Trade, Low pay/minimum wages, Recruitment & organising
Survey reveals impact of low pay on childcare workers
The SIPTU trade union has just published findings from a survey of early years professionals showing that 43% of childcare workers are actively seeking another job due to low pay levels in the sector. The findings also show that 90% of workers struggle to make ends meet, 77% have no work sick pay scheme and just 10% receive paid maternity leave from their employer. More than seven in 10 workers have found dealing with COVID stressful while just over nine in 10 would consider leaving the profession in the next five years if there are no improvements in pay and conditions.
EPSU working group: strengthening the draft directive on minimum wages
Thirty-six representatives of EPSU affiliates from 17 countries took part in an online working group on 12 January to discuss the European Commission’s draft directive on adequate minimum wages. This was the third working group meeting following the launch of the Commission’s initiative in January 2020.
Series of actions in health and social care
Health and social care unions in the Basque region have been involved in a series of protests and strikes. Mobilisations in public health during December and January will culminate in a day of strike action on 28 January. The unions are angry about the failure of the public health system to honour basic rights to information and collective bargaining. They are concerned about the impact of the pandemic on the system and the way that management have responded by taking unilateral decisions on working conditions, health and safety and precarious employment. Two days earlier, on 26 January unions
Increase in minimum pay rates for childcare workers
The vida and GPA-djp trade unions have negotiated increases for minimum pay rates for workers in private childcare institutions that are not covered by collective agreements. Teachers and staff get a 1.95% while assistants will get a 2% increase. The unions are pleased that the increases are slightly above inflation and the trend in other agreements. Childminders will get a 2.5% rise and will now be entitled to an increase after every two years rather than three.
Action on equal pay and low pay tops negotiating agenda
The FOA trade union, as part of a joint negotiating committee of public service unions, has submitted the main bargaining demands to employers in municipal and regional government with the focus on tackling low pay and pay inequality. The aim is for a flat rate pay increase that will be more beneficial to lower paid workers along with funding to reduce the pay inequalities suffered by occupations dominated by women. The unions also want to ensure a real pay increase that will protect purchasing power over the three years of the agreement that is set to run from 1 April 2021. Other demands
Rise in in-work poverty shows need for action on minimum wages and collective bargaining
The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) has highlighted the growth in in-work poverty across Europe in support of its call for a strong and effective directive on minimum wages and collective bargaining. Sixteen countries saw the rate increase between 2010 and 2018 with Hungary, the UK, Estonia and Italy seeing the largest rises. The figures come from the latest annual ETUI/ETUC Benchmarking Working Europe 2020 report which also shows that just four member states have statutory minimum wages above the at-risk-of-poverty wage threshold. ETUC demands for the directive include a minimum