22-2007 epsucob@NEWS 17 December 2007

Europe - EPSU collective bargaining conference 2007

Over 100 participants from 20 countries took part in the sixth annual EPSU collective bargaining conference. ETUC deputy general secretary Maria Helena Andre kicked of the conference with a briefing on the inter-sectoral social dialogue and the challenges facing the ETUC in securing any action from the employers. Collective bargaining expert Maarten Keune from the ETUI-REHS outlined the results of the latest ETUC collective bargaining survey and then delegates had a chance to exchange information about pay developments in the public services. Specific debates took place on age management and sustainable development and the conference agreed to develop a policy on age management to take forward to the EPSU executive committee in 2008. The debate on the second day of the conference focused on the future of European industrial relations in the public services with contributions from industrial relations academics Paul Marginson and Franz Trazler along with Bart Samyn, deputy general secretary of the European Metalworkers’ Federation. A more detailed report will be available on the EPSU website.

Austria - Unions welcome positive bargaining result for 2008

The public sector unions GÖD and GDG have welcomed the 2.7% pay increase for 2008 as one of the best for several years. The increase on pay and other allowances will translate into an average increase in earnings of 3.3% across the public sector, with the lower pay getting around 3.8%. Workers will also receive a lump sum payment of €175. Read more at > GÖD (DE) Read more at > GDG (DE)

France - Public sector strike gets reaction from government

The public sector national strike on 20 November appears to have had an initial positive result for the eight trade union federations involved with the promise of talks with the government on 17 December. The government has said it is willing to talk about reform of the pay system in the public sector and annual negotiations on pay beginning in autumn 2008 for an increase in 2009. The unions are looking for a pay rise from the beginning of 2008 along with compensation for the erosion of real pay in recent years, and revision of the pay structure. Read more at > CGT (FR)

Portugal - Unions please at strike turnout

The public sector unions were pleased at the high turnout in support of the general strike action on 30 November. Public sector federation FNSFP argues that the 80% level of support clearly shows the government that the unions are serious about maintaining their opposition to government plans to impose labour reforms in the public sector. Read more at > FNFSP (PT)

Germany - “Significant” pay demand likely in public sector

Ver.di will convene its public services collective bargaining committee on 18 and 19 of December to agree its pay claim for federal and local government workers. General secretary Frank Bsirske has made it clear that the demand will be for a significant pay rise to compensate for current inflation and for the decline in real pay in recent years. The last agreement came into effect in October 2005. It introduced a new pay structure but only included lump sum payments and no increases to pay rates over the 27 months. Read more at > ver.di (DE)

UK - UK unions meet over co-ordinated pay campaign

Public sector unions have been frustrated over a difficult year of pay bargaining and are discussing the possibility of co-ordinated action in 2008. With a staged increase in the NHS leading to a below-inflation rise, a below-inflation increase for many workers in local government and with anger rising in the Police Federation, the UK government could find it very difficult getting unions to agree to stick to its 2% pay limit. Read more at > UNISON (EN)

Europe - ETUC warns of threat within key legal judgement

The ETUC has welcomed the European Court’s (ECJ) judgement in the Viking ferry case that local and national strike action can be justified in defending collective agreements. However, the judgement raises the issue of whether action is “proportionate” and the ETUC is worried that the ‘guidance’ given by the ECJ to national courts on how to deal with this is quite rigid and may cause problems when applied throughout Europe to different industrial relations systems. Read more at > ETUC (EN) And in French > ETUC (FR) The transport workers’ federation press release and briefing on the case is also available. Read more at > ITF (EN)

UK - Union pleased at high turnout for DWP strike

The PCS civil service union is delighted at the support for the two-day strike in the Department of Work and Pensions, one of the biggest civil service departments. Support for the action was very high with many workers angry that the new three-year pay deal proposed by management would leave up to 40% of all workers without a pay increase in 2008. Read more at > PCS (EN)

Greece - Union confederations unite in strike over pensions

The GSEE private sector confederation and ADEDY public sector confederation called a 24-hour strike on 12 December in protest at government pension reforms. News reports indicate a high level of support from workers in both sectors. Read more at > Reuters (EN)

Germany - Waste employers terminate agreement

Ver.di has reacted angrily to the decision by the BDE employers’ association to terminate the framework agreement in the private waste sector. Ver.di and BDE are negotiating a new pay structure for the industry and an interim lump sum payment should be agreed in January 2008 before the new pay agreement comes into effect. Read more at > ver.di (DE)

Spain - Unions sign collective agreement covering overseas employees

The four public service federations - FSAP-CCOO, FSP-UGT, CSI-CSIF and CIG - have signed a new collective agreement covering around 6,000 employees who work in Spain’s embassies, consulates and other overseas organisations. A strike by workers in embassies in Scandanavia was the most recent action in a long-running campaign by the unions to secure proper employment conditions for these workers. In fact, it has taken 15 years to secure this agreement which mirrors the main provisions on hours, holidays and other conditions in the principle public sector framework agreement. Read more at > FSAP-CCOO (ES) And at > FSP-UGT (ES)

Ireland - Pensions comparison will affect public sector pay benchmarking

Public sector pay is due to be assessed as part of a five-year benchmarking exercise that compares public sector pay rates with those in the private sector. Public sector union IMPACT warns that following a similar assessment affecting the highest paid public servants, pensions will be taken into account when making the comparison covering all other public sector workers. The union’s pension experts estimate that the cost of higher level of pensions in the public sector could be translated into a double-digit pay difference on the basis of the way the benchmarking reviewed body compared higher salaries. Although public sector workers will still get two pay increases in 2008 as agreed in the national agreement, they are now unlikely to get anything from the benchmarking exercise. Read more at > IMPACT (EN)