The first Quarterly Workshop for Labor Rights Advocates (WRA) 13.09.2021

The first Qaurterly meeting for Labor Rights Advocates (WRA) was held on 13.9. 2021  in Zagreb. The topic of the workshops was Communication. The workshop was dedicated to communication skills, with the aim of recognizing and understanding forms of communication that make it difficult and do not contribute to solving problems, and meanwhile learning how to communicate more efficiently.

 The workshop consisted of a theoretical part – an introduction to the principles of non-violent communication and exercises aimed at recognizing examples of unconstructive communication, expressing one’s feelings and needs and actively listening. The workshop was attended by 12 participants – union commissioners and active members of SMH-IS who are supposed to apply these skills in further union work – both with members and with the employer and in internal union structures. The workshops were led by Paula Zora, a psychotherapist, and Sunčica Brnardić, a UASB counselor for labor and social law.

At the end of the workshop, the participants developed the following competencies:

• understanding the principles of non-violent communication
• recognizing forms of unconstructive and aggressive communication
• recognizing one’s own needs and feelings
• active listening
• application of the principles and structure of non-violent and assertive communication in the group.

The participants were satisfied with the workshop, and concluded that the acquired skills will be useful in further union work.