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Trade unions most massive, well-organized public force in Azerbaijan, says presidential aide

25 November 2015 12:12 (UTC +04:00)

Baku – APA. Ali Hasanov, the Azerbaijani president’s aide for public and political affairs, made a speech at the event dedicated to the 110th anniversary of the creation of the Azerbaijan Trade Unions Confederations (ATUC).

Hasanov said that the trade union movement, which emerged in Europe during the period of industrialization, has passed a long way of development, achieving tremendous progress in the protection of human rights and freedoms, particularly in the protection of labor rights.

According to the presidential aide, the ATUC includes numerous committees and federations covering areas such as economy, culture, education, health, public service, etc.

“The number of members united in local committees of the ATUC is close to 2 million, which indicates the trade unions are the most massive and most well-organized public force in Azerbaijan,” he noted.

The ATUC is carrying out successive and regular actions for social partnership, social security, labor protection, and protection of labor rights, Hasanov said, adding that during the years of independence, the ATUC established international relations and expanded them and became a member of prestigious international organizations like the International Labor Organization and the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions.

With its primary goal of ensuring human rights and freedoms, the Azerbaijani state today attaches high importance to the role of trade unions in protecting our citizens’ economic and social interests, and their labor rights, he said.

“The Cabinet of Ministers, the Azerbaijani Trade Union Confederation and the National Confederation of Entrepreneurs (Employers) Organizations of Azerbaijan annually sign the General Collective Agreement defining their agreed positions and joint activities in the implementation of the socio-economic policy of the country. President Ilham Aliyev considers it important to increase the role of trade unions in the society,” he said.

Azerbaijan has become a dynamically developing country, with a strong economy, thanks to President Ilham Aliyev’s purposeful and independent policy, Hasanov stressed.

“As a result of the implementation of liberal economic reforms, the promotion of investments and the realization of purposeful state programs over the past ten years, Azerbaijan’s economy tripled, unemployment and poverty rate fell to 5 percent, the social and economic infrastructure in the country was rebuilt and the welfare of the population increased significantly,” he added.

Since 2013, thousands of manufacturing enterprises have been established and 1.4 million new jobs created in Azerbaijan, Hasanov said.

The ATUC should continue consecutive measures to improve working conditions of citizens involved in the labor process, to resolve their social problems and ensure their labor rights, according to the presidential aide.

The ATUC also needs to pay attention to cooperation with multinational companies and to thoroughly study and apply the world’s advanced experience on the organization of work and the solution of social problems, Hasanov added.

He expressed confidence that the ATUC in future will successfully continue its mission and adequately cope with their tasks.