The definitions quoted above are taken from Article 23 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and are a part of a section of the Declaration that deals with social and economic rights, together with articles on social security, leisure time, standards of living and education.

Even a casual glance at these provisions demonstrates that, in the countries of Southeast Europe, as in the other countries in transition, these rights have been considered more or less an afterthought in the journey from authoritarian one-party, planned economy to democratic, market-based economic systems.

This text is written on the eve of May 1, the International Labour Day, Its origins are in the great struggle of 19th Century socialist and worker movements for eight-our labour day, fair working conditions and fair wages. What have we to show for ourselves, in this day and age, in this geographic area, on the status of labour rights in SEE? Read More

The Mjaft Movement reports that, in spite of repeated attempts to contact the office of Prime Minister, there have been no reaction so far to the demands of the striking workers of Gerdec, who continued their two-week hunger strike with protests in the park next to the PM`s office.

The Confederation of Albanian Trade Unions, the Mjaft! Movement and other labor union groups held protests last Thusrday, May 1, in the Skanderbeg Square in Tirana, demanding better working conditions. May 1 is the day where the workers openly speak and present their complaints and demands regarding the working conditions.

The Narodna Skupstina (People’s Parliament) of the Republic of Srpska adopted, on October 24, 2000, the Law on Labour (Official Journal of RS, No. 38, November 8, 2000). What attracted attention were the provisions on workers’ council in Articles 109-111. The Law provides that all employees with more than 15 full-time employees, the workers can establish their own council to represent themselves and protect their rights.

More than half the women in the world live in countries that have made no progress towards gender equity in recent years, finds the Gender Equity Index (GEI) 2008 that Social Watch launched here as a contribution to the 52nd Session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women that ended on March 8, the International Women’s Day.