President of Mongolia Khaltmaagiin Battulga sent a message today dedicated to commemoration of the 100th anniversary of establishment of Trade Union movements in Mongolia. The message was conveyed by the President’s political advisor, Mr. N.Altankhuyag on the ceremony for commemoration of the 100th jubilee of the Mongolian Trade Union Movement.
The message of President Battulga reads as follows:
“Dear trade union members and activists,
Distinguished guests,
I would like to congratulate you on celebration of the 100th anniversary of inception of trade union movement in Mongolia, and wish you the best of success in your further careers.
To look back into the history pages, inception of trade union movement was encouraged by the protest of Mongolian and Russian workers of Eroo gold mine of Selenge aimag for their rights as laborers in 1917. A few years after the People’s Revolution [of 1921], trade unions have officially started being established with branches such as the Union of Workers in Commerce and Industry, Union of State Workers, Union of Carrier and Freight Bureau and Union of Hospital, Sanitation and Labor, involving 3,312 members.
Statute of the Mongolian Trade Unions was released in 1936 as the Rule of General Unit and Candidates, which has seen several changes over the years, until it has become a complete package of organizational chart, statute and action plan in 1992.
Before the mentioned date, trade unions have remained as ‘pseudo’ non-government organizations, which is fixed up to make the Mongolian community look as though it has such organizations that have been founded on the grounds of citizens’ own voluntary initiative and that, in reality, serves under the socialist propaganda and direction by the government. The time has passed, when the communist regime had been choreographing false ‘plays’ by establishing such organizations as the Youth Union and the Women’s Association. Nowadays, the trade unions have grown into genuine non-government organizations, with over 450 thousand members and supporters distributed to 22 branch committees and 14 vocational committees. Trade unions have finally become an authentic social institution in form of civil society.
In 1991, the State Small Khural upgraded the grounds for ensuring the right to unity and coalition by adopting the Law on the Rights of Trade Unions of Mongolia, on the basis of which the contemporary trade unions of Mongolia have been formed. The reformed trade unions have made undisputed contribution to protecting interests and rights of laborers in the free market economy, develop proper legal grounds for labor affairs and sophisticating the system of social insurance and labor monitoring.
I would like to underline that one of the genuine merits of the Confederation of Mongolian Trade Unions is making the State Tripartite Dialogues between employers, the Government and laborers a regular norm in labor affairs.
I am fully confident in the Mongolian Trade Union Movement’s efforts to stand guard to the rights of laborers and sustainability in labor affairs and to the goal of promoting social partnership, alongside with its activists, elected officials, members and workers.
I wish happiness in your lives and best of success in your works”.