Information & consultation, Precarious employment, Pay settlements
Public Service Unions to take European Commission to court for social dialogue U-turn
The European Federation of Public Service Unions (EPSU) is holding a press conference to announce that it is taking the European Commission to the European Court of Justice (ECJ) for breaching article 155 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU). It will file the complaint on Tuesday 15 May.
Labour code proposals bring unions and students onto the streets
Proposals to reform the labour code have been criticised by a range of trade union and student organisations. The CGT and FO confederations were joined by thousands of students in protests on 9 March calling for he withdrawal of the planned changes. Other union organisations, including the CFDT and UNSA, are pushing for changes to the reforms, particuarly in relation to measures that will make it easier for employers to carry out redundancies. They plan to mobilise for 12 March and warn of further action if the government doesn't make the necessary changes.
Health and non-teaching staff take action
(January 2017) There was strong support for a health workers' strike on 20 January with unions calling for action on pay, career development and the application of the 35-hour week for all public service workers. On 3 February non-teaching staff in schools and kindergartens plan a 24-hour strike with demands to tackle precarious employment, to increase recruitment and create a proper career structure.
Union sets out key bargaining demands
(January 2017) White-collar union Vision has set out its main bargaining demands in its negotiations with the KFS organisation for local enterprises. The union wants to see competitive salaries and action to improve well-being at work. It also wants employees to be on permanent contracts with employers providing objective justifications for any use of fixed-term contracts of agency staff. Longer paid holidays, individual working time accounts and shorter hours for workers in establishment requiring 24-hour cover are also among the demands.
Pay increase for workers in European institutions
(February 2017) After a five-year pay freeze (2010-2014), workers of the European Institutions are to get a 3.3 % net increase on their salaries, for 2016. Union Syndicale Fédérale, the main union in the sector, had negotiated a formula for annual salary increases procedure that takes inflation and the evolution of purchasing power of central government officials in the Member States as a basis. This has been in force for roughly 35 years, covering the roughly 70 000 officials, other servants, and pensioners of the EU Institutions.. As measure of austerity, this method was suspended for a 5
Strike action wins better pay offer
(February 2017) Workers employed by the Karbel municipal company in Karabağlart in the Izmir province in western Turkey took strike action at the end of January and won an improved pay offer from the employer. Wages will rise by 9% this year and there is an inflation-plus formula for the second year of the agreement. Other allowances will also increase. EPSU sent solidarity greetings underlining the workers' determination to assert their right to take action even during a period when the government has threatened to ban strikes.
Manufacturing deal sets pace for rest of economy
(February 2017) Negotiators in the private manufacturing sector signed a new three-year deal last month. This is seen as a key agreement setting the pace for negotiations in other sectors. In the public services, the FOA union noted in particular the proposals for new funding and rights for workers for training as well as improved parental leave. FOA also underlines the flat-rate, two-crown (EUR 0.3) increase in the minimum hourly pay rates in each of the three years of the agreement. Which will take the minimum to DKK 117.65 (EUR 16.1) by 2019.
Better pay and parental leave rights in care sector
(February 2017) The vida and GPA-djp service unions have negotiated a new agreement covering 5000 workers employed by Diakonie Austria, the church-based care provider. The pay increase of 1.9% is ahead of the 0.9% average inflation rate recorded in 2016. In addition there are improvements to and protection of the rights of workers taking parental leave which the unions say will particularly benefit the significant number of part-time women workers with childcare needs.