2013 October [email protected] 17

Workers across higher education - from catering and cleaning workers to college lecturers and administrators - were involved in strike action on 31 October in protest at the 1% pay increase offered by employers. The unions point out that their members have lost 15% of purchasing power over the past four years and around 4000 employees are paid less than the living wage. [Read more at > UNISON->http://www.unison.org.uk/news/strike-over-phantom-pay-rise-leaves-universities-and-colleges-resembling-ghost-towns] [And at > Unite->http://www.unitetheunion.org/news/unite-university-staff-strike

The FSP-UGT public services federation is continuing to pursue its legal challenge against the Ministry of Health for negotiating collective agreements with an unrepresentative employees' organisation - the Forum of Nurses and Medical Professionals. The union has denounced the agreements that have been negotiated and submitted a case to the ombudsman back in April. Now the High Court will rule on the validity of the agreements signed by the Ministry of Health which the FSP-UGT says has an obligation to negotiate with the most representatives unions. [Read more at > FSP-UGT (ES)->http://www

After several years of negotiations some 140000 federal employees are will soon be covered by a new pay system. Ver.di believes many workers will benefit from the modernised pay structure and improved system of job classification. Skilled technicians, IT workers, clerical and administrative staff and forest workers are among those that will benefit from the new arrangements. In local government ver.di's bargaining committee is continuing discussions with the employers' organisation over a new pay structure. The current collective agreement for federal and local government staff expires at the

EPSU letter of support to PASYDYEPSU has written to the Minister of Finance to protest about the government's decision to make drastic cuts to nurses' pay and conditions without any preceding dialogue with trade unions and employers’ organisations. The measures include a 15% reduction to all shift benefits of nursing personnel for night shifts and 35% for Sundays and public holidays, as of 1 January 2013. In addition, on 26 September 2013 the government proposed a law which, if voted, would abolish all benefits for evening shifts and it would also entail a further reduction, beyond the initial

EPSU letter re HidroelectricaEPSU has written to the Prime Minister and energy minister calling for urgent action to deal with serious problems at the Hidroelectrica and Hidroserves energy companies. The problems began with the insolvency of Hidroelectrica and actions taken by the administrator. Cutbacks to maintenance services have created serious safety risks. Around 1500 jobs have already been cut, a further 1000 are under threat and collective agreements are being undermined. The letter from EPSU provides further information.

A new survey carried out for the Pardia state sector union shows the extent to which its members have faced restructuring and job cuts. In the past two years, reorganisation had been carried out at the workplaces of 84% of the respondents with the most common type of change being the merger of different units (49%). Employee numbers were reduced at 65% of workplaces, remained the same at 21% and increased at 14%. The nature of work itself is also reported as changing with 74% of respondents saying that their job duties had increased or their scope broadened, while 77% reported that

Negotiations have just been concluded in the engineering sector which is a key pacesetter for pay bargaining in the rest of the economy. After some hard negotiations the GPA-DJP and PRO-GE trade unions managed to secure a pay increase without any link to working time flexibility which will now be dealt with in separate negotations. From 1 November the 120000 workers in the industry will get pay increase of between 2.5% and 3.2%, with the higher increase going to lower paid workers. Inflation in Austria was 1.7% in the year to September. [Read more at > GPA-DJP (DE)->http://www.gpa-djp.at

The GDG-KMSfB local and regional government union has taken a decision to authorise strike action following the refusal of the regional government in Lower Austria to negotiate over pay. The union has criticised Erwin Pröll, the regional government head, for effectively imposing a real wage cut on workers and for ignoring the 3000 demonstrators who joined a union protest back in September. The GDG says it has run out of patience waiting for a response from Pröll and is calling for fair negotiations over a reasonable pay rise for regional government employees for 2013 and 2014. [Read more at >

The three main trade union confederations - CGIL, CSIL and UIL - along with their public service federations - FP-CGIL, CISL-FP, UIL-PA and UIL-FPL - are planning industrial action in protest at the government's latest spending plans. The unions argue that there is increasing pressure to modernise public administration but rather than invest in training and career development the government is cutting jobs and freezing pay. Nothing is being done to tackle precarious employment conditions nor to provide job opportunities for young, well-qualified workers. The unions note that recent statistics

EPSU affiliates STAL, SINTAP, STE will be organising a day's strike on 8 November in protest at the latest Budget and further attacks on pay, pensions and other employment conditions. Nine out of 10 public sector workers will see their pay cut by between 2.5% and 12% depending on the level of salary. The unions are angry that public sector workers and pensioners are bearing the brunt of the cuts set by the budget. [Read more at > STAL (PT)->http://www.stal.pt/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1322&Itemid=334] [And at > SINTAP (PT)->www.sintap.pt] [And at > STE (PT)->http://www.ste.pt/]

The French government, eight trade unions and the representatives of public employers signed a framework agreement on 22 October on the prevention of psychosocial risks. The agreement requires each public employer to draw up a "psychosocial risk assessment and prevention plan" by 2015. Other undertakings include better resourcing of health, safety and working conditions committees (HSC), more time off for duties, and of preventive health services. An initial assessment report on implementation of the agreement is to be submitted before the end of 2015. [Read more at > ETUI->http://www.etui.org