Tskhinvali Region Trade Union Centre works for the stabilisation of Georgian-Ossetian relations. It is a successor organisation of the South Ossetian District Trade Union. Due to the start of military confrontations in 1991, the organisation fell apart and was split into two parts. The Ossetian part remained in Tskhinvali and proceeded with its activities there, while the Georgian part was forced to move to Tbilisi. In 1993-2001 the organisation functioned as a structural entity of the Georgian Trade Union Confederation and in 2002 it was registered as an independent legal entity. Since 2006, the Centre became a member organisation of the Georgian Trade Union Confederation (GTUC).
Along with fighting for the labour rights of its member organisations, Tskhinvali Region Trade Union Centre is actively involved in the process of stabilising Georgian-Ossetian relations. For that purpose, it closely cooperates with South Ossetian trade unions and implements joint projects with these organisations. The Centre has been continuing personal and professional relations with the South Ossetian side since the end of the hostilities.
The organisation participated in the Georgian-Ossetian dialogue organised in Yerevan, Armenia in 2007 with the financial support of the Dutch organisation “IKV-PAX CRISTI”.
Tskhinvali Region Trade Union Centre was one of the initiators of the establishment of Georgian-Ossetian Civic Forum in the aftermath of the Yerevan dialogue and the co-organiser (along with GTUC and International Eurasian Metalworkers' Federation) of the Forum’s first large scale meeting in Ankara, Turkey in November 2008.
The organisation has been a member of the Eurasian Trade Union Federation (Ankara, Turkey) since 2007. In 2008 the Federation allocated 25000 USD to Georgian trade unions and the money was used for improving the living conditions of IDPs.
From 1996 to 2003 Tskhinvali Region Trade Union Centre implemented a rehabilitation programme for Georgian and Ossetian children and youth. Apart from that, a number of joint visits (Czech Republic, Slovakia, Turkey and Poland) of Georgian and Ossetian activists has been organised in 2001-2010 in coordination with trade unions in Tskhinvali. Joint humanitarian and cultural activities have been implemented in Tskhinvali and surrounding villages.
In the aftermath of the Russian-Georgian War of 2008, the Trade Union Centre established community organisations in five IDP settlements across the country (Gori, Koda, Tserovani, Mtskheta, and Tbilisi). The community centres helped the IDPs in launching their social enterprises.
Over the course of its existence Tskhinvali Region Trade Union Centre has supported up to 3000 beneficiaries with financial and legal assistance, mostly the internally displaced and socially vulnerable residents of conflict zones.
Before the 2008 Russian-Georgian war, all public, cultural, educational, healthcare and other institutions located in the Georgian-controlled areas of South Ossetia were covered by the Tskhinvali Region Trade Union Centre. Today the Centre unites the following organisations (in exile): Tskhinvali Theatre, Kurta Hospital in Tserovani, number of schools and kindergartens. Although some of the previously functioning organisations no longer exist, their former employees remain part of the organisation with the status of individual members. The organisation gathers 185 members in total and supports them with available resources.
