Thirty-five trade unionists from OZ KOVO (Slovakia), ECHOZ (Slovakia) and Solidarność Metal have successfully completed the five-week Organising for Power (O4P) Power-Up training, designed to strengthen organising capacity and build sustainable trade union power across Europe.

Thanks to full coordination, interpretation and translation provided by industriAll Europe, participants were able to engage actively throughout the programme, exchange experiences across borders and develop concrete organising campaigns rooted in their own workplace realities.

“This training changed how we organise – more structure, more power,” said one participant.
Another highlighted the “strong collective learning across borders.”

A key factor behind the success of the training was the high level of commitment and professionalism shown by the group leads. All were experienced lead organisers within their respective unions, whose enthusiasm, guidance and close support enabled participants to remain fully engaged over the five weeks and to confidently apply the organising methods in practice.

Isabelle Barthès, Deputy General Secretary of industriAll Europe, stressed the broader political and democratic significance of the initiative:

“Decades of deregulation and social dislocation have eroded democratic counter-powers and fuelled the rise of the radical right. Behind claims of defending ‘ordinary people,’ this agenda concentrates power in increasingly undemocratic leadership while undermining social justice. In this context, strengthening trade union power is not just important, it is a democratic imperative. Organising in workplaces and among workers is essential to restore collective voice and protect social and labour rights.”

She underlined that building trade union power is a core priority for industriAll Europe:

“Through initiatives such as O4P, unions enhance organising capacity, share best practices and regain confidence, which is crucial at a time when democracy itself is under pressure.”

Further O4P trainings will continue in 2026. Trade unions interested in participating (minimum group of 10 participants) are invited to contact ildiko.kren@industriall-europe.eu for more information.