Transparency & Corruption, Low pay/minimum wages, Pay settlements, Croatia, Austria, Armenia

After lengthy negotiations a new public sector pay structure is in place that means significant increases to the coefficients used to calculate salaries for different occupations. Overall public sector workers are set to benefit on average by 13.5% in comparison to pay levels in 2023. Most unions are generally happy with the new system, including the HSSMS-MT nurses’ and health workers’ union which is one of 11 to sign the public sector collective agreement. However, other unions, including teaching unions, are unhappy with the outcome and argue that the new system fails to deliver appropriate

The vida services union has negotiated a new collective agreement with religious hospitals that has been approved by 92% of union members. The finalisation of the agreement was also pending confirmation of funding from the City of Vienna. Salaries increase by 8.3% with a 7.9% increase on allowances. The night work allowance for doctors increases to €20.00 an hour (18.8%) and the Sunday allowance to €14.00 an hour (20.9%). For non-medical staff the increase in the night and Sunday allowance takes it to €53.00 (21.5%) for more than four hours, otherwise to €6.63 an hour (21%). Workers get a

The vida and GPA private services unions have negotiated a new collective agreement covering the 7,000 employees in the regional associations of the Austrian Red Cross. All employees in the framework collective agreement will get a 9.15% increase while all employees in the new collective agreement section B and in the province of Vienna will get 9.2%. The increases are backdated to 1 January 2024. The collective agreement ensures that important provisions that previously differed from one province to another have now been successfully harmonised across the country, with a normal working week

The vida and GPA trade unions representing workers in non-profit care and other services have negotiated a new collective agreement with the Caritas group of religious organisations. The agreement applies to 41 organisations employing 17,700 workers, delivering a range of services such as disability care, education, support for the homeless and those in poverty. The increase took effect on 1 January with a 7.7% applied to salaries plus a 1.5% monthly allowance. All other bonuses and allowances increase by 9.2%. The unions believe this is another important step in delivering decent pay and

Following negotiations between the younion trade union and the City of Vienna and the Vienna Health Association (VHA), €150 million has been made available for better pay, better working conditions, more leisure time and measures to combat labour shortages. The 9.15% pay rise in January follows the public-sector wide negotiations but in addition there will be extra payments for night work and for working on Sundays and public holidays. Night shift workers are set to get two hours credit per shift that can be taken as time off or extra pay if not used within six months. There are extra payments

Following a third round of bargaining the younion and GÖD trade unions are pleased to have negotiated pay rises of between 9.71% and 9.15% for public sector workers with a minimum increase of €192. Pay additions and allowances will also rise by 9.15%. This is the highest increase for many years and the unions believe that along with the compensation for the recent surge in inflation, there is also recognition by employers that action is needed to tackle the staff shortages affecting most public services. There is also an acknowledgement of the extra efforts made by workers as they shoulder the

The HSSMS-MT healthcare union reports that following the third round of public sector pay negotiations, unions have accepted a pay increase of 5%, an improvement on the 3% offer made in the second round of bargaining. The unions have also secured the €300 Christmas bonus that they were looking for and an Easter bonus of €100, less than they wanted but a €30 improvement on the previous offer. There is also a commitment that, should the new pay system not be in place by 1 March 2024, then negotiations would open for a general pay increase.

The strike of members of the SDSLN trade union in the Ministry of Justice is over following a close vote to accept the government’s offer of a 12% pay increase. Although below the €400 increase aimed for, the union argues that this is a reasonable increase and goes some way to recognising that workers in the ministry had been undervalued. The SDLSN also notes that it was a significant achievement to maintain the strike and to affirm its legality in the face of legal challenges by the government. The agreement with the government also confirms that the union will be involved in the negotiations

After six months of negotiations, workers in church-run elderly care and nursing homes will get an 8% pay increase, along with a cost-of-living bonus of €1500 and a one-hour reduction in weekly working hours to 39 hours. The agreement covers around 3600 employees and the new monthly minimum wage will be set at €1850.76. The 8% increase translates into a 10.65% increase once the one-hour cut is taken into account. The vida trade union negotiated the agreement which it sees as bringing the church-based employer more in line with other collective agreements in the sector although it argues that

On 20 March, following warning strikes around the country in February, the vida trade union managed to negotiate a collective agreement for private hospitals with a 10.56% wage increase and €2000 minimum monthly wage. The increase takes effect on 1 July along with a cut in working time to 39 hours per week. The minimum increase for full-time employment is €180 and part-time employees will see pay increase by 9.56% and allowances by 7.53%. Employees will also get a €1600 net payment in four instalments by 30 June. Pay for apprentices will increase from 1 July to €815 in the first, €925 in the

The vida trade union organised a warning strike in 25 facilities across the country in support of its demands for higher pay for the 10,000 workers employed in the private hospital sector. The union is demanding a pay rise above inflation and a monthly minimum salary of €2000 and argues strongly that it is crucial to improve the pay and conditions for workers to make the sector more attractive and tackle staff shortages and overwork. Meanwhile, the GPA trade union has negotiated a new collective agreement in the electricity sector which delivers pay rises of 8.6%-9.6% along with increases in

Member of the vida private services union working at the network of religious hospitals have voted by a two-thirds majority to accept a new pay deal. Increases will range from 8.4% to 11.2% (for the lower paid) with a minimum increase on monthly salaries of €205. The union has welcomed the agreement that begins to recognise the work done by health staff during the pandemic and helps address the rising cost of living. Vida also underlined the importance of the high level of member participation in campaigning and industrial action that contributed to securing a better pay offer from the

The younion and GÖD public sector unions have negotiated a 7.15% pay rise from 1 January next year with a 7.32% increase on allowances. However, the minimum guaranteed increase of €170 a month wiil mean that the lowest paid workers will see pay rise by 9.41%. Meanwhile, the vida and GPA private services unions have concluded a new collective agreement covering 130,000 employees in the private health, social and care sector. The two unions welcomed the 8% wage increase from 1 January 2023 along with the guaranteed minimum rise of €175 a month that means an increase of 10.2% for the lowest paid

Following the threat of protests and other actions, public sector unions, including the SDLSN state sector union and HSSMS-MT nurses’ union, have secured increases to pay and other benefits. The base for setting public sector salaries will increase by 6% from 1 October this year and then by 2% from 1 April 2023. There will also be increases to the Christmas bonus, the payment of gifts to children and to holiday allowances. Negotiations for the next round of increases will take place next year at the latest in the third week of September.

With inflation increasing rapidly across Europe, trade union movements are mobilising to highlight the cost-of-living challenges facing workers, their families as well as pensioners and students. Latest figures show prices rising at anything from 6.5% to nearly 23% a year in Europe with further increases predicted. The CMKOS confederation in the Czech Republic is calling for a national demonstration in Prague on 5 September while the ÖGB confederation in Austria is coordinating protests around the country on 17 September. In between these two, the GSEE private sector and ADEDY public sector