Transparency & Corruption, Pensions/retirement, Pay settlements, France, 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

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.

Eight trade union organisations, including the five main confederations – CGT, CFDT, FO, UNSA and CFE-CGC – have come together to organise a national demonstration on 13 October over the cost-of-living and the threat of austerity. The key demands will be around increases to the national minimum wage and pay rises in collective agreements and the unions will continue their protests against the pension reforms which came into effect on 1 September. The unions are also looking at measures to reduce the gender pay gap and increased funding for public services.

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

Independent unions at the scandal-hit care multinational Orpea, have managed to make positive gains in annual negotiations. The CGT reports that the situation has now changed significantly since the position of the in-house union was challenged with the CGT, CFDT and FO winning their case against the company for rigging workplace elections. The CGT says that pay increases this year for non-management staff range from 3% to 7% depending on length of service while management staff get 1%-4% again depending on length of service and whether they benefited from salary adjustments in 2022 or 2023

On 6 June trade union organisations, including CGT, CFDT, FO, UNSA and CFE-CGC, along with student groups, again mobilised significant numbers in protests and strikes around the country to try to block the government’s pension reforms. An estimated 900000 people took part in demonstrations in what was the 14th national day of action and marking six months of protests. The focus of the action on 6 June was to put pressure on MPs to vote for a resolution in the national assembly that would revoke the proposal to increase the pension age from 62 to 64. The joint trade union committee is due to

The trade union movement, including the CGT, CFDT, FO, UNSA and CGC-CFE, are maintaining their unified opposition to the government’s pensions reforms. They are now building for protest and strike action on 6 June ahead of 8 June when a draft bill to abolish the reforms will be voted on in the National Assembly. The unions reaffirmed their determination to get the reforms withdrawn following bilateral meetings with the government. They have also set up a website to make it easier for people to write to their MPs to get them to support the vote on the 8th.

The trade union and student-led campaign against the government’s pension reforms and increase in pension age from 62 to 64 is building up for the next protest on 6 June. The main unions, including the CGT, CFDT, FO, UNSA and CFE-CGC, coordinated demonstrations across the country on 1 May – the 13th national day of action – with an estimated 2.3 million taking part. The 6 June action is timed just before a vote in the national assembly on 8 June on a proposed law that would repeal the pensions legislation. This will effectively be the first time that MPs will be able to vote on the issue as

After three months of protests and 12 days of national demonstrations, strikes and other actions, trade unions are maintaining their campaign against the pension changes that have now become law. The trade unions, including CGT, CFDT, FO, UNSA and CFE-CGC, want the annual 1 May demonstrations to show the continuing high level of opposition among workers, students and other groups against the increase of the pension age from 62 to 64 and other changes.

The main trade union confederations – CGT, CFDT, FO, UNSA and CFE-CGC – supported by a range of youth, student and other groups, organised the 11th day of action against the government’s pension reform legislation on 6 April. The draft legislation is currently being considered by the Constitutional Court and trade unions have submitted arguments challenging the validity of the text. The Court is set to publish its findings on 14 April. The unions met briefly with prime minister Elisabeth Borne on 5 April but withdrew from the meeting when it was clear that she was not willing to consider

The main trade union organisations – CGT, CFDT, FO, UNSA and CFE-CGC – have maintained their determined campaign of protest and strike action against the pension reforms put forward by the government. The government chose to use a constitutional mechanism to avoid a vote in parliament and so the legislation is now at the Constitutional Court for assessment. The 10th day of action took place on 28 March with the next date set as 6 April.

Trade unions, youth and student groups and many other organisations continue to campaign against the French government’s proposed pension changes, including the increase in the pension age from 62 to 64. The latest and seventh day of protests took place on 11 March and further demonstrations and strikes are planned across different sectors. All EPSU affiliates are involved across the main confederations and trade union organisations – CGT, CFDT, FO, UNSA and CFE-CGC. Meanwhile, trade unions in the Czech confederation CMKOS are concerned about the possibility of government changes that would

The main trade union confederations – CFDT, CGT, FO, UNSA and CGE-CFC – along with organisations representing students and retired workers are maintaining their strong mobilisation against the government plans to reform pensions and in particular to increase the pension age from 62 to 64. The next, and sixth, day of action will be on 7 March but the unions are also calling for protests on 8 March – International Women’s Day – to highlight how the reforms will fail to address gender inequality in pension provision.