12 epsucob@NEWS June 2009
EPSU Congress 2009
Collective bargaining and social dialogue will continue to be a vital part of EPSU’s work over the next five years following the overwhelming support for several resolutions at the Federation’s Congress in Brussels last week. Apart from the main resolution on collective bargaining, there were also resolutions on the European social model, equal pay and EPSU’s main sectors of activity – utilities, health and social services, local and regional government and national administration. All underlined the importance of protecting trade union rights to collective bargaining and using collective
30,000 social workers and childcare workers join protest in Cologne
Ver.di general secretary Frank Bsirske has called on local authority employers to take positive steps to end the current dispute in the social work and childcare sectors. The union wants to negotiate a new collective agreement that addresses the threat to the health and wellbeing of workers as a result of increased workloads and responsibilities. Over 30,000 workers joined the national demonstration in Cologne on 15 June while thousands of others continued their strike action across the county. Bsirske said that strike action would be intensified and that as a result there would be more
Unions review campaign in light of mobilisations on 13 June
Saturday 13 June was the fifth of this year’s series of national mobilisations over pay, public services and the crisis in France. Public sector unions have, with their private sector colleagues, tried to maintain the level of support but are aware they need to take stock of their campaign. Unions estimate some 150,000 people took part in 159 actions around the country and one opinion poll indicated that nearly three in four of the population back the demonstrations. However, unions are debating on how to maintain the pressure on the government in the lead up to President Sarkozy’s planned
EON action day to protest over job cuts
Services union ver.di has called a demonstration outside the head quarters of the EON energy company in Düsseldorf on 18 June. The protest is over the company’s “savings” programme that unions fear could lead to the loss of 6,000 jobs across Europe with outsourcing affected a further 4,000 employees who are likely to find themselves covered by poorer collective agreements or by no collective agreement at all. Unions are particularly critical of the company because it recently announced substantial profits and a 10% increase in its dividend payments. Delegations of union representatives from
Strike action in energy sector continues in face of legal threats from employers
Energy unions FNME-CGT and FNEM-FO have denounced the EDF energy company for resorting to the courts to try to undermine the industrial action taking place across the sector. Both have made clear their determination to maintain their campaigns of strikes and demonstrations in support of their claim for a 5% pay increase and €1500 lump sum. The employers at sectoral level have so far refused to make any offer having implemented a 0.3% pay increase at the start of the year. [Read more at > FNME-CGT (FR)->http://www.fnme-cgt.fr/pages/communique.php?id=14] [Read more at > FNEM-FO (FR )->http://www
Unions sign local government agreement
The three main public service federations – FP-CGIL, FPS-CSIL and UIL-FPL – have signed a new two-year agreement covering over 500,000 workers in local and regional government. The general increase is €63.20 a month worth an average of 3.2%. However, there is the possibility of higher increases of up to €90 a month in a productivity-linked deal that depends on the extent to which local authorities stay within budget guidelines. Read more at > FP-CGIL (IT)
Thousands join trade union protest over government response to the crisis
The CITUB trade union confederation organised a national demonstration in Sofia on 16 June in protest at the government’s failure to protect the poor, low-paid and unemployed in the current crisis. Workers from across the public and private sectors joined the demonstration. Unions have also criticised government plans to freeze public sector pay instead of implementing an agreed 10% pay increase. Read more at > Reuters (EN)
Union and confederation promise re-focus on precarious workers
The JHL public service union and the SAK confederation have said they want to adopt new strategy and tactics to tackle precarious work by opening “doors in the direction of new social movements and forge cooperation also with people in precarious jobs.” This was the view expressed by Tuire Santamäki-Vuori, EPSU vice president and president of JHL in a speech to the SAK council. Read more at > (EN)
New employment contract law sparks strikes and protests
Energy and transport workers were among those demonstrating or striking on 16 June in protest at the government’s plans to weaken employee protection through changes to the law on employment contracts. Union demands also included improvements to redundancy compensation and unemployment benefit. Around 300 workers at the Eesti energy company took part in the action. Read more at > Baltic Course news (EN) And at > Baltic Course (EN)
Union pressure leads to increase in employment
The PPC national power company has decided to create 2,300 new jobs in addition to 2,300 jobs that it has already advertised. The company’s initiative comes in the face of determined demands from the GENOP energy union to take on an additional 7,000 workers. The union has been arguing that a shortage of trained workers and an increasing reliance on contractors have undermined health and safety in the company – four workers have been killed since the beginning of the year. [Read more at > Reuters (EN)->http://www.reuters.com/article/rbssIndustryMaterialsUtilitiesNews/idUSLG55609420090616] [And
National Grid workers back industrial action to block offshoring
Members of the GMB general union employed by the National Grid transmission company in the North East of England have supported strike action against offshoring in a consultative ballot. The union is angry that the company is looking to close a site and offshore 181 jobs to India despite making massive profits. Read more at > GMB (EN)
Government imposes recruitment freeze
Public service union FSC-CCOO has reacted angrily to a council of ministers decision to freeze recruitment across the general state administration as part of the government’s austerity package. The union argues that a freeze will undermine public services as many departments already have many unfilled vacancies while it further undermines the conditions of workers who are struggling to maintain services despite inadequate employment levels. FSC-CCOO is also concerned about the way the decision was announced and says that it under mines the right to collective bargaining over these kinds of
Union threatens local authority with legal action for cutting local allowance
The FOA public service union is threatening Silkeborg local authority with legal action unless it ensures that it will pay local allowances to its employees. The FOA co-ordinated strike action among educational workers and teaching assistants last spring, securing a slightly higher increase than in the municipal agreement. However, the union says that Silkeborg appears to be trying to cut local allowances while implementing the national agreement. This could cost the workers affected as much as 1400 DKr (€188) a month. Read more at > FOA (DK)
Progress in provincial negotiations
The ABVAKABO public services union reports that after a poor start some progress has been made in negotiations covering provincial government. The employers have responded positively on four issues – extra jobs targeted at the unemployed; the introduction of training budgets for individual workers; changes to the pay structure that will particularly benefit employees who are on the top of their scale; and new arrangements for carers so that they can temporarily change their working hours. The union warns, however, that some hard bargaining remains over pay and employment security. [Read more
Agreement ends refuse collection pay dispute
Refuse collectors in Bristol in South West England have gone back to work after taking strike action over pay. The members of the Unite trade union agreed to a new three-year deal that will pay a minimum of 2.75% for the year November 2008 to October 2009. The remaining years of the agreement and various procedures to improve industrial relations will be negotiated in a process of binding arbitration that will be overseen by the UK’s conciliation and arbitration body, Acas. [Read more at > news website (EN)->http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/homepage/Bristol-binmen-clear-rubbish-backlog/article