Social Services, Transparency & Corruption, Central government, Finland, Croatia, 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

A proposed new system of public sector pay has been criticised by unions for failing to provide salary coefficients for different occupations that would be a fair reflection their skills, workloads and responsibilities. The HSSMS-MT health workers’ union has called for proper recognition of nurses’ level of education and have made clear that it feels its members have been less fairly treated than doctors who are taken action against the proposals. The SDLSN union has also expressed concern, particularly on behalf of its members in the Ministry of Justice who took strike action last year over

The SDLSN is calling on the government to change the rules on representativeness for civil service pay negotiations. The union is involved in various working groups that are discussing the new pay structure for the public sector but it is concerned that the current rules on representativeness exclude it, and other trade unions, from the formal negotiations. It argues that only the police trade union meets the representativeness criterion for the main negotiations leaving many areas of the civil service without proper trade union representation as the SDLSN and other unions fall below the

The JHL public service union is organising a series of one-day political strikes as part of the continuing campaign by the trade union movement in protest against government policy. The unions are challenging government proposals on changes to welfare and employment rights and threats to weaken the right to strike and impose restrictions on pay bargaining. The strikes will hit different regions over the three-day period 7-9 November. A range of services will be affected including sports facilities, waste services, laundry and catering services, public transport and energy. So far 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.

After nearly nine months the JHL trade union managed to negotiate improvements to the pay and conditions of personal assistants but not before workers in the sector took strike action for the first time. A key aim for the union was to reduce the gap between pay for personal assistants and pay levels in the rest of the social care sector. There will be a €400 payment (adjusted for hours and length of service) to compensate for the delay in finalising the agreement. There will be different pay increases according to the pay level ranging from 3.98% to 6.77% on 1 January 2024 and then from 4.79%

The HSSMS-MT health workers’ union reports that in the second round of public sector pay negotiations the government has put forward an offer of a 3% increase along with a €67.73 increase to the Christmas bonus to take it to €300 and a proposed Easter bonus of €70. This contrasts to the initial claim from public sector unions for a 15% pay increase along with bonuses of €300 for both Christmas and Easter along with other bonuses. The government argues that the introduction of a new pay system in 2024 will mean salary increases of 14%. However, the unions argue that the higher increase is

The JHL trade union reports that the next efforts to resolve the dispute over a new collective agreement for personal assistants will take place at the Office of the National Conciliator on 28 August. Negotiations began in January and the union organised industrial action in the spring but negotiations were interrupted in June without a solution in sight. Pay is a key sticking point with JHL arguing that the special characteristics of the work of personal assistants have not been sufficiently taken into account in the negotiations and that specific measures are needed to improve the

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

Members of the SDLSN are continuing their all-out action to demand a pay increase for all workers in the Ministry of Justice and they demonstrated their strength of feeling with a major demonstration in Zagreb on 30 June joined by members from across the country. The union continues to highlight the low pay of its members in contrast to their high levels of training, qualifications, responsibilities and heavy workloads. The SDLSN has been calling for improved pay and conditions for workers in the sector for many years.

Members of the SDLSN trade union in the ministry of justice are maintaining their strike that was launched on 5 June. About 5000 employees are involved in the action with the key demand to secure a €400 salary increase and the regulation of collective bargaining for employees in the judicial authorities and the state attorney's office. The union met the Minister of Justice and Administration on 19 June but no agreement was reached and the union is still waiting for an offer from the Ministry. The SDLSN argues that the government needs to respond quickly as services are being affected and a

The JHL trade union says that further industrial action may be necessary following the failure of conciliation to settle the dispute over a new collective agreement for personal assistants. Negotiations have been continuing since January and the last collective agreement expired at the end of April. JHL has been determined to secure a decent pay rise for worker in this sector characterised by low pay and high staff turnover. Meanwhile, industrial action by unions in the private social services sector – JHL, Tehy, SuPer and Jyty – helped deliver an improved offer from the employers and a 32

Around 5000 workers in justice authorities and the state attorney’s office are on strike for higher pay. The action, organised by the SDLSN trade union, is in support of a long-standing demand for a €400 pay increase. The union says that the workers have considerable responsibilities and skills but many are salaries of only €600 a month. Rather than negotiate the government took legal action to try to block the strike, however, the attempt was rejected and the Zagreb court confirmed the legality of the action. EPSU sent a message of solidarity.

Members of the JHL trade union who work as personal assistants are continuing their strike action in support of better pay and conditions, following the failure of the employers' organisation to come up with an improved pay offer after mediation. The union is pushing for improved pay as a key measure in tackling the high turnover in the sector. Meanwhile, mediation is continuing in the private social services sector following strike action by the TEHY trade union. The union reported that the mediation, begun on 5 June and continuing into 8 June, was making some progress.

Nursing and care unions Tehy and SuPer, along with ERTO, are running a campaign of industrial action to put pressure on private sector employers in the social care sector to deliver an improved pay offer. The unions have imposed bans on overtime and shift changes as well as organising strike action with a key aim to reduce the gap between private and public sector pay levels. Tehy and SuPer say that workers in elderly, child and disability care are on pay levels €150-€400 a month less than their public sector counterparts. They say that in the current negotiations the employers’ pay offer