of learning materials suitable for face to face training and distance learning provided by the Programme for Workers’ Activities;
• to deliver together with other Regional and Technical Programmes bipartite and tripartite training courses;
• to assist workers’ organizations to develop gender policies for their application within trade unions with a special focus on training;
• to assist trade unions to develop information technologies policies for their general application within and between trade unions with a special focus on distance education;
• to increase the visibility of the Programme through the development of distance education.

11.

Development of the 2000 programme was facilitated by guidelines and deliberations established by the Trade Union Training Committee at its 19th meeting in May 2000 and continuous referencing throughout the year to the Workers’ Group of the Governing Body via ACTRAV. The Turin Centre is indebted to this service for its support and advice for promotion and delivery of Turin Centre workers’ activities programmes. Thanks to this special relationship, programmes have been fully integrated with the overall workers’ education policy and regional programmes of the ILO. A meeting of the Workers’ Group, held before the ILO Turin Board meeting in November, provided additional elements of clarification on the Programme and on the overall training activities carried out by the Centre.

12.

The delivery of the Programme can be summarized with four broad categories of training activities/services:

• The first consists of specialized residential training courses at the ILO Turin Centre which incorporate a component of training methodology (active learning methods). Curricula are mainly developed in line with the four ILO strategic objectives and in the context of the changing needs of trade unions in developing countries. These specialized courses aim at strengthening the staff of national centres and trade unions in order to develop and upgrade major departments/offices.
• A second area is related to follow-up seminars and training activities jointly developed with the field structure of ACTRAV. In particular follow up seminars are carried out in order to assess the contribution of the Programme for Workers’ Activities to the achievement of development objectives in the area of training as well as providing advanced training.
• A third area is related to the development of online education for workers’ organizations.
• A fourth area is related to the delivery of advisory services mainly in the area of training methodology/labour education.

13.

In the 90’s the Programme introduced specific courses such as: collective bargaining techniques, economic and financial analysis of enterprises for collective bargaining, labour relations, organizational management within trade unions, international labour standards, occupational safety, health and the environment, social security and information technologies. Following the deliberations of the last Trade Union Training Committee the Programme has reoriented its efforts in the following strategic areas: ILS and the Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work and its Follow up (and in particular on freedom of association and collective bargaining); employment policies ; social protection ; social dialogue ; gender and women workers’ rights; training methodologies for face to face/distance education and application of information technologies to trade unions and sectoral programmes for ITSs.

14.

The ACTRAV Programme was also involved in a number of distance education courses using computer communications. The courses included online courses on the Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work and its Follow up and on occupational safety and health. The Programme also started to be involved in the design and delivery of staff-training for the Bureau for Workers’ Activities.

15.

The Programme continued to attract financial support from the ILO and a number of other sources, namely the Department of Development Co-operation of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, National Trade Union Centres, and the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES), Germany.

16.

Study visits contributed to the development of a comparative approach among trade unionists with respect to the various technical areas of the Programme as well as to general trade union matters. During 2000 most of these study visits were organized thanks to financial contributions from trade unions and the financial support of the Friedrich Ebert Foundation.

17.

Training manuals and publications relating to workers’ education carried out by ACTRAV in Geneva and Turin were developed in line with training offered by the Programme. This training material, which can be used in national centres and trade unions in the training of national staff, was available in all the courses. A list of publications is shown in Annex F.

18.

Following the recommendation of the 19th Meeting of the Trade Union Training Committee held in Turin on 23 May 2000 (Annex I), the Programme for Workers' Activities has implemented a number of actions which aim at:

1. Monitoring the overall development of bi-tripartite courses and putting at the disposal of the Centre the resources of the Programme for the design, delivery and evaluation of these courses. In this regard the Programme has made a considerable effort for implementing the minimum requirements established by this Committee for bi-tripartite activities. The established criteria was the following: the Secretary of the Workers Group select the organization to be invited; the course curricula is discussed and agreed with ACTRAV; within the course at least one resource person from a workers’ organization should be invited to make a presentation regarding a technical subject and the role of workers’ organisations.

Findings presented in this report indicate that:

• The overall percentage of workers’ participation has slightly increased but it is still very low if compared with the total number of participants trained by the Centre.
• The recommendations made by this Committee are not adequately followed in all training activities.
• In addition to the efforts made by the Programme, there is still a need to foster policy decisions aiming at enhancing the participation of workers and at enhancing the number of bi-tripartite courses in order to better respond to the strategic objective of the ILO (strengthen tripartism and social dialogue).

2. Monitoring the participation of trade unionists in the general courses offered by the Turin Centre. Again, even if this participation has increased, it appears that in the year 2000 workers’ participation in those general courses was still limited and sporadic.

In relation to the above two deliberations of the Committee it should be noted that:

1. Figures presented at the Trade Union Training Committee since 1996 indicate that following the discussions that have taken place within the Board of the Turin Centre, there has been some improvement in the delivery of bi-tripartite activities last year. Therefore, concrete efforts should be continued and reflected in the next five year Development Plan/2^nd Investment Fund in order to increase the delivery of training services related to the four ILO strategic objectives with ILO Constituents.
2. During a certain period data collection became problematic as a result of the introduction of a new management information system. Until 1999 the Centre used Informix as a database. Basic information related to participants was entered in Informix by Recruitment and by Social Life. The Informix system was used to provide primary data on the participants to a Lotus Notes database, where Regional and Technical Programmes were able to add extra information to the file. In the transition to the Oracle system in April 2000, the Informix system was shut down. So was Lotus Notes, which was no longer used for additional inputs. Due to the difficult start of the Oracle system, there was a gap in the collection and management of the information between April and December 2000. For the year 2000 the data presented in this report concerning workers’ participation in bi-tripartite and general courses was collected directly from the regional and technical managers of the Centre. As from January 2001 the collection and management of information in the Oracle database has improved, and detailed statistics will be available for 2001 and future years. But unfortunately limited information is retrievable for the years 1995 to 1999, and statistics for the year 2000 are not available in electronic format. It should be brought to the attention of the management that efforts should be made in order to: make available the necessary resources to enter the inputs related to the year 2000 so that all the relevant data are retrievable from a central database. In addition the previous Informix database should be made accessible to a key unit to meet specific requests of statistics for past years by the programmes concerned. These proposals should help the Centre to keep its institutional memory.
3. Increasing the integration between the Programme and the Bureau for Workers’ Activities through the newly established Educational Committee. The first meeting of this technical committee on workers’ education took place last year and discussed several issues related to training methodology and new tools for the development of distance education. The major outcome of this meeting gathering ACTRAV’s educational specialists was the launching of a project on an integrated web-site for ACTRAV with a special section on labour education.
4. Developing new training packages on cd-rom/internet in the area of OSH and design of distance learning training packages on the Declaration of Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work and its Follow up.
5. Improving the process of integration of the Programme with ACTRAV and its specialists in the MDTs for better defining regional training needs and appropriate curricula. Joint training activities and advisory services were delivered together with the colleagues at headquarters and in the field. The participation of the colleagues from the MDTs , as resource persons in the Turin based programme, was also increased.
6. Evaluating the Programme’s long-term objectives with national follow up activities jointly organised with the colleagues in the MDTs.
7. Developing distance education with the delivery of new training services for trade unions, with appropriate design technologies. In this respect the Programme has conducted two training activities in the area of OSH and the Declaration of Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work and its Follow up. In addition the Programme started a project for the design of the Course Reader programme that would take into consideration the particular needs of trade unions in developing countries.
8. Increasing workers’ participation in the technical programme for SME, following the establishment of the newly created Programme for Employers’ Activities.
9. Continuing to deliver sectoral trade union courses for ITSs.
10. Increasing women’s participation in the Programme with the introduction of a new procedure. In order to improve the selection of women’s participants, workers’ organisations were specifically asked to send copies of invitation letters to the women’s committees.
11. Introducing in the Programme desagregated data by gender.
12. Providing on a regular basis staff training for ACTRAV.
13. Providing support and assistance to the meeting of the Workers’ Group held in November, before the Board meeting, where general matters of the ILO Turin Centre are discussed.

19.

It should also be noted that following the recommendation made by this Committee the staff of the Programme was increased with an additional professional position covering training activities for Asia and the Pacific region.

20.

The year 2000 confirmed certain major trends of the Programme such as:

• consolidation of the programme through a steady number of training activities and the variety of course topics, with the introduction of new curricula and the design of projects in line with the four strategic objectives of the ILO;
• introduction of cross-cutting issues in all training courses such as specific sessions on International Labour Standards, gender/women workers’ rights, information technology, HIV and globalization among others;
• consolidation of the quality of training activities and greater resources devoted to evaluation in Turin and in the Regions;
• further integration of the Programme with the regional activities of ACTRAV;
• delivery of distance education courses;
• introduction of a preparatory phase, via distance education, before residential training on campus;
• development of training packages on paper/CD-ROM/ACTRAV web-site;
• increased use in the classrooms of information technology equipment;
• increased contacts with trade union organizations through study visits, participants/observers invited to the training activities, and external resource people from the labour movement.
• Increased exchange of experiences/case studies aimed at the development of a comparative approach/cooperation among trade unionists from industrialized/developing countries;
• increased contacts with ITSs for the development of sectoral courses.
• increased interest in the Programme’s activities were demonstrated by visits from numerous workers’ organizations.

21.

In the year 2000 the major strategic developments were the following:

• first meeting of the Working Group on Labour Education composed by the Directorate of ACTRAV, Regional specialists in workers’ education and the staff of ACTRAV-Turin;
• development of a new web-site integrated with the Bureau for Workers’ Activities;
• publication of a training package/CD-ROM on Occupational Safety and Health for Latin America;
• publication of a web-based training package on the Declaration of Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work and its Follow up (first version in English);
• launching of the first online course on the Declaration of Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work and its Follow up;
• launching of national follow-up activities in Africa, Asia and Latin America.

22.

The following sections illustrate in greater detail the major quantitative and qualitative trends and evolution, examining the main indicators of the Programme.

23.

The twenty-nine training activities were attended by 433 participants from trade union organizations in 95 member countries. All participants were trade union officers; 37% of participants were women. The activities represented course participant days. Five courses were of 5-weeks duration, six of 4 weeks, one of 3 weeks and five of two weeks. Nine follow-up/seminars were delivered in the field and two online courses were of ten and four weeks duration. In addition the Programme delivered twelve advisory services.

24.

A summary list of the 2000 Trade Union Training Programme as well as the two course dispersion tables among the regions for the period 1988-1999 and 2000-2001 are to be found in Annex A.

25.

In line with the strategic budgeting of the ILO and the indications contained in the programme and budget proposals for 2000-2001 and following the deliberations of this Committee and an extensive process of consultation within ACTRAV, the Programme has reorganised its training operations in the following strategic areas:

1. Courses which are aimed at strengthening trade union training capacity in the area of ILS and the Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work and its Follow up (in particular on freedom of association and collective bargaining).

   Within this category the following courses were delivered:

2. Courses which are aimed at strengthening trade union training capacity in the area of social protection.

   Within this category the following courses were delivered:

3. Courses which are aimed at strengthening trade union training capacity in the area of social dialogue.

   Within this category the following courses were delivered:

4. Courses which are aimed at strengthening trade union training capacity in the area of training methodologies for face to face/distance education and application of information technologies to trade unions. Within this category the following courses were delivered:

5. Courses which are aimed at strengthening ITSs.

   Within this category the following courses were delivered:

26.

Follow-up seminars were implemented in the field in order to assess the contribution of the Turin Centre programme to the achievement of development objectives in the area of training. Six training activities were organized:

27.

The new training programmes, which have come on stream in the last few years as part of a process of diversifying the training offer, were strictly associated with a major review of teaching methods already reported to previous Committee meetings. The majority of programmes dealt with specific subject areas, incorporating a component of training methodology throughout the course, based on active learning methods. This participant-centred approach encouraged the full participation of each course member in programme activities, validated trade union experiences brought by participants to the course and contributed by assisting the trainers into delivering the technical component of the course.

28.

A continuous effort has been made to be responsive to the training needs of participants. Programme delivery based on active learning methods requires that courses begin by drawing on the experience, skills, knowledge, and attitudes of participants. A country report is always prepared by participants before reaching the ILO Turin Centre and it is discussed in the first sessions of the course. This comparative analysis of the different countries/sub-regions represented in the programme is the first step in calibrating the training needs and, consequently, the training objectives of the course with the participants. The assumption behind this review process is to make sure that training objectives are related to the subsequent technical content of the programme with suitable teaching methods. This approach leads to continuous adaptation of the course pace/content within the group and with the trainers. In other words, trainers are responsive to participants' needs which arise during the development of the programme. Thus, there is the possibility of fine-tuning training needs/objectives. At the beginning of each course a comparative exercise between the different trade union structures and, in particular, on the specific problems related to the course topic, is then developed by course participants alongside the presentation of the ILO/ACTRAV, international labour standards, globalization and workers’ rights, gender and the Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work and its Follow up. The programme content is always presented with subject specific training materials prepared by the Programme (training packages) and the trainers. A great number of practical exercises accompany the presentation of subject matters in order to facilitate assimilation and exchange of experiences/information between course participants and trainers. This approach gives a high degree of responsiveness to the programme and encourages participants to apply the results of the course work to their trade unions. The ultimate phase of the programme at the Centre is the preparation of work-plans for national/local implementation. They are usually prepared by all course participants prior to the study visit to a major trade union centre taking place during the last week of the course. The implementation of this approach, based on active learning training methods, is continuously monitored by means of course meetings and weekly evaluations.

29.

A large variety of teaching methods were used in the Programme such as role playing and case studies. Almost all exercises were developed by dividing participants into small groups, with the exception of final work-plans prepared by each participant for his/her own organization. Reports presented in plenary sessions, as well as further comments/advice of the trainers, were recorded and included in the training packages provided to participants at the end of the course.

30.

Audio-visual aids and network stations connected to the Internet, for file sharing, group work (presentation of course activity reports) and the research of information, were used in the Programme, in order to facilitate the presentation of course topics.

31.

This methodology has been extended to all programmes in the various languages and to those activities jointly promoted with other technical programmes.

32.

Publication of training material continued in 2000 with a training package on Occupational Safety and Health and on the Declaration of Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work and its Follow up. Training material was also prepared to help instructors conduct courses on new technologies. The material includes an instructor’s guide and practical exercises.

33.

Course activities and a range of technical materials have been supplemented from ILO sources as well as from national/international trade union centres. Particular emphasis has been given to published material generated by ACTRAV.

34.

Additional training material developed during the delivery of training programmes in 2000, was used as the basis for new Turin Centre Workers’ Activities’ publications. All participants were provided with CD-ROMs and copies of diskettes in order to enable them to further develop and adapt such training materials to their own trade unions/target groups.

35.

The development of training manuals and publications related to workers’ education in ACTRAV Geneva/Turin were in line with the training offer of the Programme. Almost all the courses had reference material which can be used in national centres/trade unions for training national staff.

36.

Each programme has incorporated study visit elements (usually to major national centres or international trade union organizations) to demonstrate in practical ways some of the major approaches taken in Turin-based programmes. Study visits also help to develop a comparative approach among trade unionists on the technical area of the course as well as on general matters related to trade unions. In 2000 study visits were made to Oslo (LO), Paris (CGT-FO), Ireland (ICTU), Vienna (ÖGB), Bonn (FES and DGB), Tokyo (RENGO/JILAF), Lisbon (UGTP), Madrid (CC.OO.) and Copenhagen (LO). Most were organized thanks to financial contributions from trade unions and to the financial support of the Friedrich Ebert Foundation (FES).

37.

As in previous years, all the Programme’s courses included round-table discussions with representatives of the Italian trade union confederations: CGIL, CISL and UIL.

38.

A constant effort was made to promote co-operation with trade unions and other organizations in relation to study visits. This was aimed, not only at promoting financial and technical assistance to the Programme, but also at ensuring opportunities for course participants to develop technical/political contacts with national trade union centres in developed countries and international trade union organizations. In addition, the majority of study visits included sessions where course participants had the opportunity to present the situation of their respective labour movements to trade unionists from industrialized countries. A number of trade unionists from industrialized countries also took part as course participants and contributed to the development of training programmes. They provided technical assistance on a voluntary basis in specific subject areas and they supported the development of networks in order to strengthen workers’ solidarity.

39.

Most courses included short study visits to Geneva organized by ILO/ACTRAV where participants had the opportunity to meet officials from ACTRAV, other technical departments of the ILO and the Secretary of the Workers’ Group. These visits have proved valuable in allowing participants to develop an understanding of the overall contribution which the ILO makes to workers' education through its technical co-operation programme. Where possible, participants were given the opportunity to observe various ILO meetings and the ILO Conference.

40.

All 2000 programmes have been evaluated as in previous years. The evaluation process is divided into several steps based on the training objectives, which are identified in each programme description and readjusted via the comparative analysis of country reports at the beginning of the training programme. Programmes are also monitored by means of course meetings, which take place under the guidance of a group leader at the end of each training unit (usually every two or three days).

41.

Intermediate evaluations (usually weekly reviews) are carried out during the development of the course in order to assess if the various components of the programme are contributing to the achievement of course objectives.

42.

The "immediate objectives" of the course are evaluated via participants' self-assessment (questionnaire) and via the trainers' assessments of work-plans presented by course participants in the final course activity.

43.

One year after the completion of the programmes, post-course questionnaires are sent to participants to evaluate long-term objectives. This document is aimed at identifying the outcome of each individual work-plan prepared at the Centre. This post-course evaluation is also aimed at assessing the contribution of workers' education to the development of training programmes/materials and management principles within workers’education departments of the trade unions. The summary of the post-course evaluation of the Programme for Workers’ Activities delivered in 1999 is shown in Annex H.

44.

Six follow-up activities were delivered in 2000. The seminars analysed the impact of the Turin-based programme in terms of project development and assessment of the long-term objectives of the Programme. In addition, thanks to the participation of colleagues in charge of workers’ activities in the field, a step forward has been made towards a greater integration of the Programme with the regional work of ACTRAV in the different Regions.

45.

In particular three follow-up activities were conducted at the country level in Ghana, Malaysia and Costa Rica. Participants from trade union organizations affiliated to MTUC (Malaysia), GTUC (Ghana), Rerum Novarum and CMTC (Costa Rica) who attended and successfully completed training programmes organized by ACTRAV and/or the ILO Turin Centre/ACTRAV in the last five years, were invited to these national seminars. The follow-up and evaluation seminars were therefore aimed at an appreciation of the extent to which the trade union organizations represented at the seminar have adopted and implemented the participants’ work plans in their operations. ACTRAV training activities’ evaluation (field and Turin) assessed the impact of training in relation with the development/strengthening of the staff of those workers’ organizations and affiliated unions. In addition those seminars assessed new training needs and discussed new approaches in the area of training such as the introduction of information technologies in workers’ education.

46.

Last years’ report presented a database with information concerning participants. This ensures an easy and quick access to participants' data, especially for the purpose of follow-up activities. The database has also been utilized to provide ACTRAV and national/international trade union organizations with information about the Programme. As already reported in para. 18, the Programme has collected data on its own as a result of the serious management problems related with the introduction of the new information system (Oracle). Annex B contains the list of participants of the Programme for Workers’ Activities for 2000.

47.

The staff of the Programme for Workers’ Activities managed all the 29 training activities for the trade unions (18 Turin-based courses, 7 follow-up seminars and two courses in the field and two distance learning courses) as well as 12 advisory services. In addition the staff of ACTRAV has provided the necessary support for the planning/delivery of bi-tripartite training activities.

48.

Teaching support in 2000 was secured on the basis of a partnership of contribution from Turin Centre based staff and 79 resource people (see Annex G). External resource people came directly from trade unions or were strictly involved in trade union activities. All had substantial prior experience as trade union trainers and as specialists in the specific subject areas of the Programme.

49.

Staff and major responsibilities of the Programme are the following:

• E. Cairola, programme manager, regional desk for Europe and in charge of relationship with ITSs.
• M. Bélanger, senior programme officer, in charge of online education and communication.
• C. Benitez, regional desk for Latin America and the Caribbean and focal point on gender issues.
• I. Dia, regional desk for Africa and for Arab States and in charge of relationships with the European Union (desk for technical co-operation within the Cotonou’s Agreement).
• M. Ishibashi, regional desk for Asia and the Pacific (from January 2001).
• H. Giordano, Administrative assistant.
• D. Klein, Administrative support.

50.

Since 1996 the Programme has extensively used interns as course assistants in the various training activities as well as in specific educational projects.

51.

The staff was severely stretched to meet demands across all course activities and to maintain standards of high quality in course delivery. This was achieved due to the fact that, as far as possible, course monitoring/continuity was ensured by the use of trainers delivering the core of the programme in close co-operation with the programme manager/activity managers. In addition the delivery of new training courses with the support of information technologies (distance education) increased the work-load of the staff and the need of additional time devoted to staff training.

52.

In particular, it should be stressed that there is urgent need of increasing the administrative support of the Programme. Data showing the excessive administrative workload of the Programme was presented to the management during the last mid-term review meeting (January 2001).

53.

Financial support for the 2000 Trade Union Training Programme came from a number of sources. Most importantly RBTC/ACTRAV funding allowed for the delivery of 7 courses (A1-2059, A1-2060, A2-2061, A3-2062, A9-2063, A2-2064, A3-2402), one course co-financed respectively by IPEC and the ICFTU (A9-2339), one course co-financed by RBTC/Europe/TC (A4-2404), three follow-up activities (A1-5107,A3-5106, A3-5105), one co-financed by ACFTU (A3-5185), two by Italy (A2-5132, A4-2376), one with the RBTC contribution for Africa (A1-5184). The Government of Italy co-financed six courses with the regional contribution to the Turin Centre for Africa ILO/RBTC/AFR/TC, (A1-2065, A1-2066, A1-2067); Latin America ILO/RBTC/LA/TC, (A2-2068); Asia ILO/RBTC/ASIA/TC, (A3-2069); and Arab States (A5-2070). In addition, two training activities were supported by FES (A2-5131, A3-5137), one by CTA-IUF (A1-5186) and one by RBTC Latin America / Forca Sindical and UGTP (A2-2360), and two from ILO projects (A9-5276, A2-5275) on distance learning.

54.

In summary, sources of funding were:

a) Courses:

b) Follow-up and seminars in the field:

55.

A great number of study tours were provided thanks to financial contributions of trade unions from FES/DGB Germany (1 study visit), ÖGB Austria (2 study visits), CGT-FO France (1 study visit), UGTP Portugal (2 study visit), RENGO/JILAF Japan (1 study visit), LO Norway (1 study visit), ICTU Ireland (1 study visit), CC.OO. Spain (1 study visit) and LO Denmark (1 study visit).

56.

Meeting of the Working Group on Labour Education (Geneva 28-29 May 2000)

57.

The Directorate of ACTRAV, Regional specialists in workers’ education and the staff of ACTRAV-Turin took part in this first meeting of the Working Group on Labour Education.

58.

The agenda of the meeting was the following:

1. Presentation and exchange of training programs and pedagogical material developed for the different levels of activities in ACTRAV (Geneva, field, Turin).

2. Internet/Intranet development for the creation of an ACTRAV library specialized in the area of labour education.

3. Establishment of procedures for the exchange of training programs and didactical material for different levels of activities in ACTRAV.

4. "Gender issue": its integration in the training activities of ACTRAV.

5. Impact of distance learning on labour education, future developments at the different levels of activities in ACTRAV.

59.

The overall objective of this working group is to improve labour education within ACTRAV, to better support our constituents and to make a further effort to integrate programmes and activities of the Headquarters, the ILO Turin Centre and the Field.

60.

The major deliberations of the working group were the following:

• ACTRAV should carefully use online education to support residential training activities and former participants;
• start to develop some courses completely online;
• a specific software for online education should be developed in relation to the needs of our constituents;
• online activities should be developed in co-operation with other programs at the ILO and of the Turin Centre as well as with the unions working with ACTRAV;
• close integration between the ACTRAV web sites in Geneva and Turin and development of a common style/design;
• develop an on line library for material on labour education;
• encourage/support the field structure to use ACTRAV web site;
• exchange training material between Headquarters/field and Turin;
• ACTRAV should develop a workplan to mainstream a gender perspective with indicators and outputs which will facilitate the evaluation of this process and concrete results;
• information technology should be used to facilitate the programme objectives in gender issues. Particular attention should be paid to ACTRAV web pages and the development of a database of gender-issue activists.

61.

In 1996, for the first time, a special paragraph in the report made reference to the involvement of the Programme in the design, delivery and evaluation of these types of training activities.

62.

As partners in tripartite dialogue, trade unions should play a more important role in the formulation and implementation of social and economic policies and play a fundamental role in the process of enhancing democratic values and human rights. Their role is particularly important where the growth of the informal economy and the instability of the labour market have weakened the institutional framework aimed at involving social actors in the process of social dialogue. Strengthening this "organized" part of the society, namely workers’ and employers’ organizations, and developing the institutional framework for social dialogue are the long term objectives of such type of training activities. In addition this has became the fourth ILO strategic objective, i.e. strengthening tripartism and social dialogue. The ILO Turin Centre is an ideal place for putting together within a training environment employers’ organizations, workers’ organizations and governmental authorities dealing with labour issues. The newly established technical programme for the Employers (ACTEMP) and ACTRAV should work together in order to support the Centre’s regional/technical programmes for the preparation of curricula, delivery and evaluation of bi-tripartite courses. In addition the technical programme on Social Dialogue would support this process and the overall reorientation of the Centre’s training activities towards a genuine tripartite approach. As reported in previous reports, it has to be noted that in particular the technical programme on ILS and Human Rights and the programme on Social Protection have regularly introduced tripartite curricula in their respective programmes, while training activities managed by other teams are slowly moving towards this approach.

63.

In 2000 the Turin Centre continued to organize bipartite/tripartite training activities which were prepared in consultation with the Programme for Workers' Activities. Those programmes, which required the participation of trade unionists representing workers’ organizations indicated by the Secretary of the Workers’ Group via ACTRAV/Geneva, were designed and delivered in consultation with ACTRAV. In particular the course curricula was discussed and agreed between the activity manager and ACTRAV and, within the course, at least one resource person was invited from a trade union. The Regional/Technical Programme of the Centre carried out management responsibilities for the delivery of the training activities.

64.

The following courses were delivered in consultation with ACTRAV at the ILO Turin Centre and in the field:

AFRICA: 8 programmes

ASIA: 2 programmes

65.

The major objective of the Programme should continue to be, primarily, to influence the overall policy of the Centre in bi-tripartite training activities. Secondly, there is a need to extend the role of ACTRAV in the process of curriculum design and provision of expertise from the labour movement. The preparation of bi-tripartite curricula with the assistance of ACTEMP, Social Dialogue and the concerned technical programme can be highly beneficial for developing new training approaches and strengthening tripartite structures. In order to complete the above report on workers’ participation, the following table presents the number of workers that took part in this type of training activities at the Centre.

BI-TRIPARTITE PROGRAMMES 2000: WORKERS’ PARTICIPATION

66.

As presented in the table below, comparing ‘97 – ‘98 – ‘99 and 2000, there is an urgent need to start with the 3^rd Development Plan/ 2^nd Investment Fund a new training policy in the ILO Turin Centre. In addition greater co-operation between the Programme for Workers' Activities, ACTEMP, Social Dialogue and Regional/Technical Programmes would increase the quality and the relevance of training for ILO Constituents.

REGION

1997

1997

1998

1998

1999

1999

2000

2000

Africa

98

34

39

15

54

18

162

43

Latin America

50

15

60

10

53

11

182

31

Asia

0

0

0

0

15

2

64

11

Europe

73

25

0

0

14

2

63

19

Arab States

0

0

14

5

0

0

29

2

Interregional

32

12

60

4

72

8

214

18

TOTAL

253

86

173

34

208

41

714

124

67.

A more systematic insertion of workers in the general training courses of the ILO Turin Centre would contribute to enhance the quality of training services provided to our Constituents as well as the coherence of the training effort of the Centre in relation with the world of labour. Among other social and economic partners invited to attend training programmes, a greater involvement of participants representing workers’ and employers’ organizations, will also contribute to develop a dialogue with other important sectors representing society.

68.

In order to foster workers’ and employers’ participation in Turin Centre courses, the Centre introduced in the past a new database to monitor the participation of full and part-time trade union officers in the general courses organized at the Campus not part of the Programme for Workers’ Activities or falling within the category of bi-tripartite courses. As already reported this system is currently under review and the management should ensure that it will guarantee the effective collection of data, based on the tripartite nature of the Organization, as well as on the gender dimension.

69.

In 2000, 86 trade union officers participated in other general courses offered by the Centre. Please find below the regional table of workers’ participation in 2000:

70.

Workers’ participation in general courses at the Centre

71.

WORKERS’ PARTICIPATION IN THE UN STAFF COLLEGE PROJECT (*) in 1998, 1999 and 2000

(*) In 1998 the UN Staff College Project had in 927 participants attending training programmes/workshops: 770 at the Centre and 157 in the field.

In 1999 the UN Staff College Project had 1,076 participants attending training programmes/workshops at the Turin Centre and in the field.

In 2000 the UN Staff College Project had 2000 participants attending training programmes/workshops at the Turin Centre and in the field.

72.

The table below summarises the overall workers’ participation in the Programme for Workers’ Activities, bi-tripartite courses and general programmes offered by the Centre.

Programme for Workers’ Activities

Bi-tripartite programmes

Other general programmes plus Staff College

Partic.

Part/
days

REGION

Particip.

Part/
days

Particip.

Part/
days

Particip.

Part/
days

Total

Total

Africa

154

2463

43

1

12

198

2718

Latin America

107

1608

31

54

152

192

2127

Asia & the Pacific

96

1230

11

21

108

128

1375

Europe

16

192

19

2

24

37

325

Arab States

17

561

2

2

31

21

609

Interregional

43

547

18

6

72

67

840

UN System

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

Total

433

6601

124

86

399

643

7994

WORKERS’ PARTICIPATION
(PARTICIPANT’S DAYS)

*Participant’s days for distance education are calculated with a criteria of 1.5days per week.

73.

A comparative table between ‘97, ‘98, ‘99 and 2000 indicate that, despite the fact that several discussions took place within the Board of the Turin Centre, there has been only little changes in the policy with regard to this strategic area. An increase of the special fund created in 1999 to finance the participation of workers’ and employers’ representatives should be envisaged in order to pursue the 2000 positive trend. Therefore, concrete efforts should be made by the Centre’s management in order to increase its coherence and integration with the delivery of training services related to the four ILO strategic objectives. In addition, it seems undisputable that ILO constituents should be the privileged target group involved in these training services.

97

98

99

2000

97

98

99

2000

97

98

99

2000

97

98

99

2000

A1

85

81

111

154

34

15

18

43

6

14

6

1

125

110

135

198

A2

56

61

76

107

15

10

11

31

1

4

4

54

72

75

91

192

A3

28

99

72

96

0

0

2

11

0

0

2

21

28

99

76

128

A4

20

0

51

16

25

0

2

19

5

48

48

2

50

48

101

37

A5

25

40

13

17

0

5

0

2

1

2

2

2

6

47

15

21

A9

39

12

119

43

12

4

8

18

12

7

6

6

63

23

133

67

A8

-

-

-

-

0

0

2

7

0

2

7

-

Tot.

253

293

442

433

86

34

41

124

27

82

68

86

366

409

551

643

Year

Group training at ILO Turin Centre

Field training activity, distance education and fellowships /

Total

% Workers’ participation

1996:

3163

1266

4429

1997:

3440

2515

5955

1998:

3339

2943

6282

1999:

3831

3696

7527

2000

3562

4098

7660

74.

The Turin Centre Workers’ Education Programme delivered five different technical programmes at the Centre. Training covered a great number of new courses in different technical fields with the following geographical dispersion: two programmes for Francophone Africa, two programmes for Anglophone Africa and one programme for Lusophone Africa; one follow-up and evaluation seminar was delivered in the field.

75.

A1-2059 "Trade union training on Information Technology", Anglophone Africa, 4 weeks, 12 participants, was designed to assist workers’ organizations in strengthening their capacity of making use of information technology within the trade union movement.

76.

Upon completion of the course, participants were able to:

1. identify major problems within trade union operations (administration, communication and provision of services) which might be dealt with the introduction of information technologies;
2. master basic computer operations as a prerequisite to the understanding of information technology;
3. describe major applications of information technology and their strategic implications for national and international trade union work;
4. establish long-term objectives designed to meet identified priorities in information technology at regional/international level;
5. know the main provisions of international labour standards related to trade union rights;
6. develop/adapt training materials on information technology for local level implementation of workers’ education programmes;
7. design development plans on information technology to be applied in their respective national centres.

77.

A1-2067 "Economic and financial analysis of enterprises for collective bargaining", Lusophone Africa, 15 participants, 5 weeks, was designed to conduct and prepare collective agreements at enterprise/sectoral level.

78.

Upon completion of the course, participants were able to:

1. develop a comparative analysis between countries in the region on collective bargaining and economic and financial analysis of enterprises;
2. know major international labour Conventions and Recommendations concerning collective bargaining and the Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work and its Follow-up;
3. analyse economic and financial information of enterprises;
4. use effectively economic and financial analysis of enterprises in the process of collective bargaining at national/enterprise level;
5. analyse the role of workers' representatives in the decision-making processes at national/enterprise level (study visits and discussions with European trade unions);
6. develop an individual project designed to improve workers' capability to analyse the economic and financial position of enterprises upon their return home.

79.

A1-2060 "Trade union training on International Labour Standards", Francophone Africa, 13 participants, 4 weeks. The course was designed to assist workers’ organizations in the area of international labour standards and human rights. Its long-term objective was to support a specialized trade union structure entrusted, in this specific field, with the addressing of juridical questions at the national and international level. The several components of the course were designed to promote and reinforce these standards. The participants were encouraged throughout the course to discuss and analyse them so as to provide an answer to new needs with regards to training in this field.

80.

Upon completion of the course, participants were able to:

1. identify main difficulties faced by trade unions in the area of international labour standards and workers’ rights and conducting a comparative analysis between countries in the region;
2. explain to their members the process of elaboration, the purpose and the contents of standards in a trade union perspective;
3. analyse the procedure governing the adoption, implementation and supervision of standards, including the special procedures concerning freedom of association;
4. have a detailed knowledge of the contents of major international labour standards;
5. have a wider knowledge of European trade unions and international trade union organizations (study visit);
6. use active learning methods in trade union training and produce teaching materials on ILS;
7. produce training materials and individual plans of action for the implementation of a project at national/local level in the area of international labour standards.

81.

A1-2065 "International economics and political economy for trade unions", Francophone Africa, 16 participants, 4 weeks. The course was designed to assist workers’ organizations in the field of training on international economics and political economy, and in particular to promote and support the involvement of trade unions in national economic policies.

82.

Upon completion of the course, participants were able to:

1. identify main difficulties faced by trade unions in the matter of international economics and political economy and conducting a comparative analysis between countries in the region;
2. be familiar with economic/macro-economic concepts for conducting negotiations at national level;
3. be able to analyse structural adjustment policies (SAP), labour market policies with a workers’ perspective;
4. identify major consequences affecting the world of labour due to the process of globalization, the development of new production models, the creation of EPZ’s, the development of financial markets and the growing concentration of capital with multinational enterprises (MNE’s);
5. identify the structure of enterprise/sectoral/national collective agreements and in particular the development of social pacts;
6. know major international labour standards and in particular basic workers' rights related to the ILO Declaration;
7. master basic skills on information technologies (IT) (PowerPoint presentation, Internet) for retrieving information on multinational enterprises;
8. produce training material and individual plans of action for the implementation of a project at national/local level.

83.

A1-2066 "Trade union training on Social Security", Anglophone Africa, 16 participants, 5 weeks, examined major management responsibilities for policy, organizational, personnel and financial development of social security systems and how trade unions should be involved in these processes.

84.

Upon completion of the course, participants were able to:

1. develop a comparative analysis between countries in the region on social security systems;
2. improve their capacities of overall management, including planning, organizing, staffing and controlling within social security systems;
3. develop policy priorities in relation to social security within trade unions;
4. know major international Conventions and Recommendations concerning trade union rights and social security;
5. analyse social security systems in European countries (study visits and discussions with European trade unions);
6. develop an individual project designed to improve the role of trade unions and their management skills with regard to social security systems.

85.

A1-5107 "National follow-up seminar for GTUC", Accra, Ghana, English, 18 participants, 1 week.

86.

The objective of the seminar was to:

1. assess the contribution which ACTRAV and the Turin Centre programme made to the development of participants' training skills in the different fields;

2. examine the development of work-plans designed by the participants at Turin Centre as well as presenting how ILO training material has been adapted in the trade union;

3. assess the continuing training needs and priorities of participants;

4. discuss and introduce the issue of globalization;
5. introduce the Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work and its Follow-up.

87.

A1-5186 "Course on OSH for IUF", Bamako, Mali, French, 28 participants, 1 week.

88.

This course aimed to assist and to develop the role of rural workers’ organizations affiliated to IUF in the following areas:

1. strengthening trade unions representing food and agricultural workers in the sub region in the area of workers’protection and workers’rights.
2. developing the capacity of networking and coordination within the sub-region and particularly with regards to the development of joint strategies to secure a safe and sustainable food production.

89.

A1-5184 " Trade union training on ILS and the Declaration", Kigali, Rwanda, French, 36 participants, 1 week.

90.

Upon completion of the course, participants were able to:

1. explain to their members the process of elaboration, the purpose and the contents of standards in a trade union perspective;
2. analyse the procedure governing the adoption, implementation and supervision of standards, including the special procedures concerning freedom of association;
3. have a detailed knowledge of the contents of major international labour standards and of the Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work and its Follow-up.

91.

In 2000, four training activities were carried out for this Region to support trade unions to deal with privatization, occupational safety and health and the environment (OSH/E), and international labour standards. Two follow-up and evaluation seminars were delivered in the field.

92.

A2-2360 "Training course on ILS", 2 weeks, 15 participants, Portuguese. It was designed to assist workers’ organizations in the area of international labour standards and human rights. The several components of the course were designed to promote and reinforce these standards. The participants were encouraged throughout the course to discuss and analyse them so as to provide an answer to new needs with regards to training in this field.

93.

Upon completion of the course, participants were able to:

1. identify main difficulties faced by trade unions in the area of international labour standards and workers’ rights and conducting a comparative analysis between countries in the region;
2. explain to their members the process of elaboration, the purpose and the contents of standards in a trade union perspective;
3. analyse the procedure governing the adoption, implementation and supervision of standards, including the special procedures concerning freedom of association;
4. have a detailed knowledge of the contents of major international labour standards and of the Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work and its Follow-up;
5. have a wider knowledge of European trade unions and international trade union organizations (study visit);
6. use active learning methods in trade union training and produce teaching material on ILS.

94.

A2-2068 "Trade union training on OSH/E", Spanish, 15 participants, 5 weeks, aimed to assist workers’ organizations in strengthening their training capacity in the area of OSH and the environment and consolidate the role of OSH/E departments within the national centre and the different branches of the organization.

95.

Upon completion of the course, participants were able to:

1. identify the major OSH and the environment problems which workers face;
2. know major international labour Conventions and Recommendations concerning OSH;
3. identify the key elements of a workers’ education programme in OSH and the environment within training systems of workers’ organizations;
4. list the range of supporting materials and resources available for OSH and the environment programmes;
5. identify safety and health hazards and possible measures to deal with them;
6. develop a specific methodology for the identification of risks and hazards;
7. analyse the role of trade unions in the promotion of OSH in European countries (study visits and discussions with European trade unions).

96.

A2-2061 "Trade union training on Economics and Privatization", 4 weeks, 15 participants, Spanish.

97.

Upon completion of the course, participants were able to:

1. identify main difficulties faced by trade unions in the matter of international economics and privatization, conducting a comparative analysis between countries in the region;
2. be familiar with economic/macro-economic concepts for conducting negotiations at national level;
3. analyse structural adjustment policies (SAP) in relation with privatization and labour market policies with a workers’ perspective;
4. identify major consequences of the process of globalization on privatization processes, the development of new production models, the creation of EPZ’s, the development of financial markets and the growing concentration of capital with multinational enterprises (MNE’s);
5. identify the structure of enterprise/sectorial/national collective agreements and in particular the development of Social Pacts;
6. have a wider knowledge of European trade unions and international trade union organizations (study visit).

98.

A2-2064 " Sectorial Workers’ Education Programme for UNI", 3 weeks, 15 participants, Spanish.

99.

Upon completion of the course, participants were able to:

1. develop a comparative analysis on collective bargaining and flexibility of labour relations,
2. identify the economic and political networks that workers’ organizations face in the process of globalization;
3. promote the system of ILS and include the participation of workers’ organizations as part of the trade union strategy to reinforce the application of the Fundamental Rights including the Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work and its Follow-up.
4. identify fundamental rights at work;
5. identify new competences necessary to improve the management and the specific functions of workers’ organizations, in particular, the processes of collective bargaining at the enterprise/sectoral/national/international level;
6. make a comparative analysis of the different unionist strategies between the countries of the Region and the European countries in the area of collective bargaining;
7. identify the services offered by the regional structures of the ILO to workers’ organizations;
8. elaborate and action plan for the affiliates of UNI-Americas;
9. identify the importance of new information technologies for the work of trade unions.

100.

A2-5131 "Regional follow-up on Economic Policy and International Economy for Trade Unions", San José, Costa Rica, 1 week, 10 participants, Spanish.

101.

The objective of the seminar was to:

1. assess the contribution which the Turin Centre programme made to the development of participants’ training skills in the field of economic policy and international economy applied to trade unions;
2. review the development of work-plans designed by the participants of the Turin Centre;
3. review and further develop the training materials used for the programme;
4. assess the continuing training needs of participants' organizations in the field of economic policy and international economy;
5. develop long-term training objectives designed to meet identified priorities in economic policy and international economy applications within the trade unions;
6. introduce methodologies and specific training material in the area of economic policy and international economy.

102.

A2-5132 "National Follow-up Activity", San José, 22 participants, Spanish, 4 days.

103.

The objective of the seminar was to:

1. assess the contribution which ACTRAV and the Turin Centre programme made to the development of participants' training skills in the different fields;
2. examine the development of work-plans designed by the participants at the Turin Centre as well as presenting how ILO training material has been adapted in the trade union;
3. assess the continuing training needs and priorities of participants;
4. discuss and introduce the issue of globalization;
5. introduce the Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work and its Follow-up.

104.

A2-5275 "Trade union training on OSH", Spanish, 15 participants, 10 weeks. The course examined major occupational safety and health issues/responsibilities of the trade unions. It is a 3-phase project: a) distance education b) local residential training c) local residential follow-up seminar. Here we refer to phase a) distance education.

105.

The programme for Asia delivered three different technical programmes plus three follow-up seminars delivered in the field. The courses covered different technical fields to support trade unions to deal with social protection, labour relations, and sectorial unions’ needs.

106.

A3-2062 " Trade union training on Social Protection", 4 weeks, 14 participants, English. The course examined major management responsibilities for policy, organizational, personnel and financial development of social protection systems and how trade unions should be involved in these processes.

107.

Upon completion of the course, participants were able to:

1. develop a comparative analysis between countries in the region on social protection systems;
2. improve their capacities of overall management, including planning, organizing, staffing and controlling within social protection systems;
3. develop policy priorities in relation to social protection within trade unions;
4. know major international Conventions and Recommendations concerning trade union rights and social protection;
5. analyse social protection systems in European countries (study visits and discussions with European trade unions);
6. develop an individual project designed to improve the role of trade unions and their management skills with regard to social protection systems.

108.

A3-2069 "Trade union training on Labour Relations", English, 5 weeks, 17 participants, was designed to assist workers’ organizations in the field of training on labour relations.

109.

Upon completion of the course, participants were able to:

1. improve/strengthen their participation in negotiations at the national level;
2. define major elements of a labour relation system;
3. develop a comparative analysis between countries in the region on labour relations;
4. know major international labour Conventions and Recommendations concerning trade union rights;
5. analyse labour relation systems in European countries (study visits and discussions with European trade unions).

110.

A3-2402 "Trade union training for instructors on residential/distance education for KCTU", English, 10 participants, 2 weeks, was designed to assist trade union organizations in the field of training methodologies for residential and distance education courses.

111.

Upon completion of the course, participants were able to:

1. introduce the issue of globalization and workers’ rights in the educational courses of KCTU;
2. identify the major components of a trade union training system and analyse the different components of the Programme for Workers’ Activities of the ILO Turin Centre;
3. identify the uses of computer communications by labour organizations for education;
4. identify the labour-oriented subject areas which could be taught using the Internet;
5. understand the use of computer communication technologies which relate to Internet-based educational courses, including multimedia technologies;
6. use features of the World Wide Web for background support of Internet-based education;
7. design, deliver and evaluate an Internet-based educational curriculum;
8. analyse the training system of major European trade union centres;
9. discuss and analyse the training system of the European Trade Union Congress (ETUC) and the training system of OGB (Austria);
10. complete the development/design of the educational system of KCTU.

112.

A3-5106 "National follow-up seminar with MTUC", Kuala Lumpur, 12 participants, 3 days, English.

113.

The objective of the seminar was to:

1. assess the contribution which ACTRAV and the Turin Centre programme made to the development of participants' training skills in the different fields;
2. examine the development of work-plans designed by the participants at Turin Centre as well as presenting how ILO training material has been adapted in the trade union;
3. assess the continuing training needs and priorities of participants;
4. discuss and introduce the issue of globalization;
5. introduce the Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work and its Follow-up.

114.

A3-5105 "National follow-up course for PSI affiliates in Malaysia", Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 13 participants, English, 3 days.

115.

The objective of the course was to:

1. analyse the new skills for promoting campaigns on workers’ rights in Malaysia;
2. analyse the use of new management skills for improving specific trade union functions;
3. promote the development of strategic management skills for PSI affiliates in Malaysia;
4. examine the development of the work plans for the implementation of training activities/workshops on strategic management;
5. compare major issues and strategies of PSI affiliates within the regions and also with affiliates from industrialized countries;
6. assess the use of services provided by the regional structure of the ILO.

116.

A3-5137 "Regional Follow-up on Information Technologies for Trade Unions", Jakarta, Indonesia, 1 week, 10 participants, English.

117.

The objective of the seminar was to:

1. assess the contribution which the Turin Centre programme made to the development of participants' training skills in the field of Information Technologies (IT) applied to trade unions;
2. review the development of work-plans designed by the participants of the Turin Centre;
3. review and further develop the training materials used for the programme;
4. assess the continuing training needs of participants' organizations in the field of IT;
5. develop long-term training objectives designed to meet identified priorities in IT implementation and applications within the trade unions;
6. introduce methodologies and specific training material in the area of distance learning.

118.

A3-5185 "Distance Education for ACFTU", Beijing, China, 20 participants, English, 3 days.

119.

This workshop was designed to introduce participants to the basics of online teaching and course design.

120.

In 2000, the following activity was carried out for this Region, to support trade unions to deal with collective bargaining.

121.

A5-2070 "Trade union training for collective bargaining", Arabic, 17 participants, 5 weeks. The course was designed to examine the importance of accountability and responsibility in trade union organizations and the capacity to conduct and prepare collective agreements at enterprise/national level.

122.

Upon completion of the course, participants were able to:

1. appreciate the importance of accountability and responsibility in trade union organizations;
2. effectively operate in a representative capacity for their trade unions;
3. develop a collective bargaining agenda to meet the needs of their trade unions;
4. apply the technical skills required in negotiating and bargaining;
5. design and deliver a trade union training programme in collective bargaining;
6. have an overview of the negotiating and bargaining agenda of trade unions in Europe;
7. have a clear understanding of the relevant international labour standards which relate to collective bargaining.

123.

There were two activities carried out for this Region, dealing with information technology and international labour standards with particular focus on the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work and its Follow-up.

124.

A4-2404 "Trade union training on Information Technology", English, 2 weeks, 8 participants. The course was designed to assist workers’ organizations in strengthening their capacity of utilizing information technology within the trade union movement.

125.

Upon completion of the course, participants were able to:

1. identify major problems within trade union operations (administration, communication and provision of services) which might be dealt with the introduction of information technologies;
2. master basic computer operation as a prerequisite to the understanding of information technology;
3. describe major applications of information technology and their strategic implications for national and international trade union work;
4. establish long-term objectives designed to meet identified priorities in information technology at regional/international level;
5. know the main provisions of international labour standards related to trade union rights;
6. develop/adapt training materials on information technology for local level implementation of workers’ education programmes;
7. design development plans on information technology to be applied in their respective national centres.

126.

A4-2376 "Seminar on ILS and the Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work and its Follow-up", English, 2-week duration, 8 participants.

127.

Upon completion of the course, participants were able to:

1. identify main difficulties faced by trade unions in the matter of international labour standards and conducting a comparative analysis between countries in the region;
2. know the process of elaboration, the purpose and the contents of standards and a trade union perspective;
3. know the contents and implementation system of the Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work and its Follow-up ;
4. use active learning methods in trade union training and produce teaching supports and training guides, with the use of our trade union package on International labour Standards;
5. have a wider knowledge of European trade unions and international trade union organizations (study visit).

128.

A9-2063 "Sectorial workers’ education programme for PSI", 12 participants, 4 weeks, English, was designed to assist and to develop the role of PSI affiliates.

1. Upon completion of the course, participants were able to:
2. develop a comparative analysis on key trade union issues and their respective workers’ organizations;
3. create awareness of key issues and challenges related to globalization;
4. assess the value of international labour standards and understand the fight for trade union rights through various initiatives associated with the enforcement of standards and respect of the ILO’s Declaration on Fundamental Workers’ Rights and its Follow up;
5. use new skills for promoting campaigns on workers’ rights;
6. use and introduce new management skills for improving specific trade union functions;
7. develop strategic management skills for PSI affiliates;
8. promote cross frontier organising;
9. develop a work plan for the implementation of training activities/workshops on strategic management;
10. compare major issues and strategies of PSI affiliates within the regions and also with affiliates from industrialized countries;
11. better use services provided by the regional structure of the ILO;
12. recognise the importance of the use of information technologies in trade union work.

129.

A9-2339 "Combating Child Labour: seminar for the coordinators of the Global March", English, 2 weeks, 9 participants.

130.

Upon completion of the course, participants were able to:

1. discuss and analyse the process of globalization;
2. identify the nature and extent of the problem of child labour in relation to the process of globalization;
3. describe the contents of international law provisions dealing with economic exploitation of children and minimum age for employment and in particular the ILO machinery on ILS;
4. analyse some specific aspects of the child labour problematic, such as the identification of the most detrimental forms of child labour and hazardous sectors, national legislation enforcement, improvement of national legislation, etc.;
5. discuss policies to combat child labour and identify the kind of actions trade unions/NGOs should develop and plan together at national/international level;
6. design and discuss plans of action at national/sector/local level.

131.

A9-2293 "Distance Learning Evaluation", English, 5 participants, 2 days.

132.

During this workshop, participants were able to comment on and learn from the experience of the pilot distance education on the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work and its Follow-up held in February 2000.

Training material for workers’ education on CD ROM was presented and proposals for the future were discussed, underlining the need for the development of IT at regional/sub-regional level.

133.

A9-5276 "Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work and its Follow-up", English, 4 weeks, 17 participants.

134.

The objective of the course was to:

1. identify main difficulties faced by trade unions in the matter of international labour standards with special concern on the mechanism of the Follow-up to the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work;
2. be able to use information technologies to improve the international labour standards modalities of consultation, documentation, promotion, ratification, and follow-up.

135.

Workers’ activities in 2001 continue to address training priorities established by the 2000 Trade Union Training Committee through continuous reference to the Workers’ Group of the Governing Body via the Bureau of Workers’ Activities (ACTRAV).

136.

The Programme for Workers’ Activities for 2001 includes 22 programmes, some of which have been delivered in previous years whereas others are completely new. In line with the strategic budgeting of the ILO and the indications contained in the programme and budget proposals for 2000-2001, the Programme concentrate its efforts in the following strategic areas:

• ILS and the Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work and its Follow up (and in particular on freedom of association and collective bargaining)
• Employment policies
• Social protection
• Social dialogue
• Gender and women workers’ rights
• Training methodologies for face to face/distance education and application of information technologies to trade unions
• Sectoral programmes for ITSs.

137.

The above seven strategic areas are associated with thirteen training curricula, around which the Programme will continue to build training packages available on paper/CD-ROM/Internet for face-to-face training and distance education in English, French and Spanish.

138.

The Programme will continue to deliver these courses with a rotation between Regions. Emphasis will continue to be put on the development of specific training inputs (reference material plus lectures) being included in all courses in areas such as:

• International labour standards and the Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work and its Follow-up, with a special focus on freedom of association and collective bargaining
• Gender and women workers’ rights
• Globalization and its impact on workers’ organizations; development of framework agreements
• The informal sector and organizing
• Trade union policies/campaigns on HIV
• Basic environment policies
• Basic information technologies for trade unions and communication skills.

139.

This cutting-across process will contribute to high quality in course delivery and provide a clear indication of labour’s major challenges. The list of programmes for 2001 is shown in Annex C.

140.

The Programme also continues to deliver training activities on information technology in order to facilitate the introduction of new technologies and the creation of networks and databases within and between trade unions. This type of training activity also contributes to strengthening international solidarity and sharing of information/workers’ practices between trade unions. In these training courses participants are trained on specific technical matters (use of software, Internet, etc.), application of information technologies to various trade union functions and planning skills in order to elaborate and present a development plan on information technologies to their respective organizations. This new dimension of training for our constituents will further strengthen the Programme’s contribution to the Centre since, in the mid-term, the Programme could become the focal point for workers’ distance education.

141.

To respond to the training needs of sectoral trade union organizations facing radical changes imposed by economic globalization and world-wide deregulation, the Programme for Workers’ Activities will continue to organize courses aimed at target groups from specific economic sectors and will include the participation of trade unionists from industrialized countries. Following the first sectoral programme for International Trade Secretariats (ITSs), organized in 1996, training courses have been organized for all major ITSs. After this first cycle of training a new curricula will be developed on major labour issues for the regional staff of the ITSs operating in the Asian and Pacific region and in Latin America.

142.

Emphasis will continue to be placed on the production of new training material on globalisation, information technologies for trade unions, international labour standards and the Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work and its Follow-up, labour relations and collective bargaining. This will be done in consultation with ACTRAV in order to ensure the maintenance of high-quality course delivery.

143.

Study visits to major national trade union centres will continue to be part of training courses as in previous years while other trade unions will start to work with the Programme (AFL-CIO, CLC and CFDT) in order to strengthen the comparative approach between workers’ organizations.

144.

In the year 2001 the Programme for Workers' Activities is continuing to attract financial support from a number of sources. Six programmes are funded by ILO/ACTRAV/TC. The Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (DGCS), which in 1994 started its support to the Programme for Workers' Activities, is co-financing six courses with the regional credits of the ILO. The Programme is expected to slightly increase the amount of resources that would be allocated from the Italian package for 2001. Support is also forthcoming from other sponsors to sustain in full or in part other courses and follow-up and evaluation seminars. Annex C provides the list of courses for 2001 with relevant information regarding financial aspects.

145.

Course activity files and training material on workers’ education will continue to be systematically sent to senior specialists in workers’ activities and regional specialists on workers’ education in the regions.

146.

Course programmes will continue to be developed and delivered in close collaboration and conformity with the orientations of the Trade Union Training Committee and the global programme objectives and activities of ILO/ACTRAV.

147.

In the year 2001 the major strategic development is the following:

148.

The Programme began in 2000 an Occupational Safety and Health distance education course which has been conducted until April 2001. This course has involved 15 participants from 4 Latin American countries; it was based on residential training/online education and field work.

149.

The major steps of the project were the following:

• Before the computer communications course was initiated, the tutor organized seminars in the countries to train the participants in how to use the computer conferencing system.
• A two-month computer conference was then conducted to discuss the major topics of the subject. During this conference the participants were given the skills they needed to analyse the health and safety conditions of a workplace as well as study appropriate ILO policies. As a background resource to the course they used the CD-ROM on Occupational Safety and Health produced by the Programme in 2000.
• After the computer conference the participants began to conduct field activities such as workshops and seminars where the training package was introduced and adapted for local training.
• After the implementation of training at the local level, participants returned to the computer conference to discuss their experiences in the field and design the final evaluation form.
• A workshop was held in Montevideo to evaluate the experience and draw conclusions on how to mix online education with residential training and field activities.

150.

The Programme has also completed the preparation of a web-based training package on the Declaration of Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work and its Follow up. This is the Programme’s first training material conceived and designed especially for online education. This version was developed after the evaluation of the first training course on the Declaration in 2000.

151.

The new integrated ACTRAV web-site was finalized and the web-page on Labour Education will start to host educational material/activities from the Regions. The web-based library for Labour Education was also launched and it will contain all training material produced by ACTRAV and major labour unions.

152.

In the 1990s the Turin Centre Workers' Activities Programme has developed a wide range of training courses and has undergone a continuous process of differentiation in terms of topics and target groups.

153.

In line with the strategic areas already defined last year by the Committee, the Programme will continue to deliver these courses with a rotation between Regions. In the course dispersion table 2000-2002, Annex A, the above seven strategic areas are associated with thirteen training curricula, around which the Programme will continue to build training packages available on paper/CD-ROM/Internet for face-to-face training and distance education in English, French and Spanish.

154.

Courses sponsored by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (DGCS) are also included in the Programme for 2002.

155.

A series of proposals for 2002 are submitted to the consideration of the Committee (Annex D).

156.

In the year 2002 the major strategic development should be the following:

• The training material on the Declaration of Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work and its Follow up will be used for the delivery of a month-long course via computer communications.
• The first version of the Course Reader program will be tested and introduced within ACTRAV and selected labour unions in all the regions.
• A training package on information technology for trade unions and on collective bargaining will be finalized and published.

157.

Workers' education and training activities in 2003 will continue to address the development priorities and training needs of trade union organizations in developing member countries of the ILO.

158.

The development of the Programme will depend on the strategic training policies indicated by the Workers’ Group. These deliberations will accompany the evolution of the Programme and ACTRAV will monitor the coherence of the global delivery of training/advisory services provided to trade unions. The Committee could begin to discuss proposals for further improvements of the Programme in order to facilitate the planning and the strategic evolution of training activities.

159.

For the year 2003, a series of proposals are presented to the Committee in Annex E.

160.

The long term/specific objectives of the programme were stated in par. 4. In order to enhance implementation of these objectives, the major trends of the programme should focus on:

1. consolidating the Programme with a steady number of residential/online training activities falling within the ILO strategic objectives;
2. continue to develop a specific workers’ approach/vision in terms of methodologies and course content;
3. put systematically emphasis on gender issues and develop a gender perspective in all training courses;
4. contribute to the development of a specialized global network of labour educators within ACTRAV;
5. further integrating the Programme with the regional activities of ACTRAV with the support of information technologies and the development of a specialized ACTRAV’s library/resource centre on labour education;
6. starting new training services based on distance education and organizing residential training with components of distance education for the preparatory/post course phases of training activities;
7. increasing contacts with international and trade union organizations from industrialized countries (study visits, external collaborators, observers in training activities etc.) aimed at developing discussions and exchanges of different trade union practices; promote their involvement in online global courses organized by the Programme;
8. contribute to the development and dissemination of the Course Reader to strengthen global trade union networks;
9. developing trade union training material on paper / CD-ROM and on the ACTRAV web-site in the main technical areas of the Programme;
10. strengthening of the Programme through sector-oriented activities;
11. developing follow-up activities in close collaboration with the ACTRAV specialists within MDTs. In order to strengthen this process, specific follow-up activities at country level of former Turin Centre’s participants should be developed in the future in close consultation with ACTRAV’s specialists in MDTs and in Regions (regional workers’ education specialists). This would enhance trade union policies in the area of staff resource development;
12. playing an important role in ACTRAV’s staff training with the delivery of a permanent/well planned programme.

161.

During 2000 the Programme continued to build on its pilot-project experiences in using computer education for distance education. From these pilot projects, which were conducted in 1997, 1998 and 1999 the Programme determined that distance education via computer communications can be extremely valuable in:

• reaching more unionists

• providing pre-course training

• ensuring post-course support

• and conducting some educational activities completely via the Internet.

162.

The Programme will increase the number of courses it provides via computer communications in order to provide pre-course orientations before Turin Centre courses, help support learning activities after Turin Centre courses and, in some cases, conduct courses completely online (via computer communications).

163.

The major objectives related to the development of computer based distance education are the following:

• Reach many more unionists with labour education than is currently possible at the ILO Turin Centre
• Conduct online courses before and after courses held at the Centre
• Integrate online courses with residential training and field activities
• Develop a comprehensive program of study for unionists
• Build an international community of labour educators and participants in labour education.

164.

Online courses which will be conducted by the Programme will emphasize the curriculum which has been well established by the Programme over the past few years. These include:

• International Labour Standards

• Collective Bargaining

• Health and Safety

• Gender Issues in the Labour Movement

• Information Technology

• Globalization

165.

From its experience in the pilot projects, the Programme has learned that its resource material must be usable in both residential and online courses.

Consequently, it is structuring all its course resource material to include three major levels:

• Material for residential courses
• Material for online courses
• Resource material for a library which can be used in both residential and online activities.

166.

This three-tier structure will be applied to all the CD-ROMS and manuals produced by the Programme training packages will also be made available on the ACTRAV web-site library

167.

A major lesson the Programme learned while conducting its pilot projects and online courses is that there is a need for a computer communications program which takes into account the problems faced in developing countries: unstable electrical supplies; unreliable telephone systems; and expensive Internet services.

168.

Consequently, the Programme has begun the design process for a computer program called the Internet Course Reader. This program will allow users to quickly collect the messages in educational computer conferences and then disconnect from the Internet. Then, while disconnected, they can read the messages and create new messages. When they re-connect to the Internet they can quickly send their newly created messages to the conferencing system and disconnect. In this way they can do hours of work but spend only a few minutes on the Internet.

169.

The Programme has attracted funding for this project. The Turin Centre has supplied $20,000. As well, the TeleLearning Research Network of Canada has supplied $20,000 in monies and $10,000 for in-kind services.

170.

The technical specifications and a prototype of the Course Reader have now been created. This prototype will allow the Programme to more effectively demonstrate the concepts of the Course Reader to potential funding sources. The Course Reader should be released in 2001.

171.

A major activity for the Programme in 2000 was the complete re-design and re-structuring of its web site to be better integrated with the ACTRAV Geneva site and act as a source of ACTRAV educational material.

172.

The new web site was created as a joint project with the personnel responsible for creating the ACTRAV Geneva site. In fact both sites were adapted so that they were seamlessly integrated. In other words: the ACTRAV Turin site is an integral part of the ACTRAV Geneva site. It can be reached by entering via the ILO Geneva site (www.ilo.org) or the Turin Centre site (www.itcilo.it/actrav). This harmonizing of the two sites will further encourage the integration of the ACTRAV unit in Turin with ACTRAV headquarters. It will also serve as a model for how the Centre can be more closely integrated with ILO Geneva.

173.

The new web site has been designed to be easily searched so that visitors can find information on the Programme’s activities. For example, all the Programme’s residential courses are linked to a complete description of the course. When a course is completed the activity files related to the course (such as workplans) are entered into the Web site.

174.

The web site has also been designed to act as a gateway to other ACTRAV sites in the regions. The web page which connects the ACTRAV Turin web site to the ACTRAV Geneva web site includes future links to web sites developed in the regions. While the Programme cannot provided the web space for ACTRAV’s colleagues in the regions, it can act as a gateway to these sites. Also, it can act as resource for helping to develop ACTRAV web sites in the regions by creating templates for web page creation. In the future the Programme will conduct residential/online courses for the staff of ACTRAV in the regions on how to create web sites.

175.

A major activity of the web site will be to create an online ACTRAV library. Resource material on themes linked to the seven strategic areas indicated above (see par. 136) will be put on the library, i.e.:

• ILS and the Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work and its Follow up (and in particular on freedom of association and collective bargaining);

• Employment policies

• Social protection

• Social dialogue

• Gender and women workers’ rights

• Training methodologies for face to face/distance education and application of information technologies to trade unions

• Specifically designed ITSs training material.

176.

This resource material will be accessible by labour educators as well as by the staff of ACTRAV.

177.

Computer communications in the form of web sites and distance education provide great opportunities for the Programme to extend its educational activities to more unionists in countries throughout the world. The Programme will continue to concentrate on its core residential courses as well as augment these courses by using computer communications in creative and effective ways.