Health and Safety, Strike, Outsourcing
Union members vote on non-profit sector pay proposal
Members of three trade unions – Fórsa, SIPTU and INMO – are voting on whether to accept a deal that might resolve a long-standing dispute over pay affecting non-profit health providers. The unions have been seeking to restore pay parity between workers in these bodies and directly employed public sector health and social care staff. Strike action was due to begin on 17 October but a revised offer from the employers lead the unions to suspend the action and consult members. Instead of the two-stage 5% increase offered in July, the employers have put forward a 3% increase backdated to 1 April
Ministry of justice proposal not enough to end dispute
The FSC-CCOO federation reports that the ministries of justice and finance have promised a pay rise to all workers in the justice ministry on the basis that Pedro Sanchez is re-installed as the head of a new coalition government. However, the union says that the commitment is not enough to end the long-running dispute that has already involved two months of strike action. The FSC-CCOO has written to the ministry to demand immediate negotiations over a pay rise for all workers irrespective of who runs the government. Union demands also include action on career development, an end to pay
Unions call for higher pay increase for 2024
Both the SINTAP and STAL unions have expressed discontent with the pay increase on offer for public service workers in 2024. The overall wage bill will rise by over 5% with increases ranging from 3% to over 6% depending on position in the pay scale. The two unions argue that this level of increase will not compensate for the recent loss of purchasing power because of higher inflation. STAL estimates a 5.1% fall in real terms in 2022-23 alone. SINTAP has called for a re-opening of negotiations while STAL has called a national strike for 27 October. The strike, also supported by the Frente Comum
Staff shortages, mental health and social dialogue discussed by health and social care trade unions
45 participants, including external speakers, discussed developments in the health and care sector taking place since the previous meeting in February of this year, including the urgent issue of staff shortages, retention and recruitment.
Unions demand commitment to end justice ministry dispute
As negotiations continue to form a new government following the general election last month, the Ministry of Justice has proposed to negotiate an agreement to end the long-running dispute with the FSC-CCOO public services federation and other trade unions. In response the three unions have demanded a public commitment from the Ministry of Justice to meet the demands that led to the mobilizations and the strike. The unions have been calling for improvements to pay and conditions for the majority of the 45000 workers in the ministry. In the meantime, the ministry has agreed salary increases for
Industrial action in health over staffing
Members of the Fórsa and SIPTU unions are taking or planning industrial action over staffing. The Fórsa action involves specific managerial and administrative staff in both directly employed and publicly funded healthcare providers and is in protest at a freeze on recruitment. The dispute had almost been resolved during September but the Health Services Executive pulled the plug on a draft agreement at the last minute. Meanwhile, radiographers at two major hospitals have voted overwhelmingly for industrial action up to and including strike action in a dispute over safe staffing levels. The
Study exposes impact of psycho-social risks at work
Research financed by the European Trade Union Institute has been able, for the first time, to estimate the number of cases of, and deaths from, depression and cardiovascular disease that can be directly attributed to exposure to psychosocial risks at work. The study covers 35 European countries. This new research focused on five psychosocial risks at work: job strain, effort-reward imbalance, job insecurity, long working hours, and bullying. While there were significant common findings across Europe, there was some variation between countries: in France, for example, 19% of depression cases
National and European Administration: EPSU affiliates discuss new leadership, digitalisation, good administration and more
By acclamation the NEA Standing Committee elected Karin Brunzell ST Sweden and Alain Parisot UNSA France as co-chairs of the Committee, and Federico Trastulli, UILPA, Italy as vice-chair.
Non-profit health and care workers plan all-out strike
Members of the Fórsa, INMO and SIPTU trade unions, employed in community and voluntary sector agencies funded by the state sector will begin indefinite strike action in a range of workplaces from Tuesday 17 October. The action, involving workers mainly in the health and social care sectors, is coordinated by the ICTU confederation and was overwhelmingly supported by members in ballots that took place following the breakdown of talks at the Workplace Relations Commission in July. The long-running dispute is over the failure by employers to address pay disparity between these workers and their
Federations strike against social dumping in private health
The three public service federations Fp-Cgil, Cisl-Fp and Uil-Fpl coordinated a one-day strike on 27 September against the AIOP private health and social care employers’ organisation in protest at its refusal to negotiate with them and to negotiate instead with the unrepresentative UGL trade union. The federations issued the strike warning back in July after conciliation failed to resolve the dispute with AIOP and since then the employers have failed to return to negotiations. The three federations will also mobilise during the day to put pressure on regional health authorities to take action
National strike against labour law changes
On 21 September the ADEDY civil service confederation organised national strike action in protest at labour law changes that were due to be discussed in parliament that day. The changes target the public sector and include relaxations in working time rules that could see civil servants working up to 13 hours a day/78 per week. The changes would mark the end of the five-day week, allow for highly precarious contracts as well as stricter rules on strikes.
Unions step up campaign on rights to strike and protest
The three main trade union confederations – ACV/CSC, ABVV/FGTB and ACLVB/CGSLB – are taking further steps to defend trade union rights and particularly the rights to strike and protest. They will be joining other civil society and campaigning organisations on 5 October in a national demonstration against the Van Quickenborne law which will make it increasingly difficult to organise protests. The unions have already challenged attacks on trade union rights and particularly legal action taken against trade union strikers and protestors in the recent long-running Delhaize dispute in the retail
Energy union active in pay negotiations and defending right to strike
Over the past month the SDE energy workers’ union has submitted a proposal for extraordinary salary increase in the energy sector and has been lobbying on the draft of the law on energy policy, provisions of which could limit the right to strike. The union is also still active in providing support to energy workers that were affected by major floods in Slovenia in August. The solidarity fund initiated by the SDE has received wide support both nationally and internationally.