Solidarity, Pensions/retirement, Economic Policy, Women & Gender Equality
Unions in Northeastern Europe express solidarity with Ukrainian workers and people
Fighting continues after the Russian army invaded Ukraine. The Ukrainian unions thank all for the messages of solidarity and support. It is now important to turn that in concrete assistance. The financial support via the ETUC/ITUC solidarity fund remains important.
Success of EPSU’s actions for the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against women
On the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women on November 25, EPSU organized a campaign to promote a health and safe environment in the world of work, through the ratification of the Istanbul and the ILO 190 Conventions.
Unions take action over pensions equality
Just over 300 members of the Fagforbundet and FO health and welfare trade unions in three hospitals began strike action on 29 May in protest at unfair pension arrangements. The unions, among several coordinated by the LO confederation in its LO Stat group, are claiming full pension rights from day one and from the first Krone earnt in line with the arrangements in the municipal sector. At the moment employees working less than 20% of normal full-time hours are not able to build up pension rights. The unions point out that this is clearly gender discrimination as 75% of those affected are women
Union makes series of demands to tackle gender discrimination in health
The health conference of the vpod public service union has called for action to tackle the stress, long working hours, involuntary part-time work and low pay in the sector which is part of the persistent discrimination faced by women workers. The union wants to see a revaluation of pay of health and care jobs to recognise the arduousness and increased responsibilities of many occupations. Vpod is also calling for major improvements to work-life balance, reductions in working time, better shift planning, possibilities for retirement from 60 and provision of necessary training. The union says
Public sector pensions negotiations get underway
Negotiations have begun over changes to the public sector pensions scheme. The Fagforbundet trade union is particularly concerned about addressing gender equality issues and for pensions to take account of the arduousness of many jobs in health and social care which are dominated by women. The demands of many of these jobs often mean that workers cannot stay at work until normal pension age and so there have to be suitable arrangements for early retirement. The union also wants to see improvements in the rules covering the combination of work and retirement.