EU - staff strike over cuts; Poland, Slovenia, Czech Republic and Portugal - national campaigns against austerity and labour reforms; Spain: unions call for negotiations

This special issue of the newsletter is a round-up of recent research work that focuses on austerity and collective bargaining, particularly in the public sector. The publications covered are from the European Commission (DG Employment), the International Labour Organisation, International Trade Union Confederation, ETUI and from various other research organisations.

France - waste sector day of action; UK - three-month industrial action campaign; Ireland - national agreement rejected in ballot; Switzerland - right to strike case taken to ILO; Sweden - strike in local government

UK - PCS begins industrial action; France - energy unions’ action on pay; Russia - positive result after long pay campaign; Austria and Netherlands - action by healthworkers

EU - wages conference; Greece - general strikes and protests against attack on right to strike; Portugal - demonstrations against austerity; Ireland - latest on Croke Park negotiations; Spain - union reports reveal failure of labour reforms

Public sector strikes against austerity in Slovenia and Bosnia; Ballot for strike action in UK; Pay in the public sector - getting the facts right in Italy and Ireland; Civil service unions demonstrate over threat to career progression in Belgium

This is a special issue of the newsletter providing background information for the conference on wages on 1st February 2013 organised by DG Employment and the European Council’s Employment Committee and involving national and European trade union and employer organisations.

EPSU collective bargaining conference report; Greece - public sector strike; Europe - tripartite meeting on wages; Pay claims submitted in local and regional government in Sweden and Germany and private health sector in Austria

Europe - DG ECFIN view on collective bargaining; Health worker strikes in Estonia, Spain, Croatia and France; ILO criticises attacks on collective bargaining in Greece and investigates attacks in Spain

Greece, Spain, Portugal: general strikes against austerity; Sweden: unions coordinate to tackle low pay; Turkey: action on public sector bargaining rights; Slovakia: bargaining challenges in health sector; Macedonia: first private sector energy agreement