2015 December epsucob@NEWS 18

The Frente Comum of public service unions, including local government union STAL, has set out its list of key demands for negotiations in 2016. Central to the unions' claim is restoration of the pay and conditions that have been cut or frozen since austerity measures were implemented in 2011. In terms of pay this is not just about restoring pay levels but also re-establishing other pay rights such as overtime rights. And one of the main demands is the revocation of the law requiring public sector workers to increase their working week to 40 hours without any compensating pay increase. Public

Trade unions representing employees of the Geneva canton, including EPSU affiliate VPOD/SSP, have taken further strike action against the authority's proposed cuts package. The unions are protesting not just against planned job and pay cuts and increase working hours but also on the social impact of the budget cuts for Geneva's citizens. Around 10000 people joined a demonstration against the austerity measures earlier this month and a further rally followed on 15 December. [Read more at > SSP (FR)->http://www.ssp-vpod.ch/actualites/nouvelles/nouvelles/article/geneve-la-greve-continue-mardi-15

The CGT-FNME energy union organised strike action across the country on 9 December as part of its campaign on jobs, pay and working conditions. Further action is planned for January. The union is angry about the latest 0.2% increase in basic pay across the sector and major job cuts at EDF and ENGIE. The union is campaigning for a €200 a month pay increase along with increased pensions and protection for collective and statutory rights. [Read more at > CGT-FNME (FR)->http://www.fnme-cgt.fr/index.php/communiques/9-decembre-2015-la-mobilisation-se-renforce-et-s-ancre-dans-la-duree] [And on the

The International Labour Organisation has published two new reports on collective bargaining in the public services. The first is a working paper that provides an overview of collective bargaining arrangements across the European Union. Information on all 28 countries is included and the ILO categorises 23 as having some form of bargaining while in five countries unilateral government decisions determine pay and conditions. The second report cites several collective agreements from around the world as examples of how to promote constructive approaches to labour relations. This report

The three main unions in the prisons sector (ACOD/CGSP, ACV/CSC and VSOA/SLFP) took 24-hour strike action on 18-19 December in protest at the Ministry of Justice's failure to provide solutions on a number of issues. The main problems relate to understaffing and recruitment, clothing allowances and pre-retirement leave. A meeting between the unions and the Ministry earlier in the week had not produced any new commitments and so the unions went ahead with the action. [Read more at > CGSP (FR)->http://www.cgsp-ministeres.be/etat-federal/justice/447-communiqué-de-presse-préavis-de-grève-pour-le

The FNV trade union is highlighting the evidence indicating a link between night and shift work and cancer. The union says that disruption to the bodies bio-rhythms can affect hormones and it is particularly concerned about the potential impact on 80000 care workers who are on shift work, with the vast majority women. The union has organised a meeting with cancer experts at the Amsterdam Medical Centre in February as a contribution to making health workers more aware of the risks. [Read more at > FNV (NL)->https://www.fnv.nl/sector-en-cao/alle-sectoren/zorg-en-welzijn/nieuws/1150680

Services union ver.di has welcomed some aspects of a new law on training in the care sector but argues that it doesn't go far enough. Above all the union believes that staff shortages and pressure of work across different care professions means that it is very difficult to ensure adequate time and resources are devoted to practical training. It is also concerned that plans to bring care training together across different professions such as general health, paediatric and eldercare are not the best solution and specific training is needed in these areas. [Read more at > ver.di (DE)->http://www

UKR-ProtestA large trade union demonstration gathered outside the parliament on 17 December in protest at the latest state budget, drafted under the auspices of the Internationl Monetary Fund. The unions have put forward their own alternative social and employment proposals to counter a budget that will mean more job cuts and as well wage freezes and no change to the living wage. The unions argue that this an economic disaster as well as a social one. [Read more at > FPU (UKR)->http://www.fpsu.org.ua/napryamki-diyalnosti/informatsijna-robota/9274-aktsiya-profspilki-piketuyut-verkhovnu-radu-z

The FSC-CCOO and FSP-UGT have both officially served notice on the current agreement covering workers in the state sector. This means that negotiations over a new agreement will have to before the end of January. The unions want to see a restoration of rights and benefits unilaterally cut since the crisis. They are also looking for a 5% pay increase on the basis of the pay scale of 2010, along with a commitment to keep pay moving in line with that negotiated in the private sector. They also want to see a minimum wage of €1200 a month. [Read more at > FSC-CCOO (ES)->http://www.fsc.ccoo.es