An industrial relations seminar held in Mongolia: In the storm of the market economy and privatization

JILAF, August 2000

In the Mongolian second city, Darhan, JILAF and the Confederation of Mongolian Trade Unions (CMTU) cosponsored a local seminar on industrial relations from August 1st to 3 days.

At the time, in Mongolia, the appointment of the new Prime Minister and the new administration was announced. Mr. Adiya was also re-elected as President of CMTU and the new executive board was formed. However, Mongolia is still faced with the storm of the transition to the market economy and privatization even though it has not recovered from the snow damage.

In such circumstance, a seminar on industrial relations was organized in a right timing and was reported by the Mongolian central broadcasting.

JILAF dispatched Mr. Yamada, Executive Director-General, as a resource person and Mr. Murakami of Accounting Division as a secretary. The seminar was attended by 34 participants, including 17 women, from Darhan and its neighbors.

The lecture of Mr. Yamada covered a wide area such as the history of the trade union movement, the levels of trade unions and their roles and political and policy activities of trade unions. In particular, the privatization of railways and telecommunications was of the greatest interest to the participants. On the last day, the lecture on the wage determination mechanism and Spring Struggle (Shunto) and new challenges of trade unions was followed by a group discussion, where they raised a question about the wage protection that it was even the case that public servants did not get paid in Mongolia and showed their interest in the right to strike.

Unemployment rate of Mongolia is as high as 30%. However, the people in Mongolia were all cheerful and the participants warmly received Mr. Yamada and Mr. Murakami.