Social Services, Central government, Spain, Moldova, Latvia, Armenia

The FSC-CCOO and UGT-SP public service federations are to declare a collective dispute with the Tax Agency which will coincide with the start of the Agency’s campaign on filing income tax returns. The dispute will raise a number of issues related to professional career development, internal promotion, strengthening the mobility agreement, telework and negotiating a new collective agreement. The unions are also concerned about plans to increase the telephone service without specifying salaries or the need to increase recruitment. They will also raise concerns around productivity and about safe

The FSC-CCOO federation organised protest rallies on 20 and 21 March in its continuing dispute with the Ministry of Justice, marking almost a year since the union began a series of strike actions. The federation is seeking a salary increase for all staff in general and special bodies, negotiations on the Efficiency Law which has implications for workers’ pay and conditions, proper recognition of functions and career development. The FSC-CCOO says that the Ministry broke off negotiations on 7 March saying it would not negotiate a salary increase for all workers. The federation is also angry

The UGT-SP trade union and public sector federations in the CCOO confederation are calling on the government to ensure payment of the 2% pay increase across the public sector as set out in the three-year agreement 2022-24. The agreement has so far delivered pay increases totalling 7% in 2022 and 2023 and there could be an additional 0.5% on top of the 2% in 2024 depending on economic developments. The unions also want confirmation that various measures introduced as part of an austerity package back in 2012 are finally rescinded. The unions want the government to immediately begin negotiations

Public sector federations in the CCOO confederation and the UGT-SP federation have welcomed confirmation that a 0.5% pay increase (backdated to January 2023) will be implemented in line with the last three-year pay agreement. The 0.5% figure was linked to growth in the Spanish economy. They now also want action on the 2% promised for 2024 and an end to the limit on replacing employees who leave. In the meantime, the federations are calling for an urgent convening of the monitoring committee on the framework agreement that addresses important issues such as partial retirement, annual leave

After lengthy strike action by Ministry of Justice staff through 2023, trade unions, including the FSC-CCOO and UGT-SP, are now sitting down with ministry officials to try to resolve some of the main areas of dispute. The FSC-CCOO was disappointed at an early stage when its proposals for the remit of two working groups were rejected. The federation wanted one to discuss a general pay increase and other issues and the working group on the efficiency law to discuss working conditions and not just job functions. The FSC-CCOO also raised a number of other issues it wants to see on the negotiating

The FSC-CCOO federation reports that the ministries of justice and finance have promised a pay rise to all workers in the justice ministry on the basis that Pedro Sanchez is re-installed as the head of a new coalition government. However, the union says that the commitment is not enough to end the long-running dispute that has already involved two months of strike action. The FSC-CCOO has written to the ministry to demand immediate negotiations over a pay rise for all workers irrespective of who runs the government. Union demands also include action on career development, an end to pay

As negotiations continue to form a new government following the general election last month, the Ministry of Justice has proposed to negotiate an agreement to end the long-running dispute with the FSC-CCOO public services federation and other trade unions. In response the three unions have demanded a public commitment from the Ministry of Justice to meet the demands that led to the mobilizations and the strike. The unions have been calling for improvements to pay and conditions for the majority of the 45000 workers in the ministry. In the meantime, the ministry has agreed salary increases for

In the second year of the three-year agreement covering the public sector, workers are set to receive two additional pay increases of 0.5% on top of the 2.5% guaranteed for 2023. The additional amounts, backdated to the beginning of the year, are dependant on the level of inflation and GDP growth with figures for both likely to trigger the additional payments. The unions – FSC-CCOO and UGT-SP – are positive also about the 2% increase due in 2024 which guarantees an increase for public sector workers at time when the lack of a government following the general election might have led to a pay

The SINDLEX trade union federation has been negotiating for three years to try to secure improvements in pay and conditions for a range occupations in the Ministry of Interior including police, prison staff, emergency workers and firefighters. The union is calling for pay commensurate with these workers’ responsibilities and competences. It also wants the government to end the moratorium on recruitment and tackle the serious understaffing that has led to pressure on remaining staff and high levels of overtime which often goes unpaid. EPSU sent a letter to the Prime Minister in support of the

The FSC-CCOO trade union federation has attacked prison service management for the long-term failure to address the growing problem of violence against staff which has risen to historic highs. The union argues that the only measure taken in recent years was an action protocol that provides a response to attacks once they’ve happened but with no serious attempt to prevent violence in the first place. The FSC-CCOO cites the latest official statistics for the year 2022, which show that acts of physical aggression per thousand prisoners increased by 19% compared to 2021 and by over 110% since 2010

FSC-CCOO, FeSP-UGT and the other unions involved in strike action at the Ministry of Justice made sure their claims were heard at EU level when they organised a demonstration in Logroño to coincide with a meeting of justice ministers from across Europe. The protest was the latest action in the long-running dispute where the unions are demanding pay increases for the majority of workers in the ministry in line with increases already awarded specifically to lawyers. They also want measures to establish a fair salary system and improve career development. The next steps will depend on who forms

Following a national demonstration in Madrid on 27 June and mobilisations around the country on 29 June, the trade unions involved in the long-running strike at the Ministry of Justice, including FSC-CCOO and FeSP-UGT, have formally requested the opening of a mediation procedure to resolve the conflict. From the beginning the unions have been open to negotiation but have met with a blank refusal by the Minister of Justice, Pilar Llop. The procedure is set out in legislation allowing for public administrations and trade unions to agree on an extrajudicial settlement of disputes by a third party

The four striking unions in the Ministry of Justice, including the FSC-CCOO and FeSP-UGT federations, are maintaining their all-out strike action and calling for protests across the county on 29 June. They are also calling on union members to lobby political parties in advance of the upcoming general election to demand that the Ministry negotiates with the unions. The federations are angry that the Ministry has been in meetings with a lawyers’ association to negotiate higher pay for that group of workers but not the majority of ministry employees and they’ve called for a stop to those

Unions representing workers in the Ministry of Justice, including FSC-CCOO and FeSP-UGT, are continuing their all-out strike action while the minister refuses to negotiate. The strike committee entered the ministry’s head office determined to demand that negotiations begin and remained there, waiting for a negotiator to arrive. But 24 hours later there had been no progress and the only steps taken by the Ministry was to try to restrict the movements of the committee and confined it to the meeting room with no access to food or drink. The all-out strike began on 30 May following two three-day

The FSC-CCOO and FeSP-UGT trade unions report continuing high levels of support for the all-out strike in the Ministry of Justice. The unions are calling for negotiations with the Minister of Justice over pay levels and implementation of the law on organisational efficiency which has serious implications for workers’ pay and career development. So far the Minister has refused to negotiate and the unions launched the all-out action following two three-day strikes earlier this month. Meanwhile, both FSC-CCOO and FeSP-UGT, are continuing their action in the Labour and Social Security Inspectorate