Massive activities on the occasion of 12 June,
World Day Against Child Labour

Extended meeting of National Steering Committee

In Tirana, on the 12th of June, was organised an important activity on the occasion of WDACL, launched by ILO in 2002. Both Albanian education trade unions, members of EI, FSASH and SPASH, in collaboration with ILO-IPEC in Tirana, organised a high level meeting of the National Steering Committee on Elimination of Child Labour, under the theme: "Education is the Right Response to Child Labour", with participation of members representatives from the presidencies of FSASH and SPASH, teachers involved in concrete activities with individual pupils, parents and pupils, especially from the districts where the concrete work is focused as Tirana, Elbasani, Fieri, Durresi, Korca and so on. The Minister of Labour, Kosta Barka, the Minister of Education, Genc Pollo, both presidents of trade unions, Xhafer Dobrushi and Bajram Kruja, the National Manager of ILO-IPEC in Tirana, Etleva Vertopi, present in the meeting, expressed their personal engagement and the obligations of their respective institutions, to deal with the problems related to the education of children and elimination of child labour. Teachers, parents and pupils expressed their opinions, identifying the problems and best examples during the work done over these last 4-5 years.
Both ministries and ILO-IPEC representatives expressed their intention and readiness to continue working together with trade unions in this important subject.

Press Conference on the occasion of WDACL

More than 15 TV channels and other media representatives attended the Conference.
In the presence of  the Minister of Labour and the Minister of Education, on behalf of NSC, ILO-IPEC, TUFESA and ITUAE and other stakeholders, Mr. Xhafer Dobrushi read the Press release, where it was stated that:

In Albania the Government, social society, social partners and international agencies are working together to stop child labour
An important role has played the International Program for Elimination of Child Labour, IPEC.  Through this Program are assisted more than 850 children, who are removed from street working or other illegitimate actions and are included in non formal education, in order to fil the gap of their knowledge Through this Program are also assisted their family members providing vocational training and jobs for them.
Only through the Project  “The System of Monitoring Child Labour in Albania” implemented by  IPEC counterparts in three regions, Tirana, Korca and Berat, in collaboration with all other stakeholders, have benefited around 300 children, out of whom 77 are returned to school and 230 are out of risk to drop out from the school.
Both education trade unions, TUFES and ITUAE, since 5 years are engaged concretely in child labour prevention and elimination. Supported by IPEC and Dutch trade unions, FNV/AOb, they have trained more than 150 local trade union leaders, to know better the international standards on children protection and through engagement of more than 1 200 teachers in concrete work with individual pupils. As a result 2 400 pupils are returned in school or are our of risk to drop out from the school during these last 3-4 years.
The Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Equal Chances and IILO-IPEC Office in Albania, launch today, on WDACL, two new projects: “The Integrated Program for the Elimination of Child Labour and Child Trafficking” as well as “The System of Child Labour Monitoring”, which will be implemented in 5 districts, Tirana, Elbasani, Berati, Korca and Shkodra, aiming to assist some 650 children, being involved in worst forms of child labour. The targeted group will be street working children, those who work in agriculture, services or those who are involved in trafficking or illegitimate activities.
For the first time in Albania, through the collaboration with INSTAT (The Institute of Statistics), will be conducted the survey on Child Labour in Albania, which is expected to bring a detailed information about the dimensions of the phenomenon, causes, trends and the main sectors where child labour is more present. Of course the results (data, conclusions and recommendations) of this survey will serve to elaborate policies and programs to respond more efficiently to this problem.
    Many TV channels broadcast the news during all the Day about the child labour problem and the need of being engaged Albanian government and other educational institutions, as well as ILO-IPEC and other important stakeholders in Albania.

Meeting with trade union representatives in Tirana, Elbasan and Fier

An important meeting was also organised by FSASH and SPASH in Education Trade Unions Centre, in Tirana, with participation of the main leaders of different branch trade unions from both KSSH and BSPSH, and other representatives from education trade
Unions, NGO-s etc,
The Chairman of FSASH, Xhafer Dobrushi, opened the meeting on behalf of both FSASH and SPASH, making known the program, mentioning especially the need for a concrete engagement for the implementation of the duties determined during the Round Table organised in Tirana by the end of April 2008.
Stavri Liko, General Secretary of FSASH spoke about the WDACL, launched by ILO in 2002, aiming to be undertaken activities in international level.
The chairman of Trade Union Federation of Health care of Albania, Minella Mano, the president of the Independent trade union of Construction Workers of Albania, Sherif Bulku, the Chairman of Trade Union federation of Building, Wood Workers and |Public services of Albania, Riza Bengasi etc, expressed their engagement in child labour prevention and elimination activities.
Concrete discussion was held about the Joint Agreement signed on 26 of April and the Action Plan elaborated and approved in the Round Table held in April 2008.

Supported by EI, special meetings were organised on the occasion of WDACL in Elbasan
and in Fier, where both FSASH and SPASH are focussed in the framework of FNV/AOb Project implementation.
More than 50 participants took part in each of those meetings, including teachers, pupils, parents, school administrations and other NGO-s representatives, dealing with child labour prevention and elimination. Heads of educational directorates and other officials from Elbasan and its neighbour districts, as well as from Fieri and its neighbour districts took also part and were active during the activities.
Representatives from teachers, pupils and educational directorates, spoke about their experiences, dealing concretely with individual pupils in school and outside in the community and even in their families.
Informal discussions were made during the cocktails organised at the end of the meetings.
All the posters, leaflets and pencils sent by EI, were distributed to the participants in all the meetings organised in Tirana, Elbasan and Fier.
Media representatives present in the meetings broadcast news about the activities and WDACL.