Health and Safety, Pay settlements
Pay dispute in health sector resolved
The LVSADA health workers’ union reached an agreement with the Ministry of Health on 18 October that will deliver pay increases for doctors (10.6%), nurses (6.5%) and assistant nurses (6.9%) in 2024. This means that medical personnel will have seen pay rises of around 23-24% for the three-year period 2022-24. There will also be an additional €40 per month (gross, average) for non-medical personnel in 2024. The agreement was negotiated with the new health minister and resolves a long-standing dispute over pay.
Public sector negotiations deliver a 5% pay increase
The HSSMS-MT healthcare union reports that following the third round of public sector pay negotiations, unions have accepted a pay increase of 5%, an improvement on the 3% offer made in the second round of bargaining. The unions have also secured the €300 Christmas bonus that they were looking for and an Easter bonus of €100, less than they wanted but a €30 improvement on the previous offer. There is also a commitment that, should the new pay system not be in place by 1 March 2024, then negotiations would open for a general pay increase.
Union negotiates two new agreement in non-profit sectors
The Kommunal trade union has negotiated two two-year collective agreements with the Fremia employers’ organisation that covers non-profit service providers. In the agreement with Fremia covering personal assistance, wage increases will be negotiated around an amount of at least SEK 993 (€84) from 1 October 2023 and at least SEK 875 (€74) from 1 October 2024. Minimum wage rates will be increased by SEK 1,350 (€115) from 1 January 2024 and by SEK 875 (€74) from 1 January 2025 while all allowances and supplements will be increased by 4.1% and 3.3% on the same dates. In the civil society agreement
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.
Energy workers to get 10.5% increase over 19 months
The ver.di and IGBCE trade unions have negotiated a new pay agreement covering around 25000 workers in 130 energy providers in Eastern Germany. Following an inadequate offer from the employers in mid-September, the unions organised warning strikes in seven cities and lengthy negotiations on 27 September finally lead to a settlement that delivers a 6% pay increase backdated to 1 September 2023 and a 4.5% increase on 1 November 2024. The agreement runs from 1 September 2023 until 31 March 2025. Increases for trainees range from €160 to €190 in 2023 and from €55 to €85 in 2024. All employees will
Federations sign bridging agreement in private social care
The Fp-Cgil, Cisl-Fp and Uil-Fpl public service federations have signed a short-term agreement with the AIOP private sector employers in social care which runs from 1 October 2023 to 30 June 2024. The aim is to provide improvements to the pay and conditions of around 30000 workers who have been waiting 11 years for a new agreement. The intention is that the agreement will bridge the gap until a new sector-wide agreement is negotiated with bargaining on this set to begin in January 2024. In the meantime, workers will get increases of between €118 and €301 along with improvements to night shift
Deal finally agreed for personal assistants
After nearly nine months the JHL trade union managed to negotiate improvements to the pay and conditions of personal assistants but not before workers in the sector took strike action for the first time. A key aim for the union was to reduce the gap between pay for personal assistants and pay levels in the rest of the social care sector. There will be a €400 payment (adjusted for hours and length of service) to compensate for the delay in finalising the agreement. There will be different pay increases according to the pay level ranging from 3.98% to 6.77% on 1 January 2024 and then from 4.79%
New two-year agreement in central government
The ST civil servants’ union, part of the OFR/S,P,O group of negotiating unions, concluded a new collective agreement with the Swedish Agency for Government Employers on 30 September. The overall wage development will be 7.4% over two years in line with wage trends in the export industry sector. There will be local negotiations at individual workplaces to determine how the increase is allocated. The agreement also provides for an improved holiday supplement, extra leave so that both parents will be entitled to time off for maternity clinic appointments and increased job security, with a six
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.
Pay increases for energy and ambulance workers
Members of the FNV trade union in energy supply voted 83% in favour of a new 18-month collective agreement that is backdated to 1 July 2023. Wages will increase by 6% on 1 October and full-time workers will also get a lump-sum payment of €1000 gross. There will be a further pay rise of 2% on 1 January 2024, which will see the introduction of a minimum hourly wage of €15 gross for skilled employees (including the 2% increase). There will be another 2% increase on 1 July 2024. Meanwhile, the FNV has negotiated a new two-year agreement for 7000 ambulance staff that will run until 31 January 2025
New deal in renewable energy company
The ver.di trade union has negotiated a new 23-month collective agreement with the Alterric renewable energy company. This includes a 4.1% pay increase from 1 July this year, with a minimum of €150. There will also be an inflation compensation premium of €2000, divided into 12 monthly payments (€166) starting from 1 July when the training allowance will be increased by €200. There will be a 5% pay increase from 1 July 2024. Meanwhile, ver.di is organising warning strikes to put pressure on the employers in the AVEU negotiations that cover the private energy sector in Eastern Germany. The union