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Seminar in Pogradec
on joint actions to prevent and eliminate child labour

Following to the activities of ILO-IPEC/TUFESA-ITUAE MP, an important seminar was organised in Pogradec, with financial support of ILO-IPEC, on joint actions to prevent and eliminate child labour, with wide participation of local trade union leaders, from education, textile and handicrafts, light industry, construction, commerce, agricultural, health care, from both Confederations, KSSH and BSPSH, as well as local representatives from State Labour Inspectorate, employment offices and employers organisations also from Elbasani and Korca.

Mrs. Shkelqesa Manaj, Head of Child Labour Unit, in the Ministry of Labour Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities, made a wide presentation on International standards and national legislation on child labour prevention and elimination. She spoke widely about the concept of child labour, as well as about ILO Conventions 138 and 182, also referring to the ILO-IPEC activities, especially regarding the implementation of the program “Child Labour Monitoring System in Albania”, mentioning also the important role of trade unions in Multi-Disciplinary Teams, acting in the selected districts.

 

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The General Secretary of TUFESA, Mr. Stavri Liko, spoke, on behalf of both education trade unions, about their engagement and results in child labour prevention and elimination, mentioning also the involvement of other branch trade unions and other stakeholders in these activities.
He mentioned that more than 1 600 teachers, out of whom 570 in 20 pilot schools, have been and are engaged in concrete individual work with more than 2 400 pupils, out of whom 1 250 in 20  pilot schools.
Around 650 pupils is estimated to be moved from working and turned back in school or to be out of risk to drop out from school, only in 6 districts where TUFESA and ITUAE have been focused, (Kamza area in Tirana, Fieri, Elbasani, Korca, Durresi, Shkodra), as a result of concrete work that teachers, pupils, school administrations have done in the schools, in the community and with parents and relatives in pupils’ families.

Talking about the engagement of other branch trade unions hi mentioned trainings and conferences organised to this aim, as well as the engagement of both trade union national centers, KSSH and BSPSH, the contribution of the international and European trade union centers and the role of Joint Agreement.

Questions, clarifications, wide discussions and debates were made in the seminar, especially regarding the work done, results achieved and the need for better collaboration among all the stakeholders involved in child labour prevention and elimination.

The chairman of TUFESA Section for Pogradeci district, Istref Haxhillari, appreciated the work done by both education trade unions and pointed out the need of finding out a solution for the children of some remote areas of Pogradeci, who are at risk to remain without education, and to address to working, since their school age. He proposed as a final solution the collaboration with Educational directorate, opening a special school in Pogradeci town, with dormitories and other conditions for these children to be educated normally.

In the same line, the chairman of KSSH trade union council for Korca district, Nebi Sulejmani, was focused on the indispensability of effective engagement to the elimination of child labour in rural areas, where many children work regularly, even in agricultural dangers work.

The chairperson of BSPSH trade union council for Korca district, Natasha Lubonja, asked for better engagement of other branch trade unions, pointing out the role of the state labour inspectorate and the need for better coordination of joint actions among all local stakeholders, through changing information and organisation of joint actions and activities.
The chairman of TUFESA Section for Korca district, Hektor Fejzulla, mentioned the effective work of both education trade unions, especially in close collaboration with the Association, Help for Children, which supported by ILO-IPEC, also asking for better collaboration with local government authorities, especially regarding the families in need.

The representative of the employers from Pogradeci, Nikolla Tuka, pointed out the negative role of the informal economy and asked for joint actions to identify and denounce concrete cases of this phenomenon in the respective companies,

A draft Action Plan was discussed and approved in the seminar, especially regarding the Joint Agreement implementation, followed by a working group, established with participation of local representatives from Agreement signatories.

 

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