COVID-19 national updates

Many thanks to the EPSU affiliates who have been providing updates on the situation in their country. Below are the summary reports we have received so far. Many other affiliates have sent links to websites and documents and we will aim to provide relevant information from these sources as soon as possible As further information comes in we will aim to highlight the key developments as they affect public service workers, underlining the importance of the role that trade unions can play in agreeing and implementing emergency measures.

The ETUC is collecting information on the measures being adopted by governments and the main demands from national trade unions. It has published a series of briefings on a range of issues including: short-time working, measures to support households, lay-off arrangements, information and consultation, sick pay, platform and self-employed workers and frontier workers. The European Commission has also produced a summary of short-time working measures.

The Pan-European Regional Council of the International Trade Union Confederation has compiled overviews of developments in the Western Balkans and Eastern Europe outside of the EU.

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Feb. 04, 2021

National collective agreement on COVID-19 tests and masks

Austria

For the first time in 40 years trade unions and employers have negotiated a cross-sector collective agreement. The agreement includes rules for tests for COVID-19 and for mask-wearing at work. It says that employees who require a negative test for their work can have this arranged during working hours or the time taken for any test carried out before or after work will be counted as working time. The agreement also guarantees protection – no dismissal or detriment – where employees test positive for the virus. Employees who are obliged to wear masks at work are entitled to a 10-minute break

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