The two main trade union confederations - GSEE in the private sector and ADEDY in the public sector - have pledged to continue their protests against government pension reforms despite the passage of new legislation. Their immediate aim is to support calls for a referendum on the reforms that is due to be discussed in parliament.
Read more at > javno news website (EN)
Unions protest as pensions bill is passed
More like this
President defies IMF to sign bill to increase pay and pensions
Unions have welcomed the fact that President Yuschenko has signed a bill increasing pay and pensions despite a call by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the Prime Minister to veto the bill. The IMF says that the implementing the bill requires an increase in public spending above the limits it set as part of its loan package conditions. The FPU union confederation had had a video conference with IMF head office in order to stress the need to tackle poverty in the country. It then picketed the IMF offices in the Ukraine in protest at the failure of the institution’s insistence on
Bremen passes minimum wage law
Bremen is the first regional government in Germany to adopt a law on minimum wages that covers regional government employers as well as organisations funded by the regional government. Organisations will risk losing their funding if they infringe the new law which takes effect from 1 September this year. A Senate committee will review the level of the minimum rate, initially set at €8.50 an hour, every two years. Read more at > DGB (DE)
Deadline passed for working conditions directive
The beginning of the month was the deadline for the transposition of the Transparent and Predictable Working Conditions Directive (TPWCD) into national law. The directive is a significant update and revision of the Written Statement Directive and provides a range of new rights in relation to training, probationary periods, second jobs, advanced notice of work schedules, protection against abuse of zero-hours contracts and transfers to more secure employment. A major concern for EPSU has been the clause that allows Member States to deny key rights to public service workers. It is not yet known