2010 May epsucob@NEWS 10

Public service federations FSC-CCOO and FSP-UGT have attacked the government for its sudden announcement of deep public spending cuts. The government wants to cut pay by 5% this year and freeze it next year. Most pensions will be frozen and a range of other measures will add up to €5 billion of cuts this year and €10 billion in 2011. Unions are angry at the way the government has broken agreements with the unions and wants to force public sector workers to suffer cuts in pay and pensions because of the pressure of the international financial markets. [Read more at > FSC CCOO (ES)->http://www

The government has announced that it wants to make deep cuts in public spending in 2011 to avoid having to call on the International Monetary Fund for further loans. Public sector pay could be cut by 25% and pensions by 15%. Unions and opposition parties are planning protests and the Sex Lex civil service federation is consulting members over strike action. [Read more at > Sed Lex (RO)->http://www.sedlex.ro/main/noutati.php?section=1] [And at > SETimes (EN)->http://www.setimes.com/cocoon/setimes/xhtml/en_GB/features/setimes/features/2010/05/11/feature-01] [Read more at > Irish Times (EN)->http

The ADEDY public sector and GSEE private sector confederations have agreed to joint action on 20 May in the latest protest at the cuts being pushed through by the Greek government in accordance with demands from the European Commission and International Monetary Fund. The unions are focusing in particular on cuts to pensions and social security highlighting the fact that a major problem has been previous government failure to tackle the high levels of undeclared work that had reduced the level of contributions into the system. [Read more at > ADEDY (EL)->http://www.adedy.gr/adedy/site/home/ws

Following a key court ruling and further clarification from the Labour Relations Commission (LRC), the executive of the IMPACT public service union has decided that it will recommend that it members accept the public service agreement proposed by the government. The court ruled that important parts of an existing agreement covering performance management, outsourcing guarantees, premium pay rates and other issues would continue to be valid. The LRC also confirmed that unions would be fully consulted over the implementation of redeployment and restructuring under the public service agreement

Services union ver.di has reacted angrily to attempts by economics minister Rainer Brüderle of the FDP to block the introduction of a minimum wage to cover the 800,000 workers in the care sector. Ver.di had already managed to get agreement from the employers for minimum rates of €8.50 an hour in the West and €7.50 an hour in the East. Before the intervention of Brüderle, CDU labour minister Ursula von Leyen had indicated that it would be possible to implement legislation soon so that the rates could be in force from 1 July. [Read more at > ver.di (DE)->https://gesundheit-soziales.verdi.de

Five trade union organisations have issued a joint call for a day of action on 27 May. The CGT, CFDT, UNSA, Solidaires and FSU will be mobilising in protest at government plans to freeze public spending for three years. The unions want to see increases in public sector pay and an end to job cuts. They are also concerned about proposals to change the pensions system and the fact that the government has allowed little time for consultation on the issue. Meanwhile the FO confederation has called for a national, cross-sectoral strike on 15 June specifically in protest at the pension reforms that

Unions organising workers in the non-profit sector have called for a major national demonstration on 8 June in protest at the failure of the federal, community and regional governments to undertake meaningful negotiations. The unions are calling for a range of measures to improve purchasing power and employment conditions and increase employment in a sector that delivers a range of health and social services. [Read more at > SETCA (FR)->http://www.setca.org/News/Pages/lenonmarchandpassealaction.aspx] [And at > BBTK (NL)-> http://www.bbtk.org/nieuws/Pages/DeSocialProfitgaattotactieover.aspx]

Unions representing workers in the nursing, care home and home care sector have called a demonstration on 19 May outside a meeting of the employers’ organisation. Employers are demanding a pay freeze but unions argue that this goes counter to previous agreements that should guarantee job security and the maintenance of purchasing power. Unions say that further action will be planned if the employers don’t change their position. [Read more at > FNV Abvakabo (NL)->http://www.abvakabofnv.nl/nieuws/nieuws/zorgpersoneel-actie] [And at > CNV Publieke Zaak (NL)->http://www.mijnvakbond.nl/VVT-actie-op

Around 1,000 members of the JHL and JYTY trade unions are planning strike action on 20 and 21 May in protest at the City of Helsinki company’s plans to unilaterally pull out of the company collective agreement. If this happens then workers would be covered by the sectoral agreement and they would lose a range of allowances where the company agreement provides better pay than at sectoral level. The unions are also concerned about the company imposing new rules on shift work that would give workers less control over their shift patterns. [Read more at > JHL (EN)->http://www.jhl.fi/uutinen/7028]

A survey by the Lower Austrian Chamber of Labour reveals the extent to which health workers’ well-being is under threat from stress and long hours. The survey of around 33,000 employees found one in five were emotionally exhausted while 27% worked 12-14 hours a day. Some 40% of employees worked more than 40 hours a week even though only 1% had agreed to work such long hours. One in four new jobs are in the health sector and there are around 6,000 vacancies nationwide. The Chamber of Labour and services union VIDA have called for action on health sector working conditions in order to help boost

Further research has been published that reveals the threat to workers’ health posed by longer hours. The study of civil servants found a 60% increase in heart-related illness among those working three or more hours a day more than the seven-hour norm. Publication of the research comes at a time when the European Commission is consulting over the Working Time Directive. A communication from the Commission suggests that health and safety is no longer the only factor to be taken into account when assessing the impact of working time legislation. A view that EPSU and the ETUC will reject in their

The long-running dispute in the municipal sector has still not been resolved but unions and employers are negotiating. Further negotiations took place on 11 May and although an agreement was not finalised, there were hopes that a deal would be agreed soon. In the meantime unions are maintaining their protests and industrial action. Refuse workers and street cleaners in Amsterdam and Utrecht have been on strike in protest at the employers’ attempts to impose a pay freeze. [Read more at > FNV Abvakabo (NL)->http://www.abvakabofnv.nl/nieuws/nieuws/geen-akkoord-gemeenten] [And at > FNV Abvakabo

The May issue of UNISON’s Bargaining Update reports that Sheffield city council in the north west of England has told private contractor Chartwells that it must be all its staff working on the Sheffield school meals contract the same rates as those transferred from the Council in 2001. A Workforce Code of Practice was negotiated by unions, employers and the government in order to prevent the spread of a two-tier workforce in public sector contractors. The city council admits that the Code of Practice should have been applied when the contract was signed three years ago. [Read more at > UNISON