Strike, Digitalisation
Getting to grips with digitalisation
Digitalisation has the potential to positively transform public services and the jobs of public service workers. Quicker and easier access to services and increased participation of citizens can be combined with better quality jobs as repetitive work is replaced with more fulfilling tasks. However, trade unions must be involved in the transformation process not just to ensure that workers have their fare share of the benefits of digitalisation but also to deal with the potential downside. This briefing, produced for EPSU's 2019 Congress, highlights some of the work done on this issue in recent years and sets out the current priorities.
EPSU Social Services Working Group discuss labour shortages, legislative developments and European Work Councils
On 27 February 48 participants gathered in Brussels for the Social Services Working Group to discuss, among other things, European Works Councils in the care sector, staffing levels and digital care platforms.
Schmit reassures social partners for central governments their digitalisation agreement is in friends’ hands
In a meeting held at the Berlaymont on 19 February, Commissioner Schmit welcomed the EU sectoral agreement on digitalisation and the signatory social partners’ request to implement it through EU legislation.
National strike to hit ENEL energy company on 8 March
EPSU and PSI have sent solidarity greetings to the three union federations – Filctem-Cgil, Flaei- Cisl and Uiltec – in their dispute with the ENEL energy company. The three unions are planning national strike action on 8 March and began a month-long period of industrial action affecting overtime, travel and changes to working hours on 24 February. The unions are angry about the company’s unilateral plans to change working hours arrangements, to outsource operations on the electricity grid, and its refusal to renew the remote work agreement. The three federations argue that the measures will
Strike action delivers another agreement on staffing and workloads
The ver.di trade union continues to negotiate with employers in the private and non-profit health sector to tackle staff shortages. The latest success comes after 19 days of strike action at the Jewish Hospital in Berlin where staffing levels will be stipulated across most areas of operation and employees will get compensation in the form of additional days off if the hospital fails to abide by the agreement. If workers are in stressful situations because of staff shortages they accumulate points which can mount up to be taken as time off. The agreement will apply from December 2024. Public
International support to Italian ENEL workers
Filctem-CGIL, Flaei-CISL, and Uiltec-UIL are currently mobilising in protest of Enel Group’s decision to make unilateral changes in working hours arrangements, outsourcing operations on the electricity grid, and refusing to renew the remote work agreement.
Week of strike action in campaign against attack on unions and welfare
The JHL trade union and others in the SAK confederation organised a week of strike action between 12 and 16 February in their continuing campaign to oppose the government’s attacks on the welfare state and trade union and workers’ rights. The actions follow the major national protest organised by the SAK and STTK confederations on 1 February. A range of JHL’s membership will be involved in the week of action including workers in early childhood education and care, municipalities, local public transport, energy and rail services.
Right to disconnect: implement the EU social partners agreement in Central Government Administrations
Speaking at an event on the Right to Disconnect hosted by the S&D Group in the European Parliament, EPSU General Secretary Jan Willem Goudriaan reiterated the urgent need to make the right to disconnect a reality.
Joint mobilisation by public service unions on 19 March
Eight public service trade unions – CFDT, CFE-CGC, CGT, FA, FO, FSU, Solidaires and UNSA – met on 24 January and issued a joint communique condemning the absence of any measures to increase public service pay, particularly in context of sustained inflation. The unions are calling for immediate negotiations to address issues around careers and salaries and have rejected President Emmanual Macron’s talk of better recognizing "merit" as a tactic to avoid the urgent need to improve pay and conditions. The unions have set 19 March as a national day of action, including strikes and other protests
Public administration workers take further action over pay
The ZSSS trade union confederation reports that, following its industrial action last November, the Trade Union of State Authorities of Slovenia (SDOS) organised further strike action from 29-31 January. The union says there has been no progress with the negotiations, particularly in regard to measures for the lowest paid and in contrast with other parts of the public sector. The SDOS has also rejected the proposal from the government to wait and resolve the main issues in the framework of negotiations on the public sector wage system is not acceptable to the union. The union says that workers