Trade union work requires different knowledge and skills – from understanding labour relations and the methods of union organisation through collective bargaining and industrial action to communications and organisational skills.
The UATUC is the only trade union confederation in Croatia with a developed system of education for trade union work.
EDUCA@SSSH is the name of that system under which the members of our unions who are actively involved in trade union work – such as shop stewards, workers’ representatives or trade union activists – are trained to allow them to work better on behalf of members.
Our courses deal with topics of practical trade union work. They are based on active learning methods and are delivered by experienced trade unionists from the UATUC and our affiliated unions, with the unique advantage of bringing together trade unionists from different occupations and sectors and allowing them to network together.
Every year, several hundred trade unionists, from all over Croatia, complete one or more of the 17 various courses that we deliver. We are constantly developing new courses and innovative ways of education, including online education and learning tools.
By attending our courses, trade unionists acquire knowledge and skills that help them become better and more successful in their trade union work – to be more successful at organising workers in their workplace and in their environment, negotiate better with employers and be more effective at protecting and advancing the rights of members.
We supplement face-to-face trade union training with occasional online training in which the members of our affiliated trade unions can actively participate by way of comments and questions. They can also access recordings of the webinars afterwards.
About 96 per cent of participants think that attending EDUCA@SSSH courses has significantly helped them improve their trade union work.
Only when organised in a union can workers collectively bargain with the employer about their wages and working conditions and organise strike action if they cannot agree with the employer on these issues.