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Case Study
Respect for Ethnic Albanian minority teachers keeps union together
Union Leadership Supports Diversity
Challenge
Macedonia’s trade unions were at risk of fragmenting into ethnic camps during the 2001conflict because leaders did not promote diversity. The Trade Union of Education, Scienceand Culture (SONK) was one of those unions ready to split along ethnic lines. Teachers inKumanovo and Tetovo had reached the point where they refused to conduct classes in eachother’s presence and began to hold classes in separate buildings.
Photo: USAID/Macedonia “We are very proud of ouractivities… in the Balkans. We arethe only multi-ethnic trade union.”
- Dojcin Cvetanovski, SONKPresident Initiative
In 2001, delegates of SONK elected a newleader, Dojcin Cvetanovski, who promised torebuild the trade union movement inMacedonia. USAID, with the AmericanCenter for International Labor Solidarity,brought in experts from the AmericanFederation of Teachers to assistCvetanovski in shaping a new policy ofethnic inclusion for the trade unions.
SONK started with union leadership trainingprograms focused on skills development,inclusion, and tolerance. SONK translatedits membership cards and constitution intoAlbanian - trade union materials had neverbefore been translated into a minoritylanguage. SONK created a vice presidentposition and elected Muzafere Sinani, afemale ethnic Albanian. She is now avolunteer instructor in union workshops, andis active with the Federation of Trade Unionsof Macedonia in the women’s section.
Results
SONK is now the largest branch union in the Federation of Trade Unions of Macedonia.Over 100 local leaders of different ethnic backgrounds in Macedonia have participated inthe program. SONK’s policies supporting diversity have helped the union grow from 16,000to almost 37,000 members, including 5,000 ethnic Albanians, while other unions continue tolose members. Two more ethnic Albanian women have been elected president of theirunion locals. Cvetanovski and Sinani regularly visit Albanian and Macedonian schools invillages surrounding ethnically mixed towns such as Tetovo, Gostivar and Arachinovowhere ethnic tensions can still be felt. SONK, along with Cvetanovski and Sinani, haveearned the respect of union leaders. SONK has been invited to host the first conference,since the Kosovo war, where the leaders from the Albanian and Serbian educationunions in Kosovo can share experiences and discuss future cooperation.
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