Prison unions meet minister to push for progress on pay, employment and reform

Public service union Abvakabo reports that a meeting with the home affairs minister was disappointing in terms of the prospects for the negotiations over a new agreement covering the civil service. The minister confirmed that the government would be looking for job cuts and a pay freeze. The union reaffirmed its call for a 2% pay increase and a stop on job cuts. It argued in particular that redundancies would be s short-sighted measure in view of the increasing trend to retirement arising from the ageing public sector workforce. [Read more at > FNV Abvakabo (NL)->http://www.abvakabofnv.nl

The four union federations - Fp-Cgil, Cisl-Fp Uil-Pa and Fialp-Cisal - are hoping that a meeting with the health minister will be the first step in resolving the dispute over reorganisation of the Red Cross. The unions are looking for a guarantee on pay and jobs, discussions over any planned restructuring of the organisation and a freeze on any initiatives taken by Red Cross management. The unions think that the minister's decision to reopen negotiations is a positive one but they will be ready to mobilise their members if they are not offered solutions that will protect Red Cross employees