Roundtable discussion regarding improving work conditions for female workers in the clothing and footwear sector.

29 May 2019

The Gender Alliance for Development Center, in collaboration with the Union of Albanian Factory Workers as well as the State Labor and Social Services Inspectorate and the State Health Inspectorate organized a broad roundtable discussion regarding the improvement of work conditions for female workers in the sector of active processing regimes in the field of clothing and footwear production.

The dialogue between the heads of important state institutions and business representatives from this sector will serve to improve work conditions and will help with better implementation of the Labor Code as well as the Law on Occupational Safety and Health in this sector.

The meeting was attended by Aleko Polo, representative for the Minister of State for the Protection of Entrepreneurship, Arben Seferaj, Chief Inspector, State Labor Inspectorate, Vjollca Braho, Chief Inspector, State Health Inspectorate, Erion Prifti, Vice General Director of Taxes, Bardhi Sejdarasi, executive director, Union of Factory Workers of Albania, Edison Hoxha, Center for Worker’s Rights.

This dialogue was attended by representative of Albanian unions, Kol Nikollaj, President of the Confederation of Trade Unions of Albania—CTUA, Anisa Subashi, vice president of CTUA, Hajdar Kanani, General Secretary of the Federation of Trade Unions of Testile and Artisanal Workers, Confederation of Trade Unions of Albania, Myftar Ismalaja, President of SPILT Union of Independent Trade Unions of Albania—BSPSH.

This public dialogue was realized within the framework of the project “the Rights of working women in the clothing and footwear sector,” supported by the Olof Palme International Center and the Swedish Embassy in Tirana.

The meeting was attended by Johan Schmidt, Regional Coordinator, Olof Palme Center International, and Plejada Gugashi, OPC coordinator for Albania, thereby brining Swedish experience regarding trade union cooperation to improve works’ conditions to Albania.

The recommendations that emerged from this meeting will be further pursued by the Gender Alliance for Development Center, in the 3-year work framework for decent work and the improvement of work conditions for women workers in the sector of active processing regimes in the field of clothing and footwear production.