The National Trade Union Bloc (BNS), was set up in 1991 and has 33 affiliated federations, with a membership of approx. 400 000 workers. It has 40 regional representation offices.

The National Trade Union Bloc (BNS) is a trade union confederation reuniting on free will grounds trade union federations from different areas of activity, which are independent of external influence and have a democratic structure. BNS covers most sectors of the Romanian economy, such as machine building; transports; water distribution; building and building materials; post and communications; printing houses; culture and media; agriculture; electric and technical goods, electronics and fine mechanics; defence industry; energy, oil and gas; textile industry; health; public administration and public services; bank and finances, culture, sports.

BNS maintains close links, as an affiliated member, with the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) (which includes all ICFTU European affiliates) and Global Union Federations, Pan European Regional Council (PERC), which link together national unions from a particular trade or industry at international level.

BNS is defending and promoting the rights and interests of its members having as fundamental principles Democracy, Equality of Chances and Rights, and Solidarity.

 BNS is an independent organization whose priority activities are related to
the respect and defence of trade union and workers' rights and interests,
the negotiation of the National Collective Agreement, as main instrument for the protection of employees;
drafting and promoting laws, amendments to laws related to the workers’ status
negotiation and settlement of labour disputes for its members
education programmes for trade unionists,
encouraging the organisation of young workers,
organises and directs campaigns on issues such as:
¤  the eradication of forced and child labour,
¤ the promotion of equal rights for working women,
¤ the environment,
- organization and co-ordination of trade union actions;

PRIORITIES FOR ACTION
BNS has several priorities for action:

• trade union rights,
• equality,
• trade union organisation and recruitment.
• employment and international labour standards,
• tackling the globalization effects (multinationals),
• negotiation of the Collective Agreement on National level;
• modifications to the wages policy;
• defence and promotion of the members’ rights and interests in the process of economic reform;
• the reform of the pensions system and health and social insurance;

BNS Permanent Board:
President:                 Dumitru  COSTIN
Prime vice-president:            Ioan PISC
General Secretary:             Minel IVASCU
Vice-presidents:              Ovidiu JURCA,
Mariana KNIESNER,
Gheorghe ILIE

Role of the participant organization in LALERA TOI:

In the framework of the above project Blocul National Sindical :

• Participation to the Scientific Committee
• Participation to content providing of the emissions
• Participation to research and selection of users/target group
• Participation to the dissemination activities
• Participation to the activities of evaluation and valorisation

Mariana Kniesner – project manager
Phone: 0040-722-329.735
E-mail: mkniesner@bns.ro, international@bns.ro