08-2007 epsucob@NEWS 25 April 2007

UK - Union confirms second national strike on 1 May

The PCS civil service union has confirmed that the planned national strike over pay and job cuts will go ahead on 1 May (not a public holiday in the UK). This will be the second one-day national strike this year in support of the union’s demands to stop job cuts and privatisation and to push civil service departments and agencies to award real pay increases. The national action has been supplemented by a range of industrial action - work-to-rules and overtime bans - in various departments and agencies. Read more at > PCS (EN)

UK - Health unions threaten strike action

Health unions are threatening strike action over the government’s proposals to implement this year’s pay increase in stages. Unions were angry in the first place that the increase this year is only 2.5% but were incensed when the government announced that they would get 1.5% this month (April) and the remaining 1% in November (consumer prices rose by 3.1% in the year to March but retail prices, still used in most pay negotiations rose by 4.8% over the year). Read more at > Guardian newspaper (EN)

Germany - Energy workers resist rise in working hours

Pay negotiations in the eastern German energy sector were resolved this week with a 3.1% increase for the 25,000 workers covered by the private energy supply company agreement (AVEU Ost). The agreement runs for 13 months and the increase is backdated to 1 April. The employers had initially offered 1.9% and demanded in increase in working hours. However, a two-hour work stoppage by 2,500 workers on Friday 20 April helped resolve the issue and indicated the unions’ determination to resist any increase in hours. Inflation in Germany (consumer prices) was 1.9% in the year to March. Read more at > ver.di (DE)

Netherlands - Unions take RWE to court

Abvakabo and CNV Publieke Zaak are taking legal action against the energy multinational RWE. The company is taking on workers at two of its Dutch gas subsidiaries, Haarlemmermeergas and Obragas, on poorer pay and conditions, including a 40-hour instead of 38-hour working week, than those specified in the sectoral collective labour agreement. Read more at > Abvakabo (NL) And at > CNV Publieke Zaak (NL)

Portugal - Month long union mobile campaign leading to general strike

The STAL public sector and STML local government unions have launched a “caravan of indignation” in protest at government policies on public services and the rights of public sector workers. The caravan will travel around the country raising awareness about the unions’ long-running campaign and mobilising for the national strike called by the CGTP-IN union confederation on 29 May. Read more at > STAL (PT)

Europe - EPSU affiliates reject concession bargaining

Energy, water and waste trade unions discussed recent collective bargaining developments at EPSU’s public utilities standing committee on 20 April. Several colleagues reported that the European companies are seeking concessions from the trade unions on longer working hours, reduction in the number of days leave etc. This is happening despite record profits for energy companies and in a context where billions are spent on takeover battles. The EPSU group evoked the charter on transnational solidarity in an integrated industry and pledged support to unions fighting such attempts. EPSU unions aim to achieve wage bargaining results that compensate for inflation and provide a fair share of productivity increases. Read more at > EPSU (EN) The transnational charter is available in 16 languages. Read more at > EPSU

Switzerland - Unions come together in healthcare campaign

The VPOD/SSP public services union is working with other health unions and the SGB/USS trade union confederation to campaign for a major reform of the Swiss healthcare system. The SBK/ASI nurses’ association and SVBG/FSAS federation of professional health associations are also supporting the campaign. The unions believe it is possible to move to a more affordable and efficient system with more planning to reduce the costs of what they see as an inequitable and costly system. They are also calling for action on working time and the training and employment of more health specialists. The unions note that in some cases health workers work up to 100 hours a week, go for 31 days without a day off or work night shifts of 18 hours. The unions argue that it is unfair that the only option for some health workers is to suffer a cut in pay by reducing hours in order to ensure their own health. Read more at > SGB (DE) And at > USS (FR)

Ireland - Nursing unions escalate action over pay and hours

The Irish Nurses Organisation and Psychiatric Nurses Association are continuing their action in support of higher pay and shorter working hours. Two one-hour stoppages were planned for 25 and 27 April involving thousands of nurses around the country. The unions are claiming a 35-hour week and starting salaries in line with other health sector professions. Read more at > INO (EN)

Bulgaria - Bulgarian government condemned over strike restrictions

The Committee of Social Rights of the Council of Europe has condemned the Bulgarian government for not respecting the right to strike for civil servants and other groups of public service workers such as in electricity and health care. The verdict came after the ETUC and the Bulgarian confederations CITUB and Podkrepa brought a case before the Committee in 2005. Read more at > ETUC (EN) And at > ETUC (FR)

Netherlands - New collective agreement for social welfare services

Employees covered by the social welfare services collective labour agreement will get a 2% pay increase from 1 May and a further 1% from 1 January 2008. The agreement also introduces new job security measures for all employees. Inflation in the Netherlands was 1.9% in the year to March. Read more at > CNV Publieke Zaak (NL) And at > Abvakabo (NL)

Europe - New trade union source of information on collective bargaining

The Global Union Research Network (GURN) has set up new web pages on its site dedicated specifically to information and analysis on collective bargaining. The information is co-ordinated by the researchers at the ETUI-REHS research institute but includes data and links on collective bargaining around the world. Read more at > GURN (EN)

Europe - Commission consults over protection of workers against carcinogens and toxic substances

In 2004, the European Commission carried out the first-phase of a consultation of the European social partners on the protection of workers from exposure to carcinogens, mutagens and substances toxic for reproduction at work. This confirmed that action needed to be taken at Community level to introduce better and standardised methods across the EU, and to tackle situations involving workers’ exposure. On 9 March this year, the Commission launched the second-phase of the consultation to obtain the opinion of the European social partners on the content of a possible Community proposal in this area and in particular. The consultation runs until the end of May. For further information and copies of the consultation document, the European Commission contacts are: Antonis Angelidis and François Ziegler (Antonis.Angelidis@ec.europa.eu, Francois.Ziegler@ec.europa.eu). The ETUC produced a response to the first phase of the consultation. Read more at > ETUC (EN) And at > ETUC (FR)