Since November, OS KOVO has employed an organiser specially hired for building trade union power. This is part of OS KOVO's educational concept for recruiting members. IndustriAll Europe supports OS KOVO as part of our organising programme, a project that is funded by the European Commission.

The conditions for union work within the companies differ, but what they have in common is that the opportunities for participation and co-determination cannot yet be fully exploited. More than one participant said that if more colleagues were involved in the union, more could be achieved.

By addressing members in a participation-oriented manner, systematic mapping and strategic mobilisation of employees, new members can be recruited, and existing ones activated. This increases the pressure on employers in collective bargaining and as a result better pay settlements can be achieved. This was recently shown by the strategically prepared and successful strike at Nexen 

Tomáš Valášek, Vice-President OS KOVO says:

“Together with industriAll Europe we will work with selected companies in the next year and a half to create stronger union structures in the OS KOVO grassroots organisations”

Luc Triangle, General Secretary of industriAll Europe says:

“In the post-Covid period and in the period characterised by a transformation of our industries, we need ways to reach out to new sectors and non-organised companies. Recovery and just transition can only be successful if trade unions are involved on an equal footing.

“More and more unions are using the offers of ‘The Organising Programme’ and are developing strategies for building trade union power.”

IndustriAll Europe supports its members in breaking new grounds.