2012 March epsucob@NEWS 06
High level of support for general strike
The public service federations – FSC-CCOO and FSP-UGT – report high levels of support for the general strike on 29 March. The strike was in protest at government proposals for labour reform that would significantly weaken employment rights. FSC-CCOO said there were over 100 demonstrations around the country and that the mobilisation in Madrid was bigger than in the previous general strike in September 2010. FSP-UGT estimated support in the central administration at 50%, in regional government at 57% and 64% local authorities. The FSC-CCOO also reported action around the world in Spanish
Private waste sector agreement finally signed
After difficult and lengthy negotiations and strike action, the FP-CGIL, FIT-CISL and FIADEL trade unions have signed a new collective agreement in the private waste sector for the period 2011-13. The deal will mean an overall pay increase of around 7.7% or €134. The unions were concerned to maintain the sectoral agreement in the face of legislation to liberalise the industry and pressure to decentralise bargaining. Read more at > FP-CGIL (IT)
Strike call over health cuts
The ADEDY civil service confederation called for strike action on 29 March over the impact of austerity measures in the health sector. The union says that thousands of workers now lack the constitutionally guaranteed right to health services by the State. Continued cuts and restrictions on drugs and benefits, reductions in funding and the squeeze on budgets are leading to tragic consequences. Hospitals and health units are being merged and closed solely to drastically cut costs and meet the requirements of the Troika and the lenders, without considering the real needs of society for health
Second wave of warning strikes
Ver.di organised a second wave of warning strikes in the lead up to the third round of negotiations covering two million workers in federal and local government. Over 30000 workers were mobilised across the country in childcare, local transport, power stations, administration, refuse collection, hospitals and other services. The pay demand is for a 6.5% increase with a minimum increase of €200 a month. Read more at > ver.di (DE)
ETUC rejects Commission proposal on right to strike
The European Commission has adopted the so-called Monti II regulation in response to the issues arising from the Viking and Laval European Court of Justice rulings. Trade unions had hoped that the regulation would provide a counterbalance towards social rights in the internal market in relation to the economic freedoms that took priority in the Viking and Laval cases. The regulation has been widely criticised by national confederations with LO Sweden arguing that it contravenes ILO conventions by allowing the European Court of Justice to decide whether industrial action is justified in a
Health workers vote on pensions changes
Members of Unison are being balloted over what the government says is its final offer on pension reform for the National Health Service. The proposals maintain a defined benefit scheme with a move towards career average in 2015; health workers earning less than £26558 (€31870) a year will not see an increase in their pension payments this year; all benefits built up in existing schemes will be protected and will maintain the final salary link at retirement; and members within 10 years of retirement will receive protection. Members of the Unite union have already rejected the deal and other
EPSU-ETUI collective bargaining seminar
EPSU, with the support of the ETUI trade union education institute, is organising a seminar on collective bargaining on 24-25 May (participants are asked to arrive on the evening of 23 May). The seminar will discuss the implications of economic governance for collective bargaining, will hear how the European Metalworkers Federation has been coordinating collective bargaining and will debate the proposal to set up a permanent collective bargaining network within EPSU. Read more at > EPSU (EN)
Municipal unions submit their negotiating demands to the employers
Fagforbundet and the other local government unions in the LO confederation have set out their key bargaining demands for 2012. They are looking for compensation for inflation with increases to help the lower paid and close the gender pay gap as well as higher pay for working unsocial hours. The union will ensure they take account of the particular interests of young workers, graduates and temporary workers. They are calling on municipalities to directly employ more workers rather than rely on agency staff and they want higher starting pay rates and career development plans to make the local
Agreement reached in childcare sector
The FNV Abvakabo and CNV Publieke Zaak public service federations have negotiated a new collective agreement covering 95,000 childcare workers. The two-year agreement is backdated to 1 January 2012 and includes three pay increases – 2% on 1 May 2012, 1.5% on 1 January 2013 and 0.5% on 1 June 2013. There are also provisions covering health management, career planning and counselling. Unions and employers will also work together on issues related to ethics and quality in childcare. [Read more at > FNV Abvakabo (NL)->http://www.abvakabofnv.nl/nieuws/nieuws/akkoord-cao-kinderopvang] [And at > CNV
Details of agreement on contract workers
In February the Histradrut signed a national agreement covering contract workers in the private and public sectors. Essentially contract workers, such as cleaners and security staff working on public sector contracts, will now benefit from the pay increases applied in the public sector and a range of other provisions such as pensions, a study fund, meal allowances and convalescence plans. The agreement will result in around 1000 contract workers being taken on directly by public sector employers and in future there will be close monitoring of the pay and conditions of contract staff who work
Municipal union expresses solidarity with retail union
Local government union Kommunal has said it fully supports the Handels commercial employees’ union in the current negotiations. Handels has just given notice of a dispute with employers and will consider industrial action if the employers don’t come up with a suitable pay offer by 13 April. Kommunal says that it is important to show support for Handels because it negotiating on behalf of a large number of relatively low-paid workers and it is important that they don’t get left behind other groups of workers. Within the LO blue-collar workers confederation unions are pushing for a 100 SEK (€11
Refuse workers on strike in Lyon region
Refuse collection workers in the Grand Lyon region covering 58 local authorities have entered their third week of strike action in opposition to privatisation, to maintain existing services and for improved pay and conditions. Unions have criticised the Grand Lyon authority for adopting private sector methods in trying to beat the strike by using contract workers to collect rubbish. The unions involved are the CGT, FNAF/CFTC, FO, CFDT, FA/FPT, UNSA et UGICT/CGT. Read more at > CGT Service Publics (FR)
Anti-austerity protests to continue in local government
The STAL local government union has announced that it is planning further protest action in April following the general strike that took place on 22 March. The union says that there was 80% support for the strike in local government. It had been called by the CGTP trade union confederation but was not support by the UGT confederation. The UGT signed an agreement on growth and jobs with the employers and government earlier this year. [Read more at > STAL (PT)->http://www.stal.pt/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=824&Itemid=183] [And on the UGT agreement at > Sintap (PT)->http://www
Negotiations produce agreement on pensions and unemployment benefit
EPSU affiliate Pardia reports that the STTK white-collar workers’ confederation has endorsed an agreement with employers on a number of issues to deal with the ageing workforce. There will be an increase in pensions contributions in 2015-2016 in response to higher pension costs but there will also be improvements to unemployment benefits. Workers aged 63 and over will now have the right to rehabilitation and the unions have stressed the need for the government to focus on a strategy for jobs and investment rather than making cuts. [Read more at > Pardia (EN)->http://www.pardia.fi/in_english/
Firefighters get new guide on health and safety
The health and safety section of the ETUI trade union institute has published a new guide to health and safety for firefighters. The guide was produced in close collaboration with EPSU and its firefighters’ network. A key message from the publication is the need for improved monitoring and action to improve the health of firefighters and greater acknowledgement of the risks they face. [Read more at > ETUI (EN)->http://www.etui.org/Publications2/Guides/Firefighters-feeling-the-heat] [And in French at > ETUI->http://www.etui.org/fr/Publications2/Guides/La-sante-et-la-securite-des-hommes-du-feu]
Federal labour court rules against age-related leave
Younger workers in the public sector will benefit from a recent labour court judgement that said age-related annual leave contravened age discrimination laws. Currently workers aged up to 30 get 26 days’ paid leave which rises to 29 days for those up to age 40 and then 30 days for the over-40s. The ruling means that all workers covered by the federal and local government agreement will now be entitled to 30 days’ paid leave. Read more at > ver.di (DE)
Union criticises municipalities for low level of full-time jobs
The FOA public services union has revealed that only 4% of jobs advertised in health and social care were on the basis of a full-time 37-hour week. The issue of part-time work was raised in the last negotiations and unions want the employers to commit to providing a minimum proportion of full-time jobs. Read more at > FOA (DK)
Union survey reveals pressures on health care workers
A regular survey by the FNV Abvakabo public service union found that 60% of workers in the health sector doubted whether they would work until retirement age because of the high mental and physical demands they face. Mental health professionals find their work particularly draining because of the heavy workloads and the nature of the job which are often made worse by concerns about job security. Pressures on night shift workers are even more acute and that’s why the union has called for more workers on shifts and action on diet and health monitoring. [Read more at > FNV Abvakabo (NL)->http:/
Union sets out progress in implementing national agreement
The Impact public services union has given evidence to a parliamentary committee on the Croke Park agreement. The agreement was negotiated in 2010 after pay cuts had been imposed by the government. Unions signed the deal to avoid further pay cuts and committed to negotiate savings across the public sector that would involve a reduction in the public sector workforce of 38000 by 2015 and cuts in the pay and pensions bill of €3.5 billion. A range of measures have been introduced to reduce spending including changing working practices and cuts in overtime hours. [Read more at > Impact (EN)->http
Union analysis shows women worse hit by council job cuts
The GMB general workers’ union has looked at official statistics for employment in local government in England and Wales. Between the first quarter of 2010 and the third quarter of 2011, 210470 jobs were cut by 375 councils and women accounted for 68% of those affected. In 20 municipalities women accounted for all of those lost jobs. Read more at > GMB (EN)