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Description
The project aimed to improve health and safety conditions in Romanian prisons as part of the decent work agenda. The project focused on addressing health and safety issues in prisons and enhancing social dialogue. A comprehensive desk research report on health and safety was revised, translated, printed, and disseminated within the prison service. The report covered various sections, including a literature review, a European overview on prison health and safety, working conditions in prisons, the functioning of health and safety committees, health and safety training, and conclusions and recommendations. Focus groups were organised, involving 98 participants, both face-to-face and online, to discuss key issues.
Study visits were conducted in Romania for the Norwegian partner and in Norway for the Romanian partners. A total of 9 participants from Norway visited Romania, and 34 Romanian participants visited Norway. During these visits, participants visited prisons, met with health and safety officials, trade union representatives, and management, and learned about various projects and initiatives.
An awareness workshop was held to educate new recruits about social dialogue and health and safety issues. The workshop included presentations from Norwegian, European, and Romanian perspectives. Additionally, eight online workshops were conducted with participants from all prison units and headquarters. These workshops were based on research findings and focus group discussions.
The training program developed during the project has been integrated into the Romanian prison service curriculum as part of the e-learning offer. This integration ensures that the knowledge and practices gained from the project will continue to benefit prison workers in the future.
Project promoter has changed its name from Sindicatul Național al Lucrătorilor de Penitenciare (SNLP) to Sindicatul Național al Polițiștilor de Penitenciare (SNPP).
Summary of project results
The project aimed to address significant health and safety issues within Romanian prisons as part of the decent work agenda. To achieve a sustainable development of prison environment which represents not only a work environment for the prison workers but a very significant social environment for the society, much closer attention should be paid to social dialogue and health and safety issues. The project Plus Dialog targeted therefore to raise awareness to the future prison officers in Romania on Social Dialogue and Health and Safety issues and to strengthen the institutional capacity on Health and Safety into the Romanian prison service.
Key challenges included inadequate working conditions, insufficient health and safety measures, and a lack of effective social dialogue between prison workers, management, and other stakeholders. The project also sought to strengthen cooperation between Romanian and Norwegian partners to share best practices and improve overall working conditions in prisons. The project was implemented in partnership with the Romanian prison administration, Vocational Trade Union Federation (Yrkesorganisasjonenes Sentralforbund (YS)) from Norway, European Association for Social Innovation from Romania and with the support of European Public Service Trade Union. The partnership created ensured the success of implementation by different approaches.
The project implemented several activities to achieve its objectives. A comprehensive desk research report on health and safety was revised, translated, printed, and disseminated within the prison service. Focus groups involving 98 participants were organised to discuss key issues. Despite delays due to COVID-19, study visits were conducted in Romania for the Norwegian partner and in Norway for the Romanian partners, involving a total of 43 participants. An awareness workshop was held to educate new recruits about social dialogue and health and safety issues, with over 270 participants attending physically and online. Additionally, eight online workshops were conducted with 166 participants from all prison units and headquarters. The training program developed during the project was integrated into the Romanian prison service curriculum as part of the e-learning offer.
The project achieved significant results, including improved awareness and knowledge about health and safety issues among prison workers. It enhanced cooperation between Romanian and Norwegian partners, leading to the successful dissemination of research findings and best practices within the prison service. The integration of health and safety training into the official curriculum for prison staff ensured the sustainability of the project''s benefits. A total of 206 participants graduated from the training course and received diplomas. The primary beneficiaries were prison workers, who gained better working conditions and increased awareness of health and safety measures, and inmates, who benefited from improved overall conditions. The collaboration between Romanian and Norwegian partners also strengthened bilateral relations and provided valuable insights and best practices for future initiatives.
Summary of bilateral results
The bilateral cooperation was a strong component of the project. The Romanian participants highlighted the important learnings during the study trip to Norway and to visit prison services and understand social dialogue in the prison context. This was the first opportunity for many Romanian prison trade union leaders to exchange ideas and opinions with their Norwegian peers on subjects like working condition and health and safety.