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Homepage > News > News Archive > Joachim Herudek in conversation with Slobodan Antovski, Chairman of UNASM (Union of Independent Autonomous Trade Unions of Macedonia)

Joachim Herudek, the former General Secretary of EZA, travelled to Macedonia in October 2009 and attended two UNASM seminars, one on the subject of “The use of new technologies and the creation of social technologies for the promotion of social dialogue”, run by UNASM in collaboration with the EZA itself, and the other organised by the UNASM and the EZA Member Centre for Rights and Obligations on the subject of “Steering trades unions and unitary trades unions”.

Within this context, he managed to obtain the interview below with Slobodan Antovski, Chairman of the Macedonian trade unions association UNASM (Union of Independent Autonomous Trade Unions of Macedonia):

 

Question: I enjoyed taking part in the two seminars on the Social Dialogue. How many training events do you hold a year and how many members are involved?

Answer: Depending on the themes and what is currently happening and depending on the possibility of organising international training events, the number of member taking part must be in strict accordance with what is required. Thanks to EZA and its support for UIATUM, these training events are increasing in significance. In fact, we need a lot more national training events, where we can debate national strategies and create a real basis for contributing to our national identity. At the current time, Macedonia has some very difficult decisions to make, where the national conscience is very important.

 

Question: What has changed for workers since Macedonia gained its independence in 1991?

Answer: In the expectation that pluralism, democracy and the announced privatisation of social capital would bring wellbeing and consolidation, Macedonian workers have experienced a tsunami of legendary proportions.

 

Question: I am aware, from the joint seminars, that the Social Dialogue is one of your major concerns. How has it evolved in Macedonia? Are trades unions in conversation with the State and businessmen in an appropriate and satisfactory way?

Answer: Naturally, the Social Dialogue is one of our major concerns. Unfortunately, I have to say that it is not working in Macedonia and that few attempts are being made to ensure that it works properly. As examples of this, I can quote the small companies, which are, unfortunately, too small and, in particular, the managers and leaders, who have become part of the economy of Macedonia, most of whom have spent their professional careers in Western Europe, so that they are well-aware of European legislation and the social system in the west of Europe. Thanks to external pressure, the Government wishes to implement the Social Dialogue in any way whatsoever, not necessarily from the point of view that the Social Dialogue is meaningful, but because it is a tool for the progress and economic enhancement of the State.

 

Question: Which workers’ groups are part of the umbrella trade union that you head?

Answer: Workers in the traffic, industry and the rural economy, etc. Unfortunately, I have to be honest: the post-communist trade union and its satellites still have the edge in terms of numbers and the amount of representatives.

 

Question: Does this mean that the workers in Macedonia see the socialist economic system as a solution to their problems, rather than the social market economy?

Answer: There is no easy answer to this question and, to respond to it, we need to carry out an in-depth analysis of recent history. I must stress that workers, who were active during the period of Socialism, were left facing a catastrophe. Macedonian operators experienced a real tsunami. Only the bare shells remain of the former companies and combinations. The former socialist directors have illegally taken over the afore-mentioned companies and combinations, but they have no vision as to what they should be doing. Where we used to have successful companies, private properties have grown up with playing fields. There were also combinations that were devastated and plundered and massive layoffs, where workers were told that were superfluous or part of the bankruptcy proceedings. No-one recognised that these were classic layoffs and no-one had any idea what to do with these workers in the future. There are very few privatised companies, which we can hold up as a positive example.

Therefore, there are very many people in Macedonia, who are in favour of EU entry. Rather, Macedonian workers are essentially in favour of a strong, social society and a social market economy.

 

Question: Does your work include the unemployed, which, according to official statistics, make up 35% of the active population?

Answer: Yes, we are the only trade union in Macedonia, which includes the unemployed, who are not to blame, but who are still unemployed. Workers in Macedonia are not responsible for this situation. We, the trades unions and the non-governmental organisations, have an obligation to support these people and be by their side, so that they do not feel isolated. I do not totally agree with the statistics, because, last year, we carried out a survey, together with experts from the EU, which was supported by the Dutch trade union, CNV. We found that over 100,000 workers were active, with no registration, in the black economy, mostly in the textile industry, which significantly altered the statistics. UNASM is currently working towards clearing up the situation with regard to these workers and making sure they become members, although, I have to say that it is very hard to get these members on board, because they are very afraid of being laid off and losing their livelihood.

 

Question: What is your trade union’s position on Macedonia’s entry into the EU? Is the majority of the population in favour?

Answer: Perhaps, we are the only one that really wants to become part of the EU team, but it is something that most Macedonians want.

 

Question: In the seminars, in which I took part earlier, there were representatives from Kosovo, Bulgaria and Albania. How have these contacts and those with your partners from Western Europe evolved?

Answer: We were actively collaborating with trades unions in Kosovo, Albania and Bulgaria, before we started to collaborate with EZA, whereas our collaboration with our Danish, Belgian and Dutch partners and with many others from Western Europe and other regions began thanks to EZA.

 

Question: What, in your eyes, is the most urgent problem that, in your opinion, has to be tackled at national and European level?

Answer: It is very hard to define priorities in the situation, in which Macedonian workers and citizens find themselves; if I had to decide on the basis of urgency, I would put unemployment, or rather employment, up there in first position.

 

Question: Does the work of EZA have any role to play for your trade union?

Answer: Thanks to our collaboration with EZA, we have got to know many friends and many like-minded people. The most important thing is that EZA have the opportunity to exchange problems with one another and find the correct way to resolve critical situations.