2010 June epsucob@NEWS 12
General strike called for 29 September
Following the public sector strike on 8 June, the main confederations have called for a general strike on 29 September in protest at the government plans for public spending cuts and labour law reforms. This is the date of the ETUC’s European-wide mobilization with its key demands of “No cuts, more growth.” The Spanish unions have other action planned in the meantime with mobilizations in the regions on 30 June and then in Madrid on 9 September. [Read more at > FSC CCOO (ES)->http://www.fsc.ccoo.es/webfsc/menu.do?Inicio:90811] [And at > FSP UGT (ES)-> http://www.fspugt.es/UGT_y_CCOO_convocan
Unions take protests to parliament
Following the public sector strike on 31 May, trade unions continued their protests right up to the national mobilization outside parliament on 15 June. The unions are fighting planned cuts of 25% to public sector pay and 15% cuts in pensions. The action on 15 June was to provide support to the vote of no confidence in the government. However, the government survived and is pressing ahead with the cuts that are due to take effect from 1 July. Read more at > EPSU (EN)
ETUC calls European day of action for 29 September
As strike action and demonstrations against cuts and labour reforms spread across Europe the ETUC has called for a European day of action on 29 September to coincide with a meeting of EU finance ministers in Brussels. Apart from a demonstration in Brussels itself, the ETUC has called on affiliates to organize demonstrations across Europe. Confederations in Spain have called a general strike for that day. Read more at > ETUC (EN) And at > CES (FR)
Municipal strike ends with a 3.5% overall increase for employees
An agreement was reached in the municipal sector after two weeks of strike action, the most significant industrial action in the country for over 30 years. Overall the deal is worth around 3.5% and includes amounts for local agreements as well as provisions for tackling the gender pay gap which was a key element of the unions’ demands. The basic general increase is 2.1% or 7100 NOK. Read more at > Norway Post website (EN) And at > Fagforbundet (NO)
Federation follows demonstration with strike action
The FP CGIL public services federation has reacted to government plans to cut public spending by organizing a national demonstration on 12 June and this will be followed by a national public strike in most regions on 25 June (with action in some regions on 2 July). The cuts will have a direct impact on public sector workers’ pay. Previously agreed pay increases will be reduced and workers are also likely to lose the productivity-related elements of their salaries. [Read more at > FP CGIL (IT)->http://www.fpcgil.it/flex/cm/pages/ServeBLOB.php/L/IT/IDPagina/14342] [And at > FP CGIL (IT)->http:/
Demonstrations culminate with delivery of protest letter to prime minister
Four days of trade union demonstrations around the country lead up to the delivery of a protest letter to the prime minister on 17 June by public sector trade unions in the FESAP federation. The unions have attacked the government’s plans to freeze public sector pay and its other proposals for public spending. The unions are particularly angry about the failure of the government to maintain any process of social dialogue. Read more at > SINTAP (PT)
Confederations continue to protest
A national rally organized on 16 June was the most recent action co-ordinated by the ADEDY public sector and GSEE private sector trade union confederations. The protest was not only over the cuts in public sector pay that will see workers lose up to 35% of pay in real terms over the next four years, but also in opposition to the wide range of other measures the government is pushing through including changes to labour law that will undermine collective agreements. Read more at > ADEDY (GR)
Regional collective bargaining meeting covers crisis, outsourcing and equal pay
Over 40 participants from 10 countries met in Madrid on 16-17 June in the second of three regional collective bargaining conferences organized by EPSU this year with the financial assistance of the European Commission. The crisis was top of the agenda with participants able to share experiences of the way governments are trying to cut or freeze pay and jobs while unions are responding with various forms of protest and industrial action. With the pressure for cuts likely to lead to more outsourcing this was an important part of the discussion along with precarious employment. The extent of the
Confederations try to protect collective agreements
Four trade union confederations have been in negotiations with the government in order to prevent changes to the labour code that would undermine collective agreements. The confederations called for urgent talks when it emerged that the government was trying to implement the change to the labour code without any consultation with the unions. The unions are also trying to win broader support and are collecting signatures for a petition to have a referendum on the labour code changes. Read more at > SSSH (EN)
Majority of public services unions vote to accept deal with government
The public services unions in the ICTU confederation have voted to accept the so-called Croke Park deal. The agreement commits the government not to cut public service pay again, and to begin the process of reversing recent pay cuts as savings flow from the substantial reforms set out in the deal. It also contains a government commitment to avoid compulsory redundancies, plus important safeguards on pensions and outsourcing. Public service pay has been cut by an average of 14% over the last 16 months through the so-called ‘pension levy’ and reductions in pay scales introduced in the last
Civil service union wins second court ruling on redundancy scheme
Following its earlier victory over the government, the PCS civil service union has won a second High Court ruling over the redundancy compensation scheme. After the first ruling the government was supposed to agree changes to the scheme with the union. However, the two sides didn’t agree and in this second ruling the court has said that most of the government-imposed changes (apart from those dealing with age discrimination) to the scheme are null and void. The new coalition government will now have to negotiate with the union if it wants to make any changes to the scheme. [Read more at > PCS
National demonstration planned over pension reforms
Five union organizations (CFDT, CGT, FSU, Solidaires and UNSA) are mobilizing for a demonstration on 24 June in protest at government plans to increase the retirement age and employees’ pension contributions. The unions argue that the changes will mean that as a result of the various breaks in their careers many women will have to work until the age of 65 to get a full pension. They point out that generally the reforms don’t acknowledge the scale of the gender pensions gap nor the need to take account of difficult and dangerous occupations. [Read more at > CGT (FR)->http://www.cgt.fr/spip.php
Lay-offs, recruitment freezes and lack of cover force sick employees go to work
A survey of municipal workers by the FOA public services union found that more than half had gone to work when they should have taken sick leave. The respondents said that their workloads had increased with 25% experiencing lay-offs of fellow workers and 46% saying there was a freeze on recruitment in their workplace. The union also points out that often employers fail to provide agency staff when they are needed to cover sickness absence. Read more at > FOA (DK)
Day of action over pay and employment rights in church organizations
The ver.di services union organized several demonstrations around the country on 9 June in its continuing campaign to secure better pay and conditions for employees of church-run health and social services. The church organizations have challenged the right to strike in the sector and have refused to negotiate proper collective agreements. Read more at > ver.di (DE)
State sector negotiations could prove challenging
Unions putting forward claims to state sector employers think that there is a big gap to close in the forthcoming negotiations. The OFR negotiating cartel wants to see pay increase in line with the private sector as well as action on work-life balance. The SEKO services union is concerned about employment security particularly for women and young workers. It also wants a general wage increase of 2.6% but says that there is nothing on offer from the employers. [Read more at > ST (SE)->http://www.st.org/aktuellt/avtal-2010/avtalsrorelsen-inom-arbetsgivarverket/yrkandet-lamnat/#newsItem15585]
Protests produce results in non-profit sector
The SETCA services union reports that the regional government of Wallonia has agreed to allocate an additional €4.5m to the non-profit sector in response to demands from the trade unions. The sector includes a range of health and social services and the extra cash will cover a harmonization of pay structures across the sectors, proper application of elements of the 2007-2009 agreement and a range of measures on employment. The union sees this as a first step to meeting its collective bargaining demands and believes that union action, including a national demonstration on 8 June, was important
Women demonstrate over pension age and childcare
The SSP-VPOD public services union backed the national demonstration on 14 June over childcare provision and proposals to increase the retirement age for women. The union has criticized the federal government for plans to cut back a scheme that has actually increased childcare places in recent years, although there is still a major shortage across the country. [Read more at > SSP-VPOD (FR)->http://www.ssp-vpod.ch/actualites/nouvelles/ansicht/article/14-juin-2010-les-femmes-se-mobilisent-pour-laccueil-des-enfants.html?tx_ttnews[backPid]=34&cHash=cbb0d8e98e] [And at > VPOD-SSP (DE)-> http://www
Union attacks proposal to fill care jobs with 15-year-olds
The VIDA services union says that the staff shortages in the care sector need to be tackled by improving pay and reducing hours and not be relying on school-leavers to fill vacancies. Responding to a proposal from a regional politician, VIDA points out that the proposals completely fails to understand the nature of the caring professions and the needs of those in care. Read more at > VIDA (DE)
Unions criticize state productivity scheme
Public services union JHL and other unions in the state sector have called for the state productivity scheme to be abandoned. The scheme was set up in 2003 and initially had trade union support in that its aim was to increase productivity in response to the need to adjust to the ageing of the workforce. However, now the unions argue that the scheme is focusing on cutting jobs and even quote management consultant reports that claim that job cuts can undermine public sector productivity. Read more at > JHL (EN)
Waste agreement protects purchasing power
Unions and employers in the waste and environment sector have agreed in principal on a 12-month deal that provides a 1.1% increase and so keeps pay rising in line with inflation. The agreement also includes an amount equal to 0.4% of the paybill that will fund initiatives relating to recruitment and promotion. Read more at > Abvakabo (NL)