Bulgaria
The EIRO industrial relations observatory reports that new legislation has introduced the right to strike for workers in the civil service, energy, telecommunications and healthcare sectors for the first time. Restrictions were placed on these sectors when labour dispute resolution laws were introduced in 1990. Unions have been campaigning since then for a proper right to strike rather than a right to symbolic action.
The POA prison staff union in Scotland has regained the right to organise industrial action following an announcement by the Scottish Justice Secretary. The union says that the decision reflects the positive negotiating environment and trust built up between the POA and the government in Scotland and the Scottish Prison Service. Read more at > legal news website
The three main trade union confederations have jointly refused to continue negotiations over the next two-year pay deal for the private sector. They argue that the pay formula that guides the negotiations leaves only 0.4% as a basis for salary increases. The unions point out that this would mean only a EUR 6.00 gross increase on the minimum wage and just EUR 9.00 for many jobs deemed to be essential during the pandemic. The unions say that the formula, set in 1996 and revised in 2017, is inappropriate for the current situation and fails to take account of the economic impact of the virus.
PSI, in partnership with Our World Is Not For Sale (OWINFS) and the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES), will be holding the very first global conference to provide a critical perspective on the proposed Trade in Services Agreement (TISA) in Geneva on 17 October 2014.
