Established in restless 1989, when nationalistic-minded Moldavian leaders promoted policy on ousting the Russian language from all spheres of life, the Joint Council of Labour Collectives was in the forefront of the struggle of Pridnestrovian people for their civil and political rights. Under the JCLC's leadership many thousand people went on strike in all Pridnestrovian towns as their response to Kishinev's attempt to deprive them of the right to speak and to write in their own language. Afterwards, the work of organisation's activists led to the creation of the Pridnestrovian state – a natural step that allowed to defend the rights and dignity of Pridnestrovian people.
In his congratulation address to the veterans of organization, PMR President Igor Smirnov – being in the past one of the first activists – marked a unique character of the JCLC's members who had no fear of assuming responsibility in the struggle against discriminating policy of Kishinev nationalists. According to the Head of the State, an attempt of the Moldavian leadership to divide people in two sorts, having started with the language law, had been eventually pursuing the task of depriving Pridnestrovian people of their culture, spiritual values and history. Igor Smirnov paid attention to the international character of the struggle led by the JCLC and to political peculiarities. “We were fighting with you for preservation of a union country, having a desire to remain its part, and have subsequently confirmed our adherence to Russia the Great, our endeavor to develop and live with it,” PMR President told. Speaking about the role which the JCLC had later on played in the life of the republic, he noted that this organization had more than once “contributed decisively to the development of events, whether it was defence of the country from nationalists' aggression in summer of 1992 or breakthrough of information blockade.”
Special commemorative medals were molded on the occasion of organisation's anniversary. Jubilee award number one has been given today to the Head of the State Igor Smirnov.
