03 epsucob@NEWS February 2009

France - Unions report a massive turnout on 29 January

Trade unions were delighted at the high level of support for demonstrations and strikes across the country on 29 January in both public and private sectors. The protests, backed by eight trade union confederations, were in response to the economic crisis but were also part of the long-running campaign by public sector unions to secure real pay increases for their members and to recoup some of the purchasing power lost in recent years. One estimate put the total number of demonstrators at 2.5 million in nearly 200 events around the country. The eight unions will meet on 9 February to discuss what further steps they should take. Read more at > CGT (FR) And at > CFDT (FR) And at > FO (FR) And the common press release at FSU (FR)

Germany - No offer from regional government employers

After the second round of negotiations the regional government employers have still to set out a specific offer to the trade unions who are looking for a pay increase of 8%. The two sides have at least agreed that pay is the central issue and not working time as it was in 2006. Ver.di members have been taking part in a series of demonstrations and warning strikes across the regions to indicate the strength of support for the pay claim. Read more at > ver.di (DE)

Europe - Social dialogue key to responding to crisis

The European Commission argues that its latest Industrial relations in Europe report highlights how social dialogue can play a crucial role in tackling the current economic crisis. Good industrial relations can help workers and employers adjust to and manage change effectively. The report also looks at the impact of collective bargaining on equal pay and low pay. It says that the empirical evidence suggests that, with all other variables constant, where trade union membership is 10% higher, wage inequality is around 2% lower. An increase in collective bargaining coverage of 10% is associated with a reduction in in-work poverty of 0.5%. Read more at > DG Employment (EN)

Europe - Co-ordinating collective bargaining in the energy sector

EPSU affiliates from the energy sector in Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg and the Netherlands met in Brussels on 27 January to discuss a number of commons issues. Comparisons of pay, company wage share trends, outsourcing, the use of fixed-term and agency workers and training were all on the agenda in what was the third meeting of this group of trade unions. The meeting was supported by the ETUI-REHS who will also help organise a follow-up meeting on 24-25 March when the group will decide whether and how to continue meeting in future. Read more at > EPSU (EN)

Europe - Collective bargaining working group

As part of the social dialogue and collective bargaining project in 2008, EPSU has organised a follow up meeting in Brussels on 17 March. The aim of the meeting is to review last year’s conference and discuss what specific follow-up action is needed on some of the main issues. The group will also discuss progress on providing and exchanging information on collective bargaining and plans for the collective bargaining conference that will take place on 3-4 December this year. In line with previous years EPSU would expect around 20-25 participants and there is limited funding from the European Commission for sponsorships and interpretation. Read more at > EPSU (EN)

Austria - Unions reject energy employers’ latest offer

Negotiations in the private energy sector will resume on 5 February after unions rejected a 3.5% pay offer (3.6% on minimum rates) from the employers. The offer also included a €250 lump sum that would be dependent on company profits. The unions believe that, despite the current economic problems, energy companies are in a healthy state and can afford to pay more. Read more at > GPA-DJP (DE)

Switzerland - Concern over collective agreement after electricity merger

The SSP public service union is concerned about maintaining a collective agreement covering network employees following a merger between two network companies EOS and ATEL. While a collective agreement currently covers EOS employees, there is no agreement at ATEL nor any negotiations between the employer and trade unions. The management of EOS have indicated a commitment to continuing social dialogue but the possibility of a negotiating a new agreement from 2010 will depend on a new management team including managers from ATEL with no experience of collective bargaining. The SSP is concerned that ATEL is one of three companies set to benefit from liberalisation of the industry across the German-speaking region of the country and so increasing the risk that collective bargaining coverage or public employment rights will decline. Read more at > SSP (FR)

Germany - Ver.di signs first company agreement with Sana Kliniken

At the end of January services union ver.di signed the first company collective agreement with the Sana group of hospitals. The agreement covers around 6,000 employees and the union says that it will mean that in future pay and working conditions will be more transparent and can be assessed in terms of equal opportunities. The agreement will run for 24 months and ver.di says that it will not only mean a substantial pay increase for many employees but those with young children will be helped out with a €100-a-month contribution to childcare costs. Read more at > ver.di (DE)

Netherlands - Childcare agreement extended

Public services union ABVAKABO is pleased that the Ministry of Social Affairs has ruled that the childcare collective agreement should be made generally binding. The agreement currently covers 80% of workers in the sector and is negotiated with the Mogroep employers’ organisation. The smaller BKN employers’ association had argued that it should not be covered by the agreement but was overruled. The extension of the agreement will mean higher pay and longer holidays for many employees of BKN companies. Read more at > ABVAKABO (NL)

Austria - Vienna shows way for better conditions for civil servants

The GDG local government union believes that improved conditions for civil servants working for the Vienna municipality provide a model that should be followed by regional governments across the country. The unions argues that civil servants now benefit from a range of new provisions including an seventh week of paid leave for older workers, updated rules on working time and several measures that improve health and safety and the working environment. The GDG thinks this marks a significant shift in comparison to working conditions 20 or 30 years ago and means that civil servants are better able to deliver quality services to citizens. Read more at > GDG (DE) The GDG also reacted strongly to recent accusations about the high levels of early retirement pensions being paid out by the Vienna municipality. The union made clear that early retirement pensions were paid out on the basis of medical reports and the level reflected the impact of onerous jobs on many of those working for the authority. The GDG also pointed out that levels of early retirement were lower in other municipalities because many services had been outsourced and the practice among private companies was to And further at > GDG (DE)

Spain - Federations launch campaign for early retirement for police

The FSAP-CCOO, FSP-UGT and CSIF public service federations have launched a campaign to secure early retirement rights for police employed by local authorities and the autonomous regions. The unions argue that early retirement will contribute to ensuring a good quality service and allow for increased recruitment of younger workers into the police service. Last year the unions were finally successful in their campaign for early retirement provision for firefighters. Read more at > FSAP-CCOO (ES)

Germany - Initial talks on demographic change in public transport

At the end of January services union ver.di began discussions with the VKA municipal employers’ organisation over demographic change in the public transport sector. The aim is to address a range of issues to that will keep workers healthier longer and encourage more young workers to join the industry. Ergonomic seating for drivers, working conditions that take account of the needs of older workers and training to deal with stress are among the issues up for debate. Ver.di wants to see these and other matters formally negotiated as part of a collective agreement on demographic change. Read more at > ver.di (DE)

Ireland - Public service workers faced with massive rise in pension contributions

Talks between the social partners broke down earlier this month over government proposals to introduce large increases in pensions contributions and other payments for public service workers. The IMPACT public service union has acknowledged the need for measures to help the country out of the economic crisis but is angry that such high increases are being imposed on workers without any specific proposals for employers will do. The union also points out that the payments will impact on lower and higher paid workers with some higher paid workers facing a smaller increase in pension contributions because of higher tax relief. Read more at > IMPACT (EN) And further at > IMPACT (EN)

Italy - Federations set up campaigning website

The public service (FP) and metalworking (FIOM) federations within the CGIL trade union confederation are working together in a campaign against precarious employment, low pay and attacks on employment rights. The federations have set up a website together that is part of their organising campaign to build for a national strike in their sectors on 13 February. Read more at > Joint trade union website (IT)

UK - Gas engineers start overtime ban to get equal treatment

Gas engineers at National Grid voted overwhelmingly in support of an overtime ban in support of their claim for shift workers’ overtime pay to be the same as that paid to National Grid’s electricity workers. National Grid runs both the electricity and gas transmission networks and a process of harmonisation of terms and conditions between gas and electricity engineers began in 2005 but the Prospect trade union says that workers are angry that the process has taken so long. [Read more at > Prospect (EN)->http://www.prospect.org.uk/news/newsstory.php?news=561

Europe - Collective bargaining language

Trade unionists who want to brush up on some key trade union vocabulary in French, German and English can download a set of glossaries from the ETUI-REHS’ worker participation website. Read more at > ETUI-REHS (EN)