2014 September epsucob@NEWS 15
No social dialogue over changes to civil service conditions
The FSC-CCOO is highly critical of the government for putting forward amendments to the basic law covering civil servants without taking part in any social dialogue with the trade unions. The union is particularly concerned about the changes that could lead to quality public sector jobs being replaced with precarious agency work, with much more flexibility in terms of function and mobility. It is also worried about the potential change from civilian to military status of jobs in local civil protection services and the police. The Federation is also critical that the 2015 budget has been
Action on pay building up over autumn
Public sector workers across the UK are either preparing for or voting on strike action on pay. Local government workers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland already have date for the second day of strike action on 14 October. Meanwhile, local government workers in Scotland and workers across the health service are being balloted for strike action. Non-teaching staff in academy schools are also being balloted for action. The push for higher pay across all sectors is being supported by the TUC confederation which has called a national demonstration for 18 October. [Read more at > Unison->http
Unions block pay cuts
Protests by the the Vpod public services union, along with other staff unions at the Winterthur city council were successful in getting the council to reject a proposal to cut city workers' pay by 2%. Over 300 workers joined the demonstration before the crucial vote. The Vpod welcomed the victory but recognised that it still had work to do to challenge other cuts being proposed by the Council. [Read more at > Vpod (DE)->http://www.vpod.ch/aktuell/nachrichten/ansicht/article/erfolg-in-winterthur-lohnkuerzung-vorerst-vom-tisch.html?tx_ttnews=34&cHash=f0f58451ba17b5e3b55bec149843e55c[
Mobilising for a new collective agreement
FNV Abvakabo and CNV Publieke Zaak are organising local committees to discuss the next steps in a campaign to negotiate a collective agreement covering civil servants. The previous collective agreement expired more than 1000 days ago (31 December 2010) and the unions are now looking to build up active support for a new agreement at local level to try to change the idea that a collective agreements is simply something delivered by the trade union. [Read more at > FNV Abvakabo (NL)->http://www.abvakabofnv.nl/over-ons/nieuws/nieuwsoverzicht/2014/09/campagne-voor-een-goede-cao-rijksambtenaren-van
Collective bargaining news from around Europe
The July/August edition of the ETUI Collective Bargaining Newsletter includes several articles on public service developments including: a 3.5% pay increase for public sector workers in the Czech Republic, a strike over staffing and working time by nurses in Portugal and a court ruling in Portugal against public sector pay cuts; and pressure in Serbia from employers to cut public sector pay. Read more at > ETUI
Report supports case for minimum staffing levels in healthcare
A new report from Duisberg-Essen university provides support for the arguments of ver.di that urgent action is required to deal with an estimated shortage of 162000 full-time workers in healthcare and a legal minimum staffing requirement would be a practical and reasonable way of dealing with this. The report also argues that there is a need to make healthcare jobs more attractive. This is a central concern for ver.di that was calling for an increase in the sector minimum wage for care workers to take it to €12.50 an hour. Unfortunately, the labour ministry only to the following new rates: in
Massive support for strike in Venice
The public service federations - Fp-Cgil, Cisl-Fp and Uil-Fpl - report over 85% of workers supported the strike in the Venice local authority at the end of August. The protest was over €47 million in cuts that were not only threatening the pay and conditions of local government workers but the quality of local services. The unions underlined the fact that these cuts in pay and conditions at local level were coming after a five-year freeze on public sector bargaining at national level. Read more at > Fp-Cgil (IT)
Strike over threat to pay and pensions
Public service union PASYDY, will take strike action on 19 September in protest at statements from the Minister of Finance about the possibility of further cuts in pay and pensions. The union argues that public sector workers have already seen their pay and pensions cut and that the government should direct its attention at those who caused the crisis. In the meantime the SEK trade union has decided not to take part in the strike following a meeting with the Ministry of Finance where the union was told there were no plans to cut the pay of hourly-paid workers and that any changes would be
Union calls for pay rises and challenge public-private pay gap claims
The IMPACT public services union has reacted to new figures showing falling earnings by calling for increased wages across the economy. It also reacted to claims about a widening pay gap between the private and public sectors. The union has produced a new report analysing the data and challenging the simplistic comparisons of average pay between the private and public sectors. Read more at > IMPACT
March shows continuing support for waste workers
Workers employed by the Greyhound waste company have been locked out for three months following their protests over an attempt to cut pay by up to 35%. They are continuing their protests and were supported other trade unions in a march through Dublin city centre on 2 September. Read more at > SIPTU
Corporatisation threat to pay and collective bargaining
Members of the JHL public services union in Helsinki will take a day of strike action on 23 September in protest at plans to turn the Palmia municipal company into a corporate enterprise. The union believes that this will pose a threat to the collective agreement and to the wages of those already on the lowest pay rates. JHL is also worried that this is a step towards privatising many of the municipal services provided by Palmia. Read more at > JHL (EN)
Concern over employment and training in private childcare
The FOA public services union is concerned about the growth of private childcare and the extent to which this poses a threat to levels of employment, training and quality of childcare. The union notes that large companies have made inroads into childcare provision in Norway and Sweden, often cutting costs by reducing the ratio of childcare workers to children. Read more at > FOA (DK)
Union launches new working time guide
The GPA-djp services union has launched a new guide on working time aimed at groups of workers who face particular challenges in dealing with employers pressing for more flexibility. The union says that it will support members in tackling employer breaches of working time rules, with the intervention of labour inspectors where necessary. The GPA-djp underlines the important role works councils and union reps can play in monitoring working time arrangement to ensure they are fair and don't pose a threat to workers' health. [Read more at > GPA-djp (DE)->http://www.gpa-djp.at/cms/A03/A03_0.a
New legal protection against psychosocial risks
Legislation came into effect on 1 September aimed at tackling stress and burnout. It requires employers to monitor pyschosocial risks and take measures to prevent them. Along with risk analysis, employers will have to provide counselling to employees to help them avoid prolonged exposure to stress. The legislation sets out the responsibilities of the various actors at the workplace and the measures that can be taken to prevent psychosocial risks. [Read more at > euractiv.com (EN)->http://www.euractiv.com/sections/social-europe-jobs/eu-asked-prevent-burnout-among-civil-servants-308437] [And