Work-life balance, Economic Policy
Post COVID-19: LRG Standing Committee reflects on Economic and Labour Market Policy
Yesterday, the Local and Regional Government standing committee met online with Ronald Janssen, OECD, and affiliates to reflect upon the impact of COVID 19 on Economic and Labour Market Policy, especially what this means the local and regional government sector.
Whatever it takes – A call from economists, personalities and trade union leaders
A large group of economists, academics, trade unionists and others are calling on the European institutions and governments to do whatever it takes to save workers, our jobs and our people in times of the COVID-19 pandemic
EPSU Statement on the European response to COVID 19
EPSU, the European trade union for public service workers, calls on national governments to take immediate measures to ensure that health services receive much needed emergency funding and to boost staffing levels in the short term through whatever means are possible.
Workers in disabled care see work-life balance improvements
The collective agreement covering workers providing disability care has new elements to improve work-life balance. There is an annual hours system based on a 36-hour week for a full-time worker. This alllows for flexibility to help address peaks and troughs in the service but on the basis that employers have to abide by clear rules in both the collective agreement and legislation. Workers in the sector can also now look to the collective agreement to assert their right not to be contactable during their time off. The FNV trade union sees this as an essential measure to tackle increasing stress
Outcomes of EC-funded social dialogue project on digitalisation and work/life balance 2018-2019
The Social Dialogue Committee for central/federal governments approved the checklist of dos and don’ts on digitalisation and work/life balance, the key outcome of a two-year EC funded project.
Unions focus on green issues in church agreements
Unions in Norway and Sweden have put the focus on green issues in their current and planned negotiations with church employers. In Norway there is a commitment to address sustainability issues with the Norwegian church in an agreement that also includes measures to ensure a working environment that promotes health and also initiatives to reduce sickness absence. Meanwhile, in Sweden upcoming negotiations will include green measures along with a focus on a clearer process of pay determination and increased control over working time to improve work-life balance.
Local government union focuses on pay and working time
The Kommunal municipal and health services union has set out some of the main demands that it will pursue in the upcoming collective bargaining with municipal employers. The union will aim for a 3% general pay rise with an extra 0.5% to be used at local level for specific groups of vocationally trained workers in health, child and other care. It wants vocationally trained temporary workers to be offered a permanent contract after 12 months and is calling for a number of measures on working time. Among a range of demands, Kommunal wants to ensure full-time work is the norm and argues that the
Action delivers for hospital workers
Following industrial action and the first ever national hospital strike, trade unions have negotiated a new 27-month collective agreement that includes a 5% pay increase from 1 January 2020 and a further 3% from 1 January 2021. Around half of hospital employees work irregular hours and they will benefit from a new allowance which will add a further 2.5% to their pay. All employees will also get a EUR 1200 pro rata lump sum. The agreement includes higher pay for trainees and measures to improve work-life balance for those working on-call and additional shifts. The unions have also managed to
Central government social partners meet in Brussels
On 19th November, the Social Dialogue Committee for central and federal government administration -SDC CGA- met in Brussels to discuss the implications of the recent EPSU Vs European Commission court ruling, and to formally adopt a new joint checklist of dos and don’ts on digitalisation and work-life balance, amongst other things.
ETUC highlights benefits of work-life balance directive
Research by the ETUC reveals that parents in seven EU member states will benefit from new rights as a result of the work-life balance directive that was adopted by the European Council in June. However, this will depend on national governments properly implementing the legislation over the next three years. Fathers in Italy, Croatia and Slovakia are set to receive paid paternity leave around the birth of a child for the first time ever while the directive should at least double the length of paid paternity leave in the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Portugal and Romania.
Union sets out bargaining priorities
The JHL public services union says that it will aim to negotiate pay increases for lower paid workers that are higher than those in industry as a step towards reducing the pay gap between the sectors. It says this is essential to tackle low pay in sectors dominated by women. It also wants the 24 hours of extra unpaid work introduced in the Competitiveness Pact to be paid or cut while measures on carers' and paternity leave will also feature in the next bargaining round. The union carried out a survey of 8000 members to help it plan its priorities and gauge support for industrial action.