Italy - Public sector-wide strike on 26 October
The main public sector trade union confederations have come together to call a national strike and demonstration for 26 October. The action is in protest at the government’s planned budget for 2008 that doesn’t provide the funds for an adequate pay increase for 3 million public sector workers. The unions are also concerned about the spread of outsourcing and increasingly precarious employment conditions for public sector workers both of which have an impact on the quality of services provided. The unions are also demanding immediate implementation of the collective agreements covering 2006-2007 covering local government, health and tax workers.
Read more at > FP-CGIL (IT)
UK - UNISON calls for €9.70 minimum wage
Public services union UNISON has published its annual submission to the Low Pay Commission calling for the National Minimum Wage to be increased from the current £5.52 (€7.95) an hour to £6.75 (€9.70). The union also wants to see the lower rate for workers aged 18-22 to be abolished so that the adult rate applies from 18. A national minimum wage of £6.75 would be around 60% of average earnings based on the 2006 figure of £447 a week for a 40-hour week.
Read more at > UNISON (EN)
Sweden - Union confederation welcomes employers’ support for collective bargaining
The LO confederation has welcomed the decision by the Swedish employers’ association to discuss a new basic agreement and confirm the central role that collective bargaining plays in regulating industrial relations in Sweden. The system has come under pressure, particularly as a result of the Vaxholm case and the attempt by a Latvian employer to undermine the collective agreement for the construction industry. .
Read more at > LO (EN)
Portugal - Public and private sector unions unite in demonstration
Unions affiliated to the CGTP-IN federation are backing a national demonstration on 18 October in protest at government changes to public sector workers’ rights but also its broader plans for changes to the Labour Code. The CGTP-IN federation has also attacked aggressive police tactics in the lead up to the demonstration arguing that it is part of a government strategy to intimidate and discredit the unions.
Read more at > FNFSP (PT)
And at > CGTP-IN (PT)
Spain - Labour inspectorate dispute continues
Workers in the Labour Inspectorate are three weeks into their regular stoppages and have now taken their cause to Parliament. The workers are angry that Labour Inspectors and Supervisors have benefited from generous pay arrangements that do not apply to other staff, such as admin workers, employed in the service.
Read more at > FSAP-CCOO (ES)
Spain - High level of support for embassy strikes
Workers in Spanish embassies and consulates in Sweden, Denmark and Norway overwhelmingly supported strike action over their pay and conditions. Unions argue that these workers are not covered by appropriate collective agreements or any proper rules on pay and conditions. The workers may have lost out to the tune of 20% or 30% of pay and the unions are warning of further strike action in November if the government does not take action to resolve the situation facing some 6,000 workers in Spanish embassies and related offices around the world.
Read more at > FSP-UGT (ES)
Netherlands - Ten thousand training places in social care
The trade unions in the care sector have secured an agreement that the government will fund 10,000 new training places in social care institutions in 2008. The unions had been pushing for increased training in order to improve the quality of care and the government agreed the €235 million funding earlier this year.
Read more at > ABVAKABO (NL)
France - Unions take action over public sector negotiations
The CGT and FO trade union federation have organised a day of strike action on 18 October to maintain pressure on the government to establish a proper process of negotiation in the public sector, to increase pay and to change its planned reforms of special retirement plans. A co-ordinated day of action is also being planned by the main union confederations for the middle of November. André Santini, the Secretary of State for the Public Services, said at a conference earlier this month that public services depended on a good social dialogue and that he wanted to establish a social dialogue in the public sector that would be a model for the private sector. Unions are yet to be convinced and have set out a range of demands on both the social dialogue process and the need to tackle the fall in real salary levels across the public sector.
Read more at > CGT (FR)
And at > FO (FR)
And at > CFDT (FR)
Finland - Nurses threaten mass resignations
Many nurses in the TEHY trade union are already taking industrial action by banning overtime but if they don’t get a response to their pay demands by 19 November thousands are threatening to resign. The nurses are covered by the municipal government collective bargaining arrangements and the other unions involved backed a new collective agreement two weeks ago. However, TEHY is demanding higher pay increases for nurses that the 11% agreed by the other unions.
Read more at > YLE new (EN)
Finland - State workers agree pay deal
Workers in the central state sector have backed a new collective agreement that runs until the end of January 2010. The agreement will include three pay increases over the period of 3.5%, 2.5% and 2.0%.
Read more at >YLE news (EN)
Europe - Pensions portability directive revised and renamed
The earlier attempts at devising a draft directive that would give workers the right to transfer their pension entitlement across Europe have been abandoned following widespread opposition to the measures. The new directive concentrates on setting down minimum entitlements and ensuring that dormant rights - the pension entitlement left in a pension scheme linked to a previous employer - will have some minimum protection against inflation.
Read more at > DG Employment (EN)
And in German > DG Employment (DE)
And in French > DG Employment (FR)
Austria - Starting wage of €1100 per month for surgery workers
Over the summer the women’s section of the GPA-DJP trade union began a campaign over the pay of workers in doctors’ surgeries. Part of the campaign included a survey to which 500 responded - 98% women. Just over 98% of the respondents supported the demand for a €1,100 per month starting salary for surgery workers. Sixty-eight percent of respondents thought that they were not properly rewarded for the responsibilities of their job and just over half said they often worked more than their contractual hours. Apart from the €1,100 starting salary GPA’s demands include annual salary increases and a collective agreement whose rules cover the whole country.
Read more at > GPA-DJP (DE)
Austria - Pay negotiations start on 24 October
The public sector pay negotiations are set to begin on 24 October. The initial discussion will concentrate on an analysis of the economic situation. The GÖD, the public service union covering most of the public sector apart from local government, will be looking for a pay increase that takes account of both inflation and economic growth. The union will be keeping its members informed of progress with the negotiations on its website.
Read more at > GÖD (DE)
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