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Hands on experience on organizing and recruitment of retail employees in to unions, was the key outcome of the training course concluded in Kathmandu Nepal. UNI Apro/FES Organizer’s Training Course for Youth was held for five days from 23- 27 September 2008 for union activist in South Asia.



Team work for trade unions to achieve goals together was the theme of the training course. Effective communication skills, team work and group dynamics, organizing and campaigning skills were imparted on the participants through active training methods. Interactive sessions boosted the participant’s confidence to venture in to the out bound training activity. Group was divided into five teams, and dispatched to “Namasthe” department store in Kathmandu, to persuade the employees to join trade unions.



Having interviewed many employees their responses were collected to assess attitudes towards trade unions. Some teams successfully confronted with the management of the store during interaction amongst employees. All the experiences were thoroughly discussed and analyzed at the training course as a case study. Participants realized that young members are willing to join unions when they are convinced logically about the import ants of unions. Each participant was given a task of planning an activity to recruit young employees in to trade unions in their respective unions. Many participants came up with clear aims and objectives in planning an organizing activity to attract youth in to trade unions.

There were twenty five young participants representing twenty unions in five countries in the South Asia region. There were two participants from newly formed Metro Cash & Carry unions in India, together with eight female participants amongst the participants.

Jayasri Priyalal, UNI Apro Director for Finance Sector, Rajendra Acharya, UNI DOC Director Nepal and Dev Raj Dahal of Head, FES office Nepal facilitated the training course in Nepal.