Gender pay gap, Pay settlements
Public sector workers to get 2.33% increase from 1 January
After four rounds of negotiations public service trade unions have secured a 2.33% increase for workers covered by the main national public sector pay negotiations. The increase was endorsed by Parliament on 13 December. This is the highest pay rise for six years and just ahead of the latest figure for inflation of 2.2% (year to October).
Union welcomes deal on pay and jobs in waste sector
The FNV trade union has welcomed a new two-year agreement covering 7000 workers in the waste and environment sector. Pay will increase by 6% over the two years but with a EUR 900 flat-rate increase in the second year it will mean that lower paid workers will see wages rise by 7.5%. There is also a commitment to provide permanent contracts for 360 temporary workers, to reduce hours for older staff while taking on young workers and paid partner leave at the birth of a child will now be a minimum of four weeks. Private sector waste workers are covered by a separate (transport) three-year
Better pay and working time in private health and care
Services unions vida and GPA-djp are pleased with the pay and working time package they have negotiated in the private health and care sector that covers 100000 workers. After five bargaining rounds, the employers agreed to a 3.2% pay increase and a series of measures on working time. These include an extra day of holiday after two years' service, additional payments for covering shifts, part-time work for older workers, recognising that time taken to change clothes at work is working time, new rules on split shifts and more certainty with planning rotas. There will also be an extra EUR 100 a
Union finally secures agreement after long-running dispute in care company
After many months of conflict and a total of 202 days of strike action, services union ver.di has negotiated a new collective agreement with the Celenus clinic in Bad Langensalza in central Germany, a subsidiary of the French-based multinational Orpea. The deal includes pay increases of 1.5%-2.5%, an increase of EUR 50 on holiday pay to take it to EUR 500, a childcare allowance of EUR 75 a month and a lump sum payment of EUR 190. The union believes strongly that the workers deserve more but is relieved that the dispute is over and to be able to return to a normal process of collective
Large pay rises for regional government workers
After three days of negotiations in the third round of bargaining, services union ver.di emerged with a significant pay increase for regional government workers and in particular workers in health and social care. The basic deal means increases of 3.2% from 1 January 2019 (minimum EUR 100 a month) and again on 1 January 2020 (minimum EUR 90). There will be a further increase of 1.4% (min EUR 40) on 1 January 2021. Trainees will get two increases of EUR 50 in 2019 and 2020 plus an extra day of paid leave. Minimum pay rates in the 15 pay groups will also increase which will mean new starters
Unions sign deal covering workers in central administration
The FSC-CCOO and FeSP-UGT public service federations have finally negotiated a new agreement covering 40000 workers in the central state administration. This comes three years after the last agreement and failure of the previous government to negotiate a deal. The new agreement will mean an overall increase of 14% for the lowest paid covering the three years 2018-2020. There are also measures to clarify job classifications and relate them more closely to educational qualifications. The unions are also pleased to include for the first time provisions to allow workers aged 55 and over to opt for
Additional pay rises for 17000 healthcare workers
The public services union younion has secured an additional EUR 39 million on the paybill of 17000 workers employed by health institutions in Vienna. This comes on top of the general pay rise for public sector workers. Care assistants, qualified care workers and senior care staff in employment before 1 January 2018 will see an increase on basic pay and will have a new pay structure. There will also be pay supplements for midwives, various technical occupations and assistant doctors, again employed before 1 January 2018. The details of the changes are still be worked out but will be backdated
Report highlights pay inequality in civil service linked to gender share in employment
A new report from the PCS civil service union reveals considerable pay inequality across government linked to the proportion of men/women in each department. For example, a civil service executive officer, in a majority male department is paid £3771 (EUR 4415) (13%) more than an executive officer in a majority female department while a civil service administrative officer, in a majority male department is paid £2675 (EUR 3130) (12.6%) more than an executive officer in a majority female department. The union attributes the problem to the delegation of pay negotiations to departmental level and
Nurses to get additional allowance in deal with health firm
After three rounds of negotiations, the ver.di health union has managed to negotiate a 6.5% rise for the 18000 workers employed by the Helios health company. On top of this nurses and midwives will get an additional allowance worth up to EUR 300 a month depending on level of qualifications. The 6.5% will be paid in three stages: 3.0% backdated to 1 January, 2.5% from 1 January 2020 and 1.0% from 1 November 2020. There will also be increases of EUR 60 (January 2019) and EUR 40 (January 2020) for trainees. Ver.di is pleased that the additional allowance acknowledges the value of nurses' work and
Federal employees set to get 4.3% pay rise in October
The government has confirmed that around two million employees of federal government and related agencies will get a 4.3% pay rise in October. The increase corresponds to the level of inflation in December 2018, however prices have already edged up in 2019 with the inflation rate at 5.0% in January and 5.2% in February.
Unions build for national women's strike on 14 June
The vpod/ssp public services trade union along with the SGB/USS trade union confederation is continuing to build for the national women's strike planned for 14 June. The aim of the strike is to address 10 major issues including the gender pay gap, work-life balance, working hours that are either too short or excessively long, sexual harassment and violence, inadequate pensions and the undervaluation of women's work. Along with strike action the unions will be organising events and actions at workplaces and towns and cities across the country.
Eastern countries have lowest labour costs but highest increases
The latest labour cost figures published by the Eurostat agency show that the highest increases were recorded in Eastern Europe but where average costs remain the lowest across the European Union. There were double-digit increases in Romania, Latvia and Lithuania with Hungary not far behind at just under 10%. Average hourly labour costs in Europe range from 5.40 in Bulgaria to 43.5 in Denmark with the average at 27.4 in the European Union and 30.6 in the Eurozone. The data excludes agriculture and public administration.
Public investment in the social services workforce to deliver inclusive growth - EPSU at the 2019 Annual Convention for Inclusive Growth
EPSU speaks at the 2019 Annual Convention for Inclusive Growth Public and advocates for social dialogue in the field of social services and public investment in the social services workforce in order to deliver inclusive growth.
Unions mark equal pay day
21 October is marked as equal pay day in Austria where the gender pay gap is one of the biggest in Europe at 19.7%. This is based on a full-time woman worker getting an average of EUR 41785 compared to EUR 52033 for a man. This is the equivalent of women working for free for 72 days - hence setting the date as 21 October. Unions highlight the problems of part-time work and unpaid care as contributing to the problem. While 47% of women work part time only 11% of men do.