Unions step up action to increase pressure on municipal employers

Finland

With municipal employers failing to come up with a decent pay offer, local government unions have planned a series of targeted actions in addition to the ban on overtime and shift changes that ran from 7 to 13 March and will be repeated from 21 to 27 March. Six municipalities have been designated for the two-day stoppages beginning with Jyväskylä and Rovaniemi from 23 to 24 March, then Tampere and Kuopio from 29 to 30 March, followed by Oulu and Turku on 6-7 April. In total the actions cover around 50,000 workers and the unions want to underline the importance of protecting workers’ purchasing power and recognising the massive efforts they have made during the pandemic.

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Feb. 17, 2023

Union steps up strike campaign in municipalities

Netherlands

The FNV is taking further action in support of its demand for a 12% pay rise in the municipalities sector. A six-day strike by refuse collection staff in Rotterdam was set to begin on 15 February and a national demonstration was organised in Utrecht. The union has rejected as wholly inadequate an offer from the employers that would have delivered only 5% in February 2023 and 3% in April 2024. Meanwhile, action may follow in the hospitals sector if the NVZ employers’ organisation fails to meet a deadline to come up with a better pay offer. The FNV and NU’91 trade unions are calling for a pay

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Apr. 28, 2023

Ministry of Justice unions step up action

Spain

The FSS-CCOO, FeSP-UGT and other trade unions representing workers in the Ministry of Justice are stepping up their campaign of industrial action in what has become a long-running dispute over pay and restructuring. Partial stoppages of three hours a day earlier this month helped ensure a start to new negotiations with the Ministry but so far without positive results. Full day strike action is now planned for 4 May along with a national protest outside the Ministry. Further all-out action will then follow on 9-11 and 16-18 May.

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Feb. 06, 2023

Public service workers step up action over pay

Switzerland

Thousands of employees of the Waadt/Vaud regional government are involved in strikes and protests in response to the employer’s offer of a pay increase of only 1.4%, one of the lowest offered across the whole of the country. The day of action on 31 January was supported by even more workers than the first one on 23 January and the next strikes and protests are set for 9 February. The president of the regional council has attacked the trade unions and is so far refusing to negotiate.

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