Gas, Working Time, Romania, Hungary

The Sanitas health trade union has managed to negotiate a collective agreement in the sector despite the strict representative rules that make it extremely difficult to negotiate sector deals in Romania. The agreement confirms many of the rights the union has won over the years and ensures that they apply uniformly across the country. Among the most important elements are holiday entitlement (21-30 days depending on length of service), the role of the trade union in personnel policy, collective redundancies and disciplinary procedures and measures to support nurses' further education and

In the latest stage of the trade union campaign against the "slave" law that allows employers to signficantly increase overtime work, the MASZSZ confederation has asked the European Commission to intervene. The confederation believes that the increase on the overtime limit to 400 hours a year and the possibility for compensation for additional hours to be spread over 36 months could be in contravention of the Working Time Directive and it wants the European Commission to investigate.

Unions mobilised for the latest demonstration against the so-called slave law that increases overtime limits in the labour code and relaxes rules on employer payments for overtime working. Along with a national demonstration on 19 January in Budapest there were around 60 events and actions around the country involving trade unions, civil society and political parties. Public service trade unions used the demonstrations to highlight some broader demands include for wage increases, a strengthening of the right to strike and a return of cafeteria benefits that were cut last summer. EPSU sent a

EPSU sent a solidarity message to the unions campaigning hard for a major demonstration against the so-called slave law that will reform overtime rules and allow employers to put pressure on workers to work longer hours. The legislation extends maximum overtime hours from 250 to 400 a year and not only allows employers to pay normal rates of pay but also gives them a period of three years over which workers can be compensated.

Sixteen trade unions are working together in a campaign against the "slave law" that will see major changes to rules on working time, with overtime limits increased from 250 hours to 400 hours a year. A national demonstration was organised on 8 December and EPSU sent a message of support. A further national protest is planned for 5 January, with support also coming from civil society organisations. The unions have a range of demands including withdrawal of the overtime proposals, a pay rise for public sector workers, changes to the strike law and improvements to pensions.

Public sector unions will join a national demonstration in Budapest on 8 December, with the slogan: "united against the slavery law", in protest against the Hungarian government’s proposal to amend the Labour Code. The amendments would increase the overtime threshold from 250 to 400 hours a year, as well as increase the period in which overtime needs to be accounted for from 1 to 3 years. EPSU sent a solidarity message to its affiliates.

The Federation of Trade Unions Gaz Romania (FSGR) has said it may resort to strike action if the ENGIE energy company doesn't respond to its demands on pay. The union argues that the employers have failed to come up with a reasonable offer and also to provide information needed for the negotiations. The union has been in contact with the Labour Inspectorate to help put pressure on the company to provide the requested data and it hasn't ruled out possible legal action to be accompanied by protests and strikes.