2012 January epsucob@NEWS 02
Public sector federations mobilise against regional government attacks
While the national government has announced another year of pay freezes across the public sector, regional governments are planning their own range of cuts to pay and conditions and services. Public sector unions are planning a series of demonstrations and strikes in response to these attacks. In Valencia trade unions are planning legal action as well as demonstrations against the regional government’s planned savings of more than €1 billion. A series of meetings and mobilisations began on 13 January and will continue with three demonstrations planned for 26 January and a region-wide protest
Confederations agree on general strike
The three trade union confederations are planning a general strike for 30 January in protest at the government austerity measures and their impact on workers and the welfare state. Unions are concerned about cuts to unemployment benefit and attacks on early retirement among other changes. They argue that the measures are being pushed through without any social dialogue and that the government has failed to consider any alternatives – no real attempt to deal with tax fraud and with the banks and employers in general getting off very lightly. [Read more at > FGTB/ABVV (FR)->http://www.fgtb.be
Massive support for private waste sector strike
The four trade unions organising in the private waste sector (FP-CGIL, FIT CISL, UILTRASPORTI and FIADEL) have congratulated their members on the very high level s of support for the strike across the country. The unions estimate that nearly nine in 10 workers joined the action that took place on 16 and 17 January and is mainly in protest at the employers refusal to re-negotiate a sector-level agreement. Read more at > FP-CGIL (IT)
Public service union backs minimum wage initiative
The VPÖD-SSP public services union has leant its support to the initiative by the SGB/USS confederation to submit a petition with 110,000 signatures to the government and regions (cantons) to introduce a national minimum wage. The target wage is 22 CHF (€18) an hour (4000 CHF (€3300) per month based on a 42-hour week). An estimated 400,000 workers currently earn less than this and three quarters of them are women. Unions in the public sector have already secured 4000 CHF as a minimum wage although this is under threat from privatisation and only action by VPÖD-SSP ensured that the minimum
Union organises protest over cuts to culture sector
The KKDSZ trade union, representing workers in museums, libraries and other cultural institutions is organising a demonstration on 22nd January, traditionally the Day of Hungarian Culture, to coincide with the presentation of awards by the Minister of Culture. The aim of the protest is to highlight the impact of cuts on the culture sector which have included laying off 20% of the workforce since January. The county museums and libraries have become state-owned without any negotiations with trade unions and subsidies have been reduced from their already low level.
Three confederations protest over breakdown in social dialogue
In an unprecedented move the three confederations – Solidarnosc, NPZZ and Forum – have agreed to withdraw from tripartite social dialogue working groups and to challenge the Prime Minister on the government’s failure to comply with legislation on social dialogue and convene regular meetings of the tripartite commission. The unions argue that the government has a constitutional duty to take part in the social dialogue and not just in the working groups that have no decision-making role. [Read more at > Solidarnosc (PL)->http://www.solidarnosc.org.pl/pl/aktualnosci/sielanka-sie-skonczyla.html]
Confederation meeting sends out clear message on trade union rights
The FPSU trade union confederation organised a meeting in December to highlight the continuing and serious abuse of trade union rights. The roundtable agreed a clear resolution with messages to the parliament, president, council of ministers, ombudsman and prosecutor general and supreme court calling for action to defend trade union rights and to abide by the International Labour Organisation conventions on the right to association and right to collective bargaining.
General strike in protest at visit of "troika"
Trade unions mobilised for another general strike on 17 January in anticipation of the visit from the representatives of the European Commission, European Central Bank and International Monetary Fund – the troika. The unions are concerned that a further round of austerity measures is being planned along with further changes to make the labour market even more “flexible”. See more at > Guardian news video (EN/GR)
Unions mobilise for 11 February demonstration against "troika" policies
Public services union STAL will be mobilising support for a national demonstration called by the CGTP-IN confederation on 11 February. The demonstration is in protest at the measures being imposed by the troika of European Commission, European Central Bank and International Monetary Fund. Workers in the public sector have seen their pay cut while more broadly workers are facing longer hours and shorter holidays. Read more at > STAL (PT)
Unions take action against privatisation plans
The ETUC and EPSU have expressed their support for the actions by trade unions in the North of Cyprus to block the privatisation of the energy sector. Strike action was declared on 19 January and a major demonstration is planned for 30 January. The privatisation is seen as part of the government’s austerity measures. Read more at > Cyprus Mail (EN) And at > ETUC (EN) And at > KTAMS (TK)
Unions negotiate deal on rest breaks for ambulance workers
The GMB, Unite and UNISON trade unions representing ambulance staff in Scotland have negotiated a new deal that protects workers’ meal breaks while compensating them for occasions when they do have to deal with call-outs during their breaks. Read more at > GMB (EN)
Unions continue to protest over pay cuts
Over one year after their dispute began, the Unite and UNISON trade unions are maintaining their industrial action campaign in protest at pay cuts imposed by Southampton City Council. At a recent meeting the unions agreed to continue action short of a strike, to organise a lobby of the council on 15 February and to plan for a major demonstration and strike action in April. Read more at > UNISON (EN) And at > Unite (EN)
Union challenges government on impact of job cuts
The FOA public services union has highlighted the findings of a recent opinion poll in which 84% of people said that the level of employment was important in delivering public services. The union says this challenges the claims of both the present and previous governments that the level and quality of public services can be maintained despite the fact there are 25,000 fewer public sector workers in post than a year ago. FOA says that this is also putting pressure on the smaller number of workers who continue to provide key services such as child and eldercare and the risk that the situation
Difficult negotiations in health and social services
The vida and GPA-DJP trade unions face challenging negotiations with private and non-profit employers in health and social services. In the main private health agreement, BAGS, covering around 90,000 workers, the employers have offered between 2.95% and 3.05% when inflation is at 3.2%. There was also a disappointing offer, ranging from 1.89% to 2.5% from the private hospital employers where the agreement covers some 15,000 workers. Finally, in the non-profit sector the Caritas organisation, employing over 12,000 workers, has also made an offer that is below the rate of inflation. The unions
Important legal victory on fixed-term contracts
The JHL public services union has won a landmark ruling on the used of fixed-term contracts. The worker concerned had had eight consecutive fixed-term contracts over a period of six years and the employer had tried to argue that this was permissible because the job was related to dealing with annual applications to the European Union’s structural funds. The court rejected the employers’ argument and awarded compensation to the employee. Read more at > JHL (EN)
Unions demonstrate against agency workers directive
The Fagforbundet municipal workers union and EL&IT energy union were among those supporting a day of action in protest at the proposed introduction of the European Agency Workers Directive into Norway. Although not a member of the European Union, Norway does implement most EU directives but on this occasion trade unions are concerned that the directive might provide a opening to create a two-tier system, with agency workers on inferior terms and conditions. Read more at > Fagforbundet (NO)
Negotiations with local authorities will focus on job security
FNV Abvakabo and other unions will restart negotiations with local government employers on 31 January with a main focus on job security. The unions want a good agreement to protect municipal employees affected by restructuring. They are also looking to protect purchasing power and decent work. The municipal agreement effectively expired eight months ago and the unions will be looking for some positive responses from the employers on 31 January or more actions may follow. Read more at > FNV Abvakabo (NL)
Doctors' union negotiates pay increase for 2012
The Marburger Bund doctors’ trade union has agreed a pay increase of 2.9% for doctors in municipal hospitals. The agreement runs from 1 January to 31 December 2012 and in addition there is a lump sum payment of €440 to cover the period from September to December 2011, effectively after the previous agreement expired until the new one comes into effect. There are also changes to the pay scale with additional steps in three of the pay bands. Read more at > Marburger Bund (DE)
Unions signs agreement with local council to tackle pay inequality
The GMB general union has signed a collective agreement with Dudley Council in the West Midlands region of England that addresses previous problems of gender pay inequality in the pay structure. Read more at > GMB (EN)
Union protects in-house cleaning at two hospitals
The SIPTU general union has prevented the outsourcing of cleaning at two hospitals following the threat of industrial action. The union had challenged the managements’ plans to privatise the cleaning without consultation. The Croke Park national agreement on public sector pay and restructuring requires consultation with trade unions over any planned outsourcing. The unions have proposed an alternative that involves extra hours of work for home helps. Read more at > SIPTU (EN)
Unions reject latest employer offer
Unions have broken off negotiations in the energy sector following unsatisfactory pay offers from the employers. The employers had wanted to follow developments in the public sector which would have involved a pay increase of 2.65% plus €11.10 a month. A revised offer from the employers was hardly any different and would have meant pay increases of between 2.9% and 3.25% at a time when inflation is at 3.3%. Read more at > GPA-DJP (DE )
Minister makes positive statement on jobs and warns about outsourcing
Minister for Public Administration and Local Government Henna Virkkunen has told Motivi, the magazine of the JHL public sector union, that the need with one third of the municipal workforce due to retire by 2020 and with additional demands on many services, there will be plenty of job opportunities in the sector in coming years. This was also to reassure workers over the likely impact of a racial reorganisation of the local government sector which could see the number of municipalities reduced from 336 to 100 or less. The Minister also warned of the negative impact of outsourcing, particularly