14 epsucob@NEWS 17 July 2006
Jul. 17, 2006
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ETUC clarifies "flexicurity" debate
The latest collective bargaining information bulletin from the ETUC looks at the question of flexibility and security in terms of employment protection in the Nordic countries. The bulletin points out that they do appear to offer employees less legal job protection than other European states such as Germany, France and Spain. However, job protection provisions in collective agreements play a more important role in the Nordic countries, requiring considerable advanced notice and a range of measures to help workers find new jobs. [Read more at > ETUC (EN)->http://www.etuc.org/IMG/pdf/2006_3
Jul. 17, 2006
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Most minimum wages below 50% of average earnings
According to the latest Eurostat report on statutory minimum wages across Europe, only minimum wages in Luxembourg and Ireland are above 50% of national average earnings in each country. The report provides figures for minimum wage rates in each currency, converted into euros and also compared according to purchasing power parity. It also summarises information about how minimum wage rates are set and gives the proportion of workers in each country on the minimum wage. [Read more at > Eurostat (EN)->http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/cache/ITY_OFFPUB/KS-NK-06-009/EN/KS-NK-06-009-EN.PDF] [Or in
Jul. 17, 2006
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Driving agency workers take strike action
Around 2,000 employees at the government's Driving Standards Agency are taking strike action (17 July) over job cuts. A consultants' report recommended a reorganisation of the Agency with the closure of a number of centres and 80 job cuts. PCS union members are angry about the cutbacks which they say will threaten service quality and maintain that the Agency has begun implementing the consultants' recommendations without any consultation with the union. Read more at > PCS (EN)
Jul. 17, 2006
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High turnout for public administration strike
The STAL public administration union claimed that around 90% of workers joined its national strike on 6 July, demonstrating clearly the level of opposition to the government's proposed reforms of the public sector. Workers across local government, municipal enterprises, local transport and the fire services joined the strike. Read more at > STAL (PT)
Jul. 17, 2006
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Low pay hits recruitment in emergency services
The emergency and related services in Estonia - the police, prisons and fire services - are finding very difficult to recruit staff because of low pay with many workers moving abroad. According to one survey 40% of police officers left the force because of low pay. Better pay for emergency service workers and other state employees is one of a number of demands called for by the ROTAL union and supported by EPSU in a letter to the Estonian Prime Minister. [Read more at > EIRO (EN)->http://www.eiro.eurofound.eu.int/2006/05/articles/ee0605029i.html] [And at > EPSU (EN)->http://www.epsu.org/a/2216
Jul. 17, 2006
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Strike warning over nuclear industry pensions
Unions in the nuclear industry are concerned about how government plans to deal with pensions as the restructuring and sale of the British Nuclear Fuels Group gets underway. Unions want government guarantees for pension rights and argue that employees of the future decommissioning companies should be covered by the same scheme. They are also worried that the government will push through proposals that will leave new employees on much poorer money purchase schemes. Read more at > Prospect (EN)
Jul. 17, 2006
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100% collective bargaining coverage in public sector
Latest figures on collective bargaining and union membership indicate that all public sector workers are covered by collective agreements. This compares to about 60% in the private sector. Overall union density is about 53% of the workforce, a figure that has been stable since 2000 but is much higher in the public sector at 81%. Read more at > EIRO (EN)
Jul. 17, 2006
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French public services minister investigates Spanish collective agreement
It is not just trade unions that are keen to share information about collective bargaining and pay and conditions in other countries. Christian Jacob, the French public services minister, visited Spain recently to find out about the new draft basic law covering public employees agreed by the social partners earlier this year. He met with Julio Laguerda of the FSP-UGT public services federation. Read more at > FSP-UGT (ES)
Jul. 17, 2006
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Baltic and Scandinavian unions sign co-operation agreements
JHL, the main public service union in Finland, has signed a co-operation agreement with ROTAL, the Estonian public administration union. This coincided with a similar agreement signed by the Danish trade union confederation LO with the Lithuanian confederation LPSK. In both cases the idea is to work together to counteract wage dumping and to encourage members who move to the other country to join the partner trade union. JHL reports that it has around 450 Estonian members working in catering, kindergartens and health centres. [Read more at > Finnish Labour News (EN)->http://www.artto.kaapeli
Jul. 17, 2006
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Union backs call for living wage policy in Dublin
The SIPTU general union has backed a resolution from the Labour Party on Dublin Council calling for a living wage policy. This would be applied by the council not just to its own employees but would also cover contractors working for the council. SIPTU wants to see Dublin Council set a leading example as a council that adopts public procurement policies which take account of decent employment standards rather than just awarding contracts to the lowest bidder. Read more at > SIPTU