Environment/Climate Change, Collective Bargaining, Health and Safety

Members of the FNV trade union are currently voting on whether to accept a new collective agreement covering central government. The deal includes a €1200 one-off payment for full-time employees to compensate for inflation paid in May this year even before the current agreement expires. On 1 July there will be an 8.5% pay increase plus €50 and an increase in the individual choice budget by 0.13% to 16.50% of the salary. A one-off payment of €800 will follow in November 2024 and a further payment of €350 on 1 July 2025. The one-off payments add up to €2350 (pro rata for part timers). The

The FSC-CCOO and UGT-SP public service federations are to declare a collective dispute with the Tax Agency which will coincide with the start of the Agency’s campaign on filing income tax returns. The dispute will raise a number of issues related to professional career development, internal promotion, strengthening the mobility agreement, telework and negotiating a new collective agreement. The unions are also concerned about plans to increase the telephone service without specifying salaries or the need to increase recruitment. They will also raise concerns around productivity and about safe

The ZSSS trade union confederation reports that some public service trade unions have expressed dissatisfaction with the government's handling of negotiations on wage disparities and the renewal of the wage system. The unions say that the government's lack of commitment to fair negotiations has resulted in a stalemate and the government's failure to provide a counter-proposal for eliminating wage disparities, despite assurances, has led to frustration among union representatives. They argue that the government's approach undermines the importance of public sector workers in maintaining the

The FP-CGIL public service federation reports that the latest official data show that there were 16000 incidents of aggression against health and social care personnel in 2023, affecting 18000 workers. The statistics were published in the 2023 report from the National Observatory on the Safety of Health and Social Care Professionals which was established in January 2022 and is made up of the Ministries of Health, Interior, Economy and Finance and Labour, other government agencies, trade unions and regional professional associations. Nurses were the most affected by incidents of aggression

Labour movement lobbying helped secure a platform work directive that should provide new rights for millions of workers across Europe. The ETUC and EPSU welcomed the outcome of lengthy negotiations and in particular the inclusion of the presumption of employment in the legislation. This means that Instead of individuals going through lengthy court action to prove they are workers, it will be up to the platforms to prove they are not employees. The directive also recognises the role of trade unions in all aspects of the platform economy, including on issues such as algorithm management. Workers