Gas, Remunicipalisation
Bringing services back in-house
EPSU has consistently argued in favour of direct provision of public services to guarantee the quality of services and the quality of employment for workers delivering those services. Under the heading of remunicipalisation EPSU supports and promotes any initiatives to bring services back in-house where they have been privatised along with moves to have new services run by municipalities and other public authorities. EPSU is part of a network, coordinated by the Transnational Institute that has published research highlighting recent trends in remunicipalisation and insourcing.
Sustainable stable jobs and reducing inequality: interview with Rosa Pavanelli, PSI General Secretary
PSI General Secretary Rosa Pavanelli congratulates EPSU Congress on its strong messages to European institutions calling for an end to austerity measures and in looking for alternatives which will reduce inequality and create new jobs.
Supreme Court confirms holiday pay ruling
(March 2017) The Supreme Court has ruled that energy company British Gas can no longer appeal against a European Court ruling that holiday pay should take account of earnings based on commission. The case has been supported by public services union Unison and is based on the Working Time Directive. The union challenged British Gas because it restricted holiday pay only to basic pay which penalised workers who received a lot of commission pay. Unison is concerned about the impact of Brexit on this important legislation.
Workers and residents affected as more care companies collapse
(May 2017) Around 200 workers and the 1100 people they provide care for are the latest victims of private care company bankruptices. The collapse of Hjemmehjælpen Aarhus, the largest private care company in Aarhus, Denmark's second city, is the third private care company bankruptcy in May and the 41st since 2013 when a new tendering system was introduced. The FOA public service union is calling for a change to the system with requirements to monitor professional and management skills, company finances and to protect working conditions.
Energy union organises action over pay
The FNME-CGT energy union mobilised workers for strike action across the sector on 29-30 November in protest at the employers' pay offer. Following a pay freeze, the combination of increased social security payments and inflation mean that workers have seen a 2.8% fall in purchasing power. The union says that companies are paying out high dividends while continuing to impose austerity on employees.
European commission’s will to phase out regulated prices tempered by Council of the EU
In the last few months the European Commission, with its fourth energy package « clean energy for all Europeans » has called for the end of regulated tariffs for all domestic users within five years.