2010 August epsucob@NEWS 17
National protest against wage cut proposals
Public sector workers including health employees, firefighters and police are set to join a demonstration on 21 September against government plans to cut civil service pay in 2011. The proposals are part of the budget cuts put forward by the new government and the health union warns of the risk that the cuts could be deeper than the 10% being talked about. Unions are also concerned about planned government reforms of the Labour Code which they believe are aimed at weakening employee rights to make the labour market more “flexible”. [Read more at > Czech news website (EN)->http://www
Unions to demonstrate against pay freeze
Public sector unions are building for a major demonstration on 22 September in protest at the government’s plans to freeze pay in 2011 as part of cuts strategy. Unions in the state sector are calling for an increase of 5.3% next year. Read more at > Polish news website (EN)
Unions co-ordinate legal action against government
The Sed-Lex civil service federation is urging individual members to pursue legal action against the government and challenge the imposition of the 25% cut in pay that was implemented from 1 July this year. The union is also considering taking a case to the European Court of Human Rights. Another public sector union, Publisind, is also co-ordinating action among its members. Read more at > Sed Lex (RO)
Public sector pay will rise in 2011
After two years of pay freezes, public sector pay will increase in 2011 by the rate of inflation recorded in the second half of 2010. The government made the announcement following an agreement with the International Monetary Fund which also involves the unfreezing of pensions. (Retail prices rose by 7.9% in the year to August, with the consumer price index registering a lower increase at 6.3%.) Read more at > Balkan Insight website (EN)
Two union federations leave civil service negotiations
A pay agreement for 2011 has been negotiated in the civil service but with only one union federation, Memur-Sen, supporting the increase. Both Kamu-Sen and KESK left the negotiations at different points in protest at the way they were being run by the government. KESK also wanted the negotiations postponed until after the referendum and the possibility that unions would have a clear right to strike if constitutional changes are agreed. The negotiations will deliver two 4% pay increases in each half of 2011 plus TL80 (€41) for all workers. [Read more at > Hurriyet news website (EN)->http://www
EQUAL PAY QUESTIONNAIRE – URGENT
All EPSU affiliates are being urged to reply to the questionnaire on equal pay that was sent out earlier this year. This is a vital issue for EPSU with two resolutions passed on the subject at last year’s Congress. So far we have had 14 responses from nine EU Member States and two Eastern European countries. This means we have a long way to go before getting a comprehensive picture of pay inequality and action to close the gender pay gap in the public services. Get copy of questionnaire at > (16 languages)
Union wins potentially important equal pay victory
The Equality Tribunal has ordered a local authority to award a female after-school service manager the same pay as managers in the technical services department. The case was pursued by Else Marie Nygaard with the support of the YS union and pay comparisons showed her receiving a salary that was between NOK2000 and NOK30000 (€2000-€3750) less than a manager in the mainly male technical services section. The decision could have important implications for pay levels in local authorities. [Read more at > YS (NO)->http://www.ys.no/kunder/ys/cms.nsf/%28$All%29/77F8B57861476FC3C125777500375210
Regional authorities look to reinstate minimum pay rules in procurement
The WSI trade union research institute has found that regional authorities are pursuing various possibilities to set up or re-establish procurement rules that require contractors to bide by relevant collective agreements. They have been reviewing the situation since 2008 when the European Court ruled against Lower Saxony in the Rüffert case. Following the case 10 regional authorities set aside their procurement rules. Now four have introduced new rules and five are planning changes this autumn. The authorities are using sectoral minimum wages as a basis for their new rules or are taking
Local government employers in Scotland impose pay freeze
Unions have reacted angrily to the decision by the COSLA Scottish local government employers to impose a pay freeze on 150,000 council workers. COSLA had offered a three-year deal with 1% in 2010, 0% in 2011 and 0.5% in 2012. This was rejected by unions but instead of negotiating the employers have moved to impose a worse deal with a 0.65% increase this year followed by two years of pay freeze. [Read more at > UNISON (EN)->http://www.unison-scotland.org.uk/news/2010/julyaug/2708b.htm] [And at > Unite (EN)->http://www.unitetheunion.org/news__events/latest_news/unite_hits_out_at_scottish_loc
Equal pay day highlights women's "unpaid" work
Services union VIDA is supporting the ÖGB trade union confederation’s campaigning around equal pay and the Equal Pay Day planned for 29 September. The date was chosen to correspond to the 25.6% gender pay gap in Austria, represented by the idea that if men and women both work full-time for a year the pay gap means that on average women are unpaid for the final three months of the year. The union stresses that equal pay for work of equal value is not just a question of fairness but would also mean an important boost to the economy. [Read more at > VIDA (DE)->http://www.vida.at/servlet
Unions protest against public sector pay freeze and other IMF policies
The FTUU trade union confederation organized a demonstration on 17 August in protest at government policies, including a public sector pay freeze, that are being imposed as a result of an agreement with the International Monetary Fund. Read more at > EPSU (EN)
Demonstration planned in support of cleaning strike
The SSP/VPÖD public services union has organized a demonstration on 2 September in support of the ISS cleaning employees who work at Geneva airport and who have been on strike for over seven weeks. The union is calling for ISS to apply the collective agreement in force at the Swissport company that subcontracted the cleaning. ISS has imposed individual contracts on the workers that means they are between €175 and €1000 a month worse off depending on their length of service. Read more at > SSP/VPÖD (FR)
Waste sector minimum wage to rise in November
The current €8.02 an hour minimum wage in the waste sector is to be increased to €8.24 from 1 November. This is the outcome of negotiations between ver.di and the VKA public and BDE private employer organizations that confirm the minimum wage in the sector will continue beyond the initial period of 1 January to 31 October 2010 an will now be maintained at least until 31 August 2011. Verdi is also pleased that negotiations will resume in January 2011 and it wants to establish minimum rates for specific occupations such as loaders and drivers. [Read more at > ver.di (DE)->http://presse.verdi.de
Union organizes week of protests in lead up to national demonstration
The STAL local government union organized a series of protests near the prime minister’s office in the week beginning 23 August. The union is protesting about government policy towards local government and in particular restrictions of the collective bargaining process and plans to introduce greater working time flexibility. Read more at > STAL (PT)
Negotiations to resume in nursing home and home care sector
Collective bargaining over the VVT nursing home and home care agreement will resume on 14 September following informal talks between the unions and employers over the summer period. Both sides think that there is now scope for an agreement with a key point being provisions on age-related working time to improve work-life balance. [Read more at > FNV Abvakabo (NL)->http://www.abvakabofnv.nl/nieuws/nieuws/werkgevers-zorg-acties] [And at > CNV Publieke Zaak (NL)->http://www.mijnvakbond.nl/VVT-bonden-hervatten-overleg?referrer=272] [And at > NU’91 (NL)->http://www.nu91-leden.nl/cao.asp?grp=5&uid
Union secures 3% increase in energy agreement
Ver.di has negotiated a 3% pay increase from 1 January 2011 for the 20,000 workers in the private energy sector in Eastern Germany. The deal also includes a €1,500 lump sum payment to cover the period from July to December 2010. Trainees will also get the 3% increase and a €300 lump sum. The union also resisted employer attempts to increase working time beyond the current 38 hours a week and have ensured that the framework agreement continues until 2015. Read more at > ver.di (DE)
Unions break off negotiations with church employers
The Fagforbundet municipal union has broken off negotiations over a new two-year agreement with the church employers. A key matter for dispute is over pay for workers with 20 years’ service and the union says that the employers’ current offer would leave this group of workers around €885 a year worse off than workers with 20 years’ service covered by similar collective agreements. The dispute now goes to arbitration. Read more at > Fagforbundet (NO)
Union attacks scale of fixed-term staff in civil service
The PCS civil service union has criticized the ministerial employers for using over 4,000 fixed-term workers across 20 departments. The union campaigns for fixed-term staff to be given permanent contracts and argues that these workers are often employed on different pay and conditions from those of permanent workers. Read more at > PCS (EN)
Conference will focus on impact of pay cuts and freezes
EPSU’s collective bargaining and social dialogue conference will this year focus on the impact of pay cuts and pay freezes across the public services and union strategies to resist and reverse them. A research project looking at eight countries in particular will provide useful background information for conference participants. A draft agenda for the conference is available in 10 languages Read more at > EPSU