The two-day seminar, from 14-15 June, was held in Nizhny Novgorod and hosted by the rail union’s branch in the city. It was chaired by Nikolay Nikiforov, chair ofthe Russian Trade Union of Railwaymen and Transport Construction Workers of Russia (ROSPROFZHEL).
The ITF representatives – Steve Cotton, general secretary; Øystein Aslaksen, chair of the railways section; and Janina Malinovska, inland transport section deputy secretary and CIS projects co-ordinator – gave presentations to demonstrate to the Russian unions how important they are to the region and the wider world.
They also explained that the unions’ strength and co-operation were vital if they were to take a leadership role in the ITF. Tomas Abrahamsson, vice chair of the ITF’s seafarers section, also spoke about the Nordic transport federation group and its relationship to the ITF.
Mr Cotton said: “This was a very valuable event, bringing together unions from different transport sectors in Russia for the first time with the ITF. It is a further step in the ITF’s programme to attract new unions into membership and make the ITF more visible in the region.”
Ms Malinovska added that the meeting would help to give the new electoral group a louder voice and be able to play an active role in the global ITF family.
The 24 delegates were joined by Gennadiy Kosolapov, general secretary of the International Trade Unions Confederation of Railway Workers and Transport Builders (ICTURWTB) – the umbrella body for unions in former Soviet nations.
In July 2014, the ITF held a historic first meeting with rail unions from the majority of CIS and Baltic states. Read more. Since then it has continued to build its support for rail unions in the CIS, to help make them stronger for tackling the challenges of globalisation. Read more.
