THE CORRIDOR PROJECT OPENING EVENT

The Corridor Project opening event was organised by the ITF and ETF in cooperation with their affiliate, the Free Trade Union of Railway Workers - VDSzSz*

*(The ETF coordinator for Corridor IV is the head of the VDSzSz International Department.)

The Corridor Project opening event consisted of a pan-European conference followed by a seminar. Three workshops on 6 specific transport Corridors were organised in conjunction with the seminar. The project does not intend to concentrate equally on all Corridors, but rather to replicate the Corridor IV trade union cooperation in the Corridors which currently enjoy the main actors' interest as well as investment. However, within the frame of the project specific attention is given to Corridor I and Corridor II, particularly due to the concerns these two corridors cause among trade unions.

The event aimed at:

1. creating and consolidating the Project / Corridor trade union Network;

2. making the network members familiar with the general context in which they have to operate: the political and economic context as a basis for the changes in transport; the main actors playing a role in the Corridor policy and with which transport unions will have to interact;

3. preparing the ground for future Corridor Project activities;

4. defining practical steps for the preparation of future Corridor Project activities;

5. in the long run, to give a boost to social dialogue in transport at regional level

Participation

One of the key elements for the success of the Corridor Project resides in building an efficient network. Having in view the amount of work expected from the participants in between the Corridor Project activities, the aim was to attract trade union members other than high officials, who are able to dedicate time to Corridor issues (research, networking, reporting at national level on the progress of the project), who are able to communicate in English and who have some preliminary knowledge on Corridor issues.

The event was well-attended, and enjoyed a good section and regional representation. 11 out of the 16 CEE countries that Corridors cross were represented in the seminar; a further 3 countries - Bosnia, Turkey, FR Yugoslavia - are part of the network, but were unable to attend. At present there is no contact with the remaining two: Belarus and FYROM.

Of the member states only 2 were represented: Germany and Austria. Two Finnish ITF / ETF affiliates expressed interest in being involved in the project. Greek trade unions are actively involved in the ETF Corridor IV activities and are, despite their absence at the seminar, part of the project network.

External contributors

The presence of external contributors during the opening conference and the first day of the seminar was essential for the dynamics of the event, giving the participants the opportunity to meet with representatives of the main actors involved in the Corridor or transport policy in Europe. Moreover, it was an excellent opportunity to exchange views on various topics.

Despite the combined efforts of the ETF Secretariat and the project experts, the ECMT could not be persuaded to attend the Opening Conference. The European Commission Directorate General for Transport and Energy cancelled its participation one day before the opening conference.

PARTICIPANTS' EVALUATION OF THE EVENT

Participants felt that the event fulfilled its goals. In particular the following aspects were highly appreciated by the participants:

1. The event was a balanced combination of general information and concrete, in-depth analysis. The event was an excellent opportunity to pool experience in order to lay concrete premises for future project work.

2. A project group was consolidated. Separate Corridor networks were established and coordinators for Corridor I, II, V, VII and X were nominated.

3. By the end of the event the participants established tasks for each level of coordination (national, corridor, European) and practical steps for future Project Corridor work (2002 - 2003).

Above all, the event as well as the entire Corridor Project were warmly welcomed for having set the premises for a cross-sectoral platform of trade union cooperation within ITF / ETF. Moreover, the participants appreciated the fact that the project fully meets the need for a truly regional trade union cooperation, beyond the political borders of the EU enlargement.

Having the opportunity to meet with representatives of social partners (employers' organisation) involved in the European sectoral dialogue to discuss at length about social dialogue from many perspectives, the participants considered the event to have helped them become more aware of their future role within the European social dialog.

For a detailed report of the opening conference and seminar, please contact Cristina Tilling (details in contact information).