2011 December epsucob@NEWS 20

UK - Public sector unions delighted by massive support for pensions strike

Over two million workers joined the nationwide public sector strike over pensions on 30 November. All EPSU affiliates supported the day of action although not all had balloted for strike action. However, those on strike included the FDA managers’ union and SCP chiropodists’ union both taking action for the first time in their history. The action was called in protest against the government’s failure to negotiate properly over pension changes and proposals that would see most public sector workers have to work longer, pay higher pension contributions and get lower pension benefits. Some unions that supported the action but didn’t take strike action have reacted strongly against the latest government proposals that would withdraw protection for workers in their last 10 years of service. This could lead to further ballots for industrial action (see RCM press release). The timetable for negotiations over the firefighters’ pension schemes is different from other unions (see FBU press release). Read more at > UNISON And at > PCS And at > Unite And at > GMB And at > FDA And at > RCN And at > NIPSA And at > Prospect And at > RCM And at > FBU And at > SCP

Cyprus - Unions’ protest against austerity measures

EPSU affiliates, FP SEK, FSGE SEK, PASYDY, report that they will be taking strike action on 15 December in protest at the latest package of austerity measures. Earlier measures and the latest pay freeze mean that public sector workers will be 15% worse off by 2013. The unions are particularly angry that, despite the fact that most of the measures affect public sector workers, there has no social dialogue. There will also be a protest outside the finance ministry and a march to parliament. Read more at > Cyprus Mail (EN)

Turkey - Public sector federation to strike

The KESK public sector federation has announced a day’s strike action on 21 December in support of a range of important demands. These include affirming the right to strike in a collective agreement, job security and decent pay, equal pay for work of equal value, an end to the commercialization of public services, an increase in the minimum wage and an end to unfair arrests and intimidation of trade unionists. Read more at > Bianet news website (EN)

Portugal - Massive support for general strike

Trade unions report high levels of support for the general strike on 24 November against the new government’s austerity measures. In the latest round of cuts some public sector workers are set to lose up to 20% of their pay as Christmas and holiday bonuses are to be slashed. The STAL local government union says that levels of support reached 85% and have given workers the confidence to maintain their protest actions. Read more at > STAL (PT) And at > STAL (PT) And at > SINTAP (PT)

Lithuania - Demonstration calls for measures to tackle low pay, unemployment and poverty

EPSU affiliates in Lithuania are mobilizing for a demonstration on 10 December with a series of key demands to put to the government. These include: increases to minimum wage and basic salaries of public sector workers, job creation proposals, a shift towards progressive taxation, to ensure trade union rights and a budget that tackles unemployment and poverty.

Belgium - Over 75,000 demonstrate against austerity measures

The three trade union confederations (FGTB/ABVV, CSC/ACOD, CGSLB/VSOA) organized a national demonstration on 2 December against proposed budget cuts, attacks on pension rights and threats to the wage indexation system. Read more at > ABVV (NL) And at > FGTB (FR) And at > CSC (FR) And at > ACV (NL) And at > CGSLB (FR) And at > ACLVB (NL)

Italy - High turnout for private waste sector strike

The FP-CGIL reports that an estimated 80% of workers supported the strike in the private waste sector, backed also by the FIT-CISL, UIL TRASPORTI and FIADEL union organisations. The strike was over concerns about safety in the sector and the need to renew the sectoral agreement as an important protection for workers in the face of liberalization. A meeting with employers on 1 December didn’t resolve the dispute and the unions are determined to maintain their position and are considering a second day of strike action in January. Read more at > FP-CGIL (IT) And further at > FP-CGIL (IT) And solidarity message at > EPSU (EN)

Spain - Regions plan further cuts

The FSC-CCOO services federation has attacked the planned cuts announced by the Catalonian regional government on 30 November, saying that the cuts to pay, employment and working conditions will mean undoing 30 years of progress. Cuts in staff could mean the termination of contracts of temporary workers who make up 25%-30% of all regional government employees. The union also points out that this means an attack on collective bargaining and the collective agreements that have been signed in recent years. Meanwhile in Castilla La Mancha the regional government plans to increase weekly working hours for its 70,000 public sector employees from 35 to 37.5 while reducing pay by 3%. Read more at > FSC-CCOO (ES) And at > El Mundo (ES)

Slovakia - Doctors secure agreement on pay increases

The LOZ doctors’ union has negotiated a new agreement with the government that will see pay increase in three stages, rising in relation to national average salaries. The doctors’ campaign had been supported by the EPSU affiliate and health workers’ union SOZZASS, which has been calling for higher pay for all workers in the sector. Read more at > Slovak Spectator (EN)

France - Federation calls for real negotiations on gender equality

The CGT’s public sector federation has called on the Public Services Minister to commit to real negotations on gender equality and to revise his draft agreement to take account of key demands submitted by the Federation earlier this year. At the moment the proposal is to integrate gender equality elements into a general agreement on civil service and public sector workers’ pay and conditions. However, the CGT wants to see a specific agreement on gender equality that should include action to tackle the gender pay gap, improve work-life balance and address the level of salaries and hardship of women-dominated occupations. Read more at > CGT (FR)

Ireland - Trade union reaction to 2012 Budget

The Impact public services union said that the government’s 2012 Budget will increase the pressure on public services with 6,000 further job cuts on top of the 20,000 that have already been implemented. The public sector pay bill will be reduced by €400 million and this follows the €680 million in cuts in the year to June 2011 that were part of the Croke Park national agreement on pay and conditions and public service cuts. The union acknowledged the fact that despite the job cuts the freeze on recruitment would be relaxed in some key areas including primary health care, child protection and social care. Read more at > IMPACT (EN)

Finland - Municipal agreement includes 2.4% increase in first year

The new collective agreement for some 350,000 municipal employees has been endorsed, following the cross-sectoral framework agreement signed in October. The agreement takes effect on 1 January 2012 and expires on 28 February 2014. The increase in the first 13 months will be 2.4%. This includes 1.7% from 1 January 2012 with the remaining 0.7% of the pay increase used for financing qualitative changes in the agreement such as six days of paid paternity leave and the scrapping of regulations that have discriminated against temporary employees with regard to their annual leave rights. A €150 lump sum will be paid in January 2012. There will be a 1.46% increase as from 1 February 2013, with a further 0.6% negotiated at the local level. According to Eurostat the latest figure for inflation in Finland is 3.2%. Read more at > JHL (EN)

Finland - State sector agreement confirmed

Wages and salaries of all employees in the state sector will be increased from the beginning of March 2012 by 1.9% but with a minimum increase worth €39.50 per month. In addition in March a lump sum of €150 will be paid. A further pay rise of 1.4% will be paid in April 2013. In addition, 1 March 2012 and 1 March 2013 wages and salaries will be increased on average by 0.5% on the basis of the outcome of local negotiations. Unions welcome the fact that lower paid workers will benefit from having the minimum amount set in euros. According to Eurostat the latest figure for inflation in Finland is 3.2%. Read more at > Pardia (EN)

Sweden - Report reveals failure of rehabilitation at work

The Kommunal local government union has published a report exposing the poor performance of employers in the sector when it comes to rehabilitation. According to the survey only one in 10 workers return to work after injury thanks to rehabilitation services provided by employers and only 15% of employers adapt work for workers. Kommunal believes that there should be sanctions applied against employers who fail to provide adequate rehabilitation services. It also argues that there should be changes to health and unemployment insurance to support workers while off sick. Read more at > Kommunal (SV)

Germany - Campaign for collective bargaining and right to strike in church organisations

Services union ver.di is keeping up the pressure on church organisations in order to secure collective agreements and to affirm the right to strike. At the beginning of the month over 200 employees from two church institutions demonstrated in Hannover in support of their demands for a collective agreement. There was also some good news with a church-run clinic in Oldenburg saying it wanted to start negotiations with ver.di. Read more at > ver.di (DE)

France - Strike action over pay

As part of a broader campaign on pay, the FNME-CGT energy federation organised strike action on 17 November to put pressure on employers to increase basic salaries across the energy sector. Pay increases over the last few years have not kept pace with inflation. The increase in 2011 was imposed by employers after all unions failed to agree and the latest deal was not signed by the main unions in the sector. The 2012 increase on basic salaries will be 1.3%,although the overall increase will be 2.51%, to take account of various other elements including adjustments for pensions contributions. Read more at > FNME-CGT (FR)

Austria - Private health and social care negotiations start

The unions representing 90,000 workers in the private health and social care sector (vida and GPA-DJP) have called for a real increase in pay for employees in the sector. They point out that there is an urgent need for pay in the sector to catch up with pay in the rest of the economy. Currently average pay in health social care is 17% below the national average. Unions also want to see improvements in compensation for parental leave and account taken of experience in other occupations – two changes that would help improve pay for a sector dominated by women workers and so contribute to closing the gender pay gap. Read more at > vida (DE)

Ireland - Annual leave limits negotiated

The IMPACT public services trade union reports that negotiations have resulted in limits to annual leave but unions have managed to protect the entitlement of public sector workers. Local authority employers had drawn up plans to make drastic cuts in leave but the latest proposal means that workers with between 23 and 32 days’ leave should be protected. New entrants will have a 30-day maximum. It will be mainly senior staff who are affected with some seeing entitlement of 40 days cut back to 32. Read more at > IMPACT (EN)

Finland - Survey reveals widespread job cuts and increase pressure of work

Nearly three in four state sector workers report an increase in workloads while there have been work reorganisations in nine out of 10 workplaces. These are among the main findings of Pardia’s latest membership survey, based on responses from over 2,500 employees. The survey shows continuing concerns about job security and an increase in pressure of work, stress from unfinished work and mental fatigue. Read more at > Pardia (EN)