Strike, Procurement
Public service strikes continue into January
With the government refusing to negotiate on pay, health and other public service workers are set to continue their campaigns of industrial action into the new year. The RCN nursing union has announced two further strikes days (18-19 January) following its historic first national strike action in December. Unions representing ambulance workers (UNISON, Unite and GMB) will also take further action in England (11 and 23 January) and could be joined by colleagues in Wales who have just voted to take action. Meanwhile central government union PCS has a timetable for more targeted action across
Waste workers take action on pay and other conditions
Members of the STAL trade union employed by two waste companies – the private FCC Environment and municipally-owned RdN – took strike action between Christmas and the new year. Workers in both companies are seeking a 10% pay rise with a minimum monthly increase of €100 and minimum wage of €850 a month. In addition, the main claim at RdN is for all workers on temporary contracts to be made permanent.
Action by health union delivers results
Picketing and strike action by the Dev Sağlık-İş trade union, with support from EPSU and PSI, helped address bullying, harassment and anti-trade union behaviour by management at the Koç University Hospital in Istanbul. Although the dismissed union members were not reinstated, the employer paid increased compensation in recognition of the discriminatory action against union officials. The union also secured the dismissal of the manager responsible for the bullying, the end to harassment and withdrawal of false accusations against union members. Both PSI and EPSU sent protest letters.
History RePPPeated II - Why Public-Private Partnerships are not the solution
Back in 2020 EPSU welcomed the publication of Eurodad’s first History RePPPeated – see article - and this 2nd edition provides more useful evidence and examples of the failure of PPPs to provide added value compared to direct public investment and traditional public procurement.
Health and public service unions take action
The RCN nursing union launched its first ever campaign of industrial action in England, Wales and Northern Ireland on 15 December and followed up with a second strike on 20 December. The union has said further action may follow in January if the government fails to commit to negotiations on pay. On 21 December, three unions representing ambulance workers – UNISON, UNITE and GMB – organised a first day of strike action in England and Wales over pay with plans for a second walkout on 28 December. Meanwhile, the PCS union launched its targeted industrial action across central government and
ETUC calls for action to defend the right to strike
The ETUC is calling on its member organisations to press their national governments to provide feedback to the Swedish Presidency on the proposed Single Market Emergency Instrument (SMEI) by 20 January. The ETUC argues that the SMEI must respect fundamental trade union rights and the autonomy of the social partners and that strike action must never be considered as a crisis or be restricted by emergency measures whether under the SMEI or otherwise. Affiliates are urged to get their national governments to push for stronger safeguards for social, workers’ and trade union rights to be included
Unions reports high turnout in water and waste strikes
The STAL trade union is pleased at the high turnout of workers for the strike action on 13 December in the AdP water company and the two-day action on 9-10 December in the Tratolixo company that provides services to the municipalities of Cascais, Mafra, Oeiras and Sintra. At AdP the union is calling for a €120-a-month increase for all workers and a minimum wage of €900 a month in the face of the employer’s offer of an increase of only 1.2%. At Tratolixo the main demand is for a €100-a-month increase. In both cases the union is pushing for proper negotiations and implementation of a collective
Strike delivers better pay deal for gas workers
After six weeks of strike action the CGT trade union has secured a monthly increase of €200 for workers in the GRDF gas distribution company. The first increases will be implemented in January with increases ranging from a minimum of €50 up to and €87. The CGT is concerned about any attempt to intimidate strikers and has warned GRDF's management against any action that could be taken against striking employees, whether in terms of disciplinary
Unions organise week of action pay, jobs and funding across public services
The FP-CGIL, UIL-PA and UIL-FPL public service federations are planning a week of action from 12-16 December with protests and strikes around the country in protest at the government’s budget for 2023. The unions argue that the budget fails to provide adequate funding across a range of services with nothing to address the cost-of-living crisis, to cover the renewal of collective agreements, to increase public employment, to end precarious contracts, to improve training and to ensure quality of services from childcare to health and social care and across local and national administration. The
Strikes in health service mark start of widespread action over pay
In Northern Ireland, industrial action in the health service, organised by the UNISON and NIPSA trade unions began on 5 December and was due to be stepped up with a one-day strike on 12 December. The RCN nurses’ union will take strike action in England, Wales and Northern Ireland for the first time ever with the dates announced as 15 and 20 December. Ambulance workers – represented by UNISON, GMB and UNITE – have also voted for strike over most regions of England and Wales with action planned for 21 December. In Scotland, health unions are consulting over an improved pay offer that would