Albania
Trade Unions
Albanian workers and enterprise managers had little significant
influence until the old order began breaking down in 1990. Workers
for decades had no recourse but to rely on government-controlled
trade unions to protect their interests, but the ruling party
used these unions only as mouthpieces to implore workers to produce
more and accept more sacrifices. Independent trade unions arose
from the ashes of the official labor organizations in each of
the economy's major sectors. In 1991 union representatives pressed
government officials for concessions on issues of wages and working
conditions, a general labor contract, and wage indexing to mitigate
the effects of inflation. They also demanded social security guarantees,
reestablishment of electrical service in many towns, and deliveries
of raw materials to idle factories. Management often backed the
workers' demands to the government. The were strikes as well as
mass protests in central Tiranė and elsewhere. In mid-1991, the
Council of Ministers drafted a law on labor relations that eliminated
the job security Albanian workers had enjoyed under the communist
system, allowing firms to dismiss workers who violated disciplinary
standards.
Data as of April 1992
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