epsucob@NEWS 15 June 2005
- EPSU - 4th annual collective bargaining conference - 12-13 December 2005
- EPSU - pay and conditions survey
- PORTUGAL - Public administration workers demonstrate - 17 June
- FINLAND - Border guards return to work but dispute not resolved
- FRANCE - Public sector unions back strikes and demonstrations over pay and privatisation
- BELGIUM - Hospital and social care (non-profit) sector dispute unresolved
- SPAIN - Strike continues in Ministry of Justice
- UK - Civil service union warns of widening pay gap
- NETHERLANDS - Action continues in local government
- GERMANY - Real wages fall over last 10 years
- AUSTRIA - Civil servants manage real wage increase
EPSU - 4th annual collective bargaining conference - 12-13 December 2005
This year’s collective bargaining conference will focus again on low pay and a key debate on the first day will consider a draft EPSU policy document. There will also be discussions about the latest collective bargaining and social dialogue developments in the public services. Speakers from the ETUC and its research institute (ETUI-REHS) will provide broader overviews of the intersectoral social dialogue and key trends in collective bargaining. There will be working groups to discuss working time and a number of other important debates. Full details will shortly appear on the EPSU website. All EPSU affiliates will also be sent an invitation to the conference. However, if you would like to check any details about the conference agenda and arrangements please email: rpond@epsu.org
EPSU - pay and conditions survey
Members of EPSU’s collective bargaining network (epsucob@) were recently sent copies of a questionnaire on pay and conditions. This will provide information for an annual report on collective bargaining which will be presented to the conference in December. Responses have already been received from Cyprus (public sector - PASYDY), Czech Republic (health - TUHSSC), Norway (local government - NUGME and Nurses’ Association). Copies of the questionnaire are available in English, French, German, Spanish and Swedish. If you haven’t received one please email: rpond@epsu.org
PORTUGAL - Public administration workers demonstrate - 17 June
Unions across public administration have organized a national demonstration for 17 June in protest at government proposals to reduce its budget deficit by a series of attacks on workers’ conditions. The unions argue that the government wants to undermine the terms and conditions and career system that employees in public administration have won over the last 30 years. Some unions are already planning further demonstrations on 28 June and considering the possibility of a general strike across the sector.
Read more at > FNSFP
And at > STAL
FINLAND - Border guards return to work but dispute not resolved
Border guards in Finland have taken strike action over a new pay structure. The guards returned to work at the weekend as the dispute went to mediation. However, plans for further industrial action have already been made if the talks with mediators don’t lead to any progress.
Read more at > Finnish news website
FRANCE - Public sector unions back strikes and demonstrations over pay and privatisation
Following the day of action on pay on 9 June, unions in both public and private sectors will again be mobilising their members for action on 21 June. This will follow action by unions in the energy sector on 20 June in protest at the privatisation of the GDF gas company.
Read more at > CGT
And at > FO
BELGIUM - Hospital and social care (non-profit) sector dispute unresolved
The long-running dispute in the hospital and social care sector has yet to be resolved in the French-speaking areas of Belgium. Key elements of the new five-year deal to 2010 have to be confirmed while elements of the previous agreement have still not been implemented. Unions organised demonstrations in Namur and Brussels on 2 June in support of their demands, in particular increases in pay to protect purchasing power.
Read more at > SETCA
SPAIN - Strike continues in Ministry of Justice
Members of the CCOO and CSIF union federations in the Ministry of Justice are now in their second week of strike action. The unions decided on an all out strike following the Ministry’s refusal to fully implement previously agreed collective agreements.
Read more at > CCOO
UK - Civil service union warns of widening pay gap
The PCS civil service union says that the gender pay gap in the civil service has widened by three percentage points to 25% over the last year. The union argues that an important factor in this development is the decision by the Treasury (finance ministry) to impose a ceiling of 3.5% on civil service pay awards. The UK civil service is divided into over 200 bargaining units and unions are campaigning to re-establish a national pay framework.
Read more at > PCS
NETHERLANDS - Action continues in local government
The pay dispute in the municipalities is continuing and last week saw a demonstration of 15,000 workers in Museum Square in Amstderdam. The ABVAKABO and CNV unions were delighted with the turnout as they had expected around 10,000. The unions are looking for a 1.25% pay increase backdated to the beginning of the year while the employers have so far offered only 0.6% from 1 June.
Read more at > ABVAKABO
GERMANY - Real wages fall over last 10 years
New figures from the WSI trade union research institute show that real wages (wages adjusted for inflation) fell by 0.7% in the last 10 years. This makes Germany the worst performer of the EU15. The figure contrasts with the 8.4% recorded in France, 11.9% in Netherlands and the 25.2% rise in the UK. The WSI argues that this decline in real wages might have helped the country’s booming export industries but has been a key factor in the fall in domestic demand which is the main economic concern at the moment.
Read more at > WSI
AUSTRIA - Civil servants manage real wage increase
The industrial relations observatory EIRO reports that real wages fell in Austria between 2000 and 2004 for all but civil servants. The figures released by the Court of Audit indicate that male civil servants saw their average real pay increase by 8.3% over the period in comparison with only a 0.3%. However, the gender pay gap in the civil service at 11% is still much narrower than among blue collar (55%) or white collar (44%) workers.
Read more at > EIRO
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