Transparency & Corruption, Energy, Economic Policy, U.K., Moldova, Armenia
Public services, climate action and how austerity will kill our planet
For countries to become zero Co2 emitters they have to address the emissions from the public services. Unison, one of the UK public service unions, researched what this would mean for the UK. A new report published on the occasion of COP26 in Glasgow.
Union ends long-running dispute with gas company
The GMB energy and general union declared an end to the long and bitter dispute with British Gas over its aggressive policy of firing and rehiring workers. GMB members voted three to one to accept a new deal. Around 7,000 British Gas engineers staged 44 days of strike action after the company threatened to sack them if they didn’t sign up to detrimental changes to their terms and conditions. The new deal offers improvements to overtime rates and unsocial hours payments, places limits on the amount of unsocial working undertaken, reverses the decision to close the defined benefit pension scheme
Gas workers strike over attack on pay and conditions
Around 9000 employees of British Gas were due to begin a five-day strike from 7 January in protest at the company’s decision to fire all workers and rehire them on worse pay and conditions. British Gas’s parent company Centrica claimed the measures are necessary in response to the impact of the pandemic. However, the GMB trade union, representing engineers and call-centre staff argue that the initiative is excessive particularly in view of the company’s latest reported operating profits. 89% of the union’s members in the company voted for the strike action.
Energy unions face major fights
Energy unions are facing challenges on several fronts. Leading gas company Centrica has faced major criticism from unions - GMB, UNISON, Unite and Prospect - when it followed up an announcement of 5000 job cuts with a plan to sack and re-hire 20000 staff on worse terms and conditions. The GMB union has already had a consultative ballot which showed 95% support for strike action and so a formal ballot will be undertaken. Meanwhile the GMB members at Northern Gas Networks have voted 98% in favour of industrial action on pay while Unite members at the Drax energy company have been balloted over
Brexit deal of European Commission and UK’s government not good for working people say trade unions
As the text of the agreement of the European Union and the UK has become available, it is clear that this UK Conservative government has no ambition to seek a long-term alignment with EU workers’ rights.
EPSU Executive Committee – supports Climate strike, discusses Congress, EP elections and recent EU policy
Several unions are supporting the #youthforclimate actions which are taking place across Europe. The urgency is felt and far more needs to be done to prevent global warming spiraling out of control.
EPSU’s South East Europe constituency meeting tackles gender equality, recruitment and collective bargaining
EPSU’s south east European Constituency meeting, which met in Sofia 28-29 March 2017, held in-depth discussions on the persistence of the gender pay gap and what could be done to reduce inequality through collective bargaining.