02 epsucob@NEWS 23 January 2006
Members of the EPS trade union began strike action on 10 January. The companies affected are PE Electric Power Industry of Serbia, PE Elektromreža Srbije (Serbian Transmission System and Market Operator) and PE Underground Pit Mine Exploration. The strike is over the way the employers have disregarded the demands of the strikers for an increase in hourly pay. The general strike started on 10 January. The proposal of the Government of Serbia to postpone the strike till the end of February 2006 was rejected by the Board of Strikers. The last round of negotiations was held on 20 December 2005 when the Government proposed a maximum of 6.5% increase in salaries for 2006, without paying off what was owed for 2004 and 2005 - the inflation rate in Serbia in 2005 was 17 %. The EPS trade union demands that the Government starts negotiations and gives a concrete response to the demands of the strikers.
Ireland - Fixed-term contract case referred to European Court
Last year the Irish public service union IMPACT won a case on behalf of 91 civil servants who had been discriminated against because they were on fixed-term contracts. The civil servants had lost out in terms of a number of benefits in comparison to their colleagues on permanent contracts and were offered £217,500 in compensation plus back pay by Ireland’s Rights Commissioner. The Irish government has appealed and the Labour Court has now referred several issues to the European Court to resolve.
Read more at > IMPACT
UK - Campaign on nurses’ pay
The Royal College of Nurses (RCN) has launched a campaign in support of a real increase in pay for nurses this year. The RCN is angry that Labour finance minister Gordon Brown has called for a 2% limit on pay increases in the coming year. The union is urging nurses to send e-mail messages to the minister in support of their claim.
Read more at > RCN
UK - Strike planned in biggest civil service department
The threat of major job cuts has produced a vote in support of strike action on 26 and 27 January in the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). Around 15,000 jobs have already been cut from the Department and a further 15,000 could go as part of the government’s efficiency measures. The union has called for further cuts to be delayed until there has been a proper assessment of the impact on services. But the DWP has refused.
Read more at > PCS
Portugal - Portuguese Government imposes wage increase
Our SINTAP contact also reports that the government has imposed a 1,5% pay increase for all the public services workers. By doing this the socialist government has violated ILO conventions and the Portuguese public collective law. During the negotiations the Government rejected all the trade unions proposals. After this decision, FESAP/UGT asked for a further negotiations in order to minimise the 7.9% lost of purchasing power that the public service workers have suffered since 1998.
Portugal - Oporto Municipal workers keep up the protests
Our epsucob@ contact in SINTAP reports that on the 17 of January, the waste workers of Oporto formed a human-chain, from the City Hall to the Civil Government, to protest against the removal of the night-shift allowance. After the third consecutive month with less €115 in every salary, the workers will organise more protests until Mr Rui Rio (Oporto Mayor) solve their problems, giving that allowance which they earn for more than 30 years.
Read more also at > STAL
Europe - Collective bargaining conference
Just under 100 delegates from 25 countries attended the fourth EPSU collective bargaining conference in December. They discussed a range of key issues including campaigning on low pay, developing policy on young workers and migrant workers. ETUC deputy general secretary Maria Helena Andre outlined the year’s developments in the intersectoral social dialogue while Maarten Keune of the ETUI-REHS research institute presented the main findings of the annual ETUC survey on collective bargaining. A full report of the conference is now available.
Read more at > EPSU
Italy - Health workers plan action in February
Public sector health workers in Italy are still trying to get their collective agreement renewed 25 months after it expired. A planned sit-in outside the Ministry of Health has been called off in the light of further negotiations but if progress is not made then a 24-hour strike is planned for 13 February and a 48-hour strike on 27-28 February.
Read more at > CGIL
Hungary - Minimum wage increases agreed
The EIRO industrial relations observatory reports that the government and social partners have agreed new minimum wage rates including a new three-tier minimum wage system. For 2006 the government has recommended a 10.5% increase to HUF 63,000 (254 euros). The second rate for jobs requiring a vocational qualification will be 10% higher at HUF 70,000 and the third minimum wage rate will be another 10% higher at HUF 77,000 for jobs requiring a degree. The Ministry of Finance has also indicated the level of minimum wages up to 2010, with the lowest rising to 90,000. Union targets for the minimum are 60% of the average which is HUF 78,200 in 2006.
Read more at > EIRO
France - Unions call day of action
Unions in the public sector have called a day of action - strikes and demonstrations - on 2 February in protest at the public services minister’s refusal to get involved in proper negotiations over pay. With inflation expected to reach 1.8% this year, the government has so far offered only a 0.5% pay increase from 1 July. It refuses to acknowledge the fall in purchasing power of public service workers since 1999 and also refuses to discuss a reform of the public sector pay scale.
Read more at > CGT
And at > FO
And at > CFDT
Germany - 5.9% pay claim at E.ON
Services union ver.di, along with the IG BCE union, has submitted a pay claim for 5.9% for the year from 1 March 2006. The union argues that with a large increase in productivity and with the company in a very good financial position it is a reasonable claim. The union also wants to see more trainees given permanent jobs while those offered fixed-term contracts should get a minimum of a year rather than six months.
Read more at > ver.di
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