Health and public service unions take action

U.K.

The RCN nursing union launched its first ever campaign of industrial action in England, Wales and Northern Ireland on 15 December and followed up with a second strike on 20 December. The union has said further action may follow in January if the government fails to commit to negotiations on pay. On 21 December, three unions representing ambulance workers – UNISON, UNITE and GMB – organised a first day of strike action in England and Wales over pay with plans for a second walkout on 28 December. Meanwhile, the PCS union launched its targeted industrial action across central government and agencies, starting with workers in the Rural Payments Agency, Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, National Highways, Department of Work and Pensions and Border Force. The FBU firefighters’ union began its ballot over industrial action on 5 December and marked this with a demonstration in central London.

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Mar. 29, 2023

Union takes action in infrastructure company and health services

Portugal

The SINTAP union is planning strike action on 6 April in the government’s Infraestruturas company that deals with road and rail building and maintenance. This follows two days of action on 28 February and 2 March and the failure of the company to respond to the union’s demands on pay, purchasing power, collective bargaining and staff shortages. SINTAP is also planning 12 days’ of strikes and a one-month overtime ban at the Fernando Fonseca hospital in protest at management’s failure to implement the collective agreement signed in 2018.

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Feb. 01, 2024

Public administration workers take further action over pay

Slovenia

The ZSSS trade union confederation reports that, following its industrial action last November, the Trade Union of State Authorities of Slovenia (SDOS) organised further strike action from 29-31 January. The union says there has been no progress with the negotiations, particularly in regard to measures for the lowest paid and in contrast with other parts of the public sector. The SDOS has also rejected the proposal from the government to wait and resolve the main issues in the framework of negotiations on the public sector wage system is not acceptable to the union. The union says that workers

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Feb. 18, 2022

Health insurance workers take action

Germany

Service union ver.di organised warning strikes in the statutory health insurance providers, AOK and BARMER on 8 February. The aim was to put pressure on the employers during negotiations that cover around 75,000 employees in the two companies. For workers in AOK ver.di is demanding a 5.9% increase and a minimum rise of €200 in a 12-month agreement. The employer wants a 24-month agreement with only a lump sum of €800 in March 2022 and a 1.2% in January 2023. Ver.di is also concerned that there are moves to exclude one AOK region from coverage of the agreement and is challenging the unilateral

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