014 epsucob@NEWS August 2008

UK - Scottish civil servants strike over pay

Around 5,000 civil servants in Scotland took one-day strike action on 31 July in protest at the 2% pay limit imposed by the Scottish Executive. The PCS civil service union also began an overtime ban and work-to-rule from 1 August. Meanwhile civil servants in passport offices took three-day strike action over a 2.5% pay offer and in protest at what is seen as a draconian performance management system and a restructuring that could see several major offices close and the loss of 100 jobs in Glasgow. Read more at > PCS (EN) And at > PCS (EN)

Ireland - Unions reject employers’ pay offer as talks break down

Irish trade unions have rejected the employers’ offer of a 5% pay increase over 21 months in the national, inter-sectoral negotiations. The break down of talks means that with the final increases in the current “Towards 2016” agreement falling due, there is the prospect of workers not being covered by a national agreement for the first time in over 20 years. Trade unions are also unhappy that employers have also refused to discuss improvements in collective bargaining rights and better protection for union members in non-union firms. Read more at > IMPACT (IE)

Spain - Trade unions plan further mobilisation in September

The public service federations, FSP-UGT, FSAP-CCOO and CSI-CSIF are planning to organise further demonstrations of their members in the state administration in September to maintain support for their demands for better pay and more staff. The unions argue that in a period of economic difficulties the public services play a key role and it is important to ensure that workers in public administration don’t see their pay fall further behind the national average. The unions want to see more agreements signed like the new framework agreement covering workers in the public employment service. This not only covers improved pay but also involves a commitment to increased staffing and a new promotion system. Read more at > FSAP-CCOO (ES) And at > FSP-UGT (ES) And further at > FSP-UGT (ES)

UK - Scottish local government workers vote for industrial action

Following the strike across England, Wales and Northern Ireland, local government workers have now voted for industrial action in protest over a three-year pay offer from the employers that would mean increases of 2.5% in each year. Meanwhile, craft workers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland who negotiate separately over pay are also being balloted for strike action following a consultative ballot that rejected the employers’ 2.45% pay offer. Read more at > UNISON (EN) And at > GMB (EN) And at > UNITE (EN)

Germany - Verdi negotiates new agreement at private care company

The Burchard Fürcher company employs around 2,500 workers in homes for the elderly and other social care institutions. The employees will be covered by a new 18-month collective agreement from 1 July 2008 that includes a €20 pay increase for all plus a percentage increase depending on grade. The lowest grade will get a 3.5% increase this year. All workers will get another €20 increase next July. There is also a €120 lump sum and minimum pay rate of €7.50 an hour. Read more at > verdi (DE)

France - EDF sub-contractor charged with underpaying employees

In a case lasting over two years, an employment tribunal has ordered a Polish company, Polimex, to pay €10,000 in compensation to one of its employees. The CGT trade union’s mines and energy federation took the case when it discovered the Polish workers employed by an EDF subcontractor working at the Porcheville power station had not received wages to which they were entitled and had put up with poor working and living conditions. Read more at > CGT (FR)

Austria - Decent pay and training for social care workers

The GÖD public service union has renewed its call for government action over the pay and training of health and social care workers. The union says that along with extra funding for 24-hour care the government should ensure that workers have proper training and that care workers should no longer be left alone to look after older people without the necessary training. The union argues that both care workers and the people they care for need the protection of proper training and that a better paid job with formal qualifications will help attract the much needed additional workers that are required for 24-hour care. Read more at > GÖD (DE)

Europe - Study confirms wide wage dispersion where collective bargaining is weakest

A new study published by the ETUI-REHS research organization concludes that inter-industry wage differentials are more dispersed in countries where wage bargaining is weakly coordinated and essentially organised at the firm or establishment level. The study looked at industry earnings across a range of countries in Western and Eastern Europe. It found that the wage structure is more compressed in countries where the proportion of workers covered by a collective agreement or affiliated to a trade union is high. The findings thus “support the hypothesis of a negative relationship between the dispersion of inter-industry wage differentials and a country’s degree of corporatism.” Read more at > ETUI-REHS (EN)

Europe - Annual review of working conditions

The European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions has published its annual review on working conditions across Europe. The Review looks at key legislative and policy developments in areas like working time, anti-discrimination, violence at work and flexicurity. It also examines statistics on trends in earnings, the gender pay gap and lifelong learning. Read more at > European Foundation (EN)

Finland - Gender pay gap at 15% in Finnish industry

Latest figures for average pay across Finnish industry show women earning €12.61 an hour and that is 85% of men’s average earnings of €14.86 an hour. The figures for energy supply are nearly identical with men’s average earnings in the sector also at €14.86 while women’s average earnings are €12.62 an hour, just one € cent more than the overall average for women workers. Read more at > Union News (EN)

France - Growth in precarious employment among elder- and childcare workers

The CGT federation has pointed to a recent study showing the significant growth in local authority employment of “animateurs”, effectively workers who organise a range of cultural and other activities for children and older people. The number of animateurs grew by more than 70% between 2001 and 2006, most are part time and just under two-thirds don’t have public servant status and so don’t benefit from the same employment conditions and protection as most other local authority workers. Read more at > CGT (FR)

Europe - Transport strikes and minimum wage news

The latest collective bargaining newsletter from the ETUI-REHS research organisation provides a round-up of news including items on minimum wage developments in France, Ireland, Lithuania, Romania and Slovakia as well as reports on transport strikes in Italy and Sweden. Read more at > ETUI-REHS (EN)