2011 February epsucob@NEWS 03
General strike planned for 23 February
The ADEDY public sector and GSEE private sector confederations have called a further day of strike action for 23 February. The confederations are continuing their campaigns of resistance against the policies implemented by the government and called for by the European Commission and International Monetary Fund. Along with attacks on the pay and pensions of public sector workers, ADEDY and GSEE are also protesting against changes in the law that are undermining collective bargaining and collective agreements. Read more at > ADEDY (GR)
Two-year agreement in state sector
EPSU affiliate OAO reports that a two-year agreement has been negotiated in the state sector with 3.15% for pay over the period. However, state sector pay developments are linked to private sector increases and relatively high increases (12.8%) in the previous three-year agreement means that state sector increases were 1.48% ahead of the private sector. This means there is an effective pay freeze in 2011 to allow catching up by the private sector. The 1.7% increase in 2012 corresponds to forecast inflation. The unions are pleased that they have resisted the Ministry of Finance’s attempts to
Health union demands talks with government
The TUHSSC health union has called on the government to re-open social dialogue in order to tackle the crisis facing the health service. Hospitals are facing in funding and plans to close thousands of beds while doctors have threatened mass resignations if nothing is done to improve the low levels of pay in the sector. The government is drawing up proposals that include a pay increase for doctors. [Read more at > EPSU (EN)->http://www.epsu.org/a/7309] [Read more at > Ceske Noviny news website (en)->http://www.ceskenoviny.cz/news/zpravy/czech-health-minister-preparing-increase-in-doctors-pay
National deal delivers savings and reforms
Last year’s national cross-sectoral agreement (Croke Park) commited public sector unions to contribute to delivering a range of savings and reforms in return for a commitment to no compulsory redundancies and no further pay cuts. There are around 14,000 fewer public sector workers now with this figure likely to rise to 19,000 by the end of the year. Most job cuts have been implemented through the freeze on recruitment. There have been a wide range of initiatives with considerable redeployment and restructuring as services and functions are merged. [Read more at > IMPACT (EN)->http://www.impact
Back to negotiations over private sector agreement
The proposed national, cross-sectoral agreement for the private sector for 2011-2012 has been rejected by the socialist (FGTB/ABVV) and liberal (CGSLB/ACLVB) trade union confederations. Their concerns included the social security cuts and limited room to negotiate (0.3%) over pay at sectoral level. There were also concerns about negotiating against a European background, with increasing pressure to increase retirement ages and to end pay indexation. Following consultation of its membership the ACV/CSC confederation decided reluctantly to support the agreement although it was far from satisfied
Main union confederations sign social pact
The CCOO and UGT trade union confederations have signed a social pact with the government and employers that provides a broad framework of negotiating issues including pensions, energy and innovation policy, as well as collective bargaining reform. The UGT believes that bringing in questions of industrial policy and investment introduces an important element in the debate about pensions. The CCOO thinks that the pact is missing any consideration of fiscal policy and says it will continue to challenge the employment law reforms. The ELA confederation in the Basque region organized a general
Latest on municipal and state sector negotiations
Public service union JHL has rejected a pay offer for municipal workers that would mean an increase of less than 1.0% for 2011. The employers’ offer consists of 0.8% from 1 May and then a locally negotiated increase of 0.7% from 1 September. The union is aiming to negotiate an increase that at least protects workers against price increases and inflation is currently 2.4%. In the state sector the Pardia trade union is also looking for an across-the-board increase to protect purchasing power. In addition it is aiming to get increases at agency level and an element to make further progress on
Members' views crucial to bargaining demands
Public services union Abvakabo surveyed its members in the hospital sector to help them formulate their main demands in the negotiations due to start this week. The union will be taking account in particular of the needs of young workers who are often on short-term contracts with few hours and inadequate training. The union will make training one of its main demands as part of a strategy to make hospital work a more attractive career. Abvakabo will also be looking for a basic pay increase of 2%. [Read more at > FNV Abvakabo (NL)->http://www.abvakabofnv.nl/nieuws/nieuws/inzet-nieuwe-cao
Unions back call for legal minimum wage
The SSP-VPÖD public service union has joined with the SGB-USS confederation in calling for a legal minimum wage. The unions launched their campaign for signatures for their legislative initiative on 25 January. Read more at > SSP (FR) And in German at > VPÖD
Latest figures show 10-year pay trend below inflation
The FGFFO civil service trade union has produced a briefing on public sector pay that shows that the basic annual increase has exceeded inflation in only one of the last 11 years. The loss in purchasing power over the period is around 8%. Inflation in 2011 is expected to reach 2% while pay has been frozen until 2013. The UGFF-CGT federation has carried out a similar exercise including calculations for a sample of salary grades indicating what the loss of purchasing power means for gross pay. If pay had kept pace with inflation since 2000 then administrative workers would be between €153 and
Unions attack regional government over health sector pay
The GPA-DJP and VIDA trade unions have criticized the regional government of Salzburg for saying that it won’t commit to honouring the BAGS private health sector collective agreement in its procurement. The regional authority says that it doesn’t have to comply with a collective agreement if it wasn’t involved in the negotiations. The unions argue that the authorities should agree to meet and discuss how to provide sustainable finance for health and social services provision and avoid any measures that could lead to wage dumping. [Read more at > GPA-DJP (DE)->http://www.gpa-djp.at/servlet
Unions take different line over agreement with government
The FP-CISL, Uilpa and Uil FPL public service federations have signed an agreement with the government which they claim will protect workers’ pay at levels agreed for 2010 and that will also give the unions a role in negotiating reforms at the workplace. The FP-CGIL public service federation has refused to sign the accord which it argues will undermine the system of collective bargaining in the public sector. The federation is planning strike action for 25 March. [Read more at > FP-CGIL (IT)->http://www.fpcgil.it/flex/cm/pages/ServeBLOB.php/L/IT/IDPagina/1] [And at > CISL-FP (IT)->http://www
Waste workers threatened strike action over outsourcing
The SIPTU members at South Dublin County Council have voted for strike action in protest at the council’s unilateral decision to privatize the waste collection service. The unions says that it has been working with management over improvements to the service and the council’s decision is in conflict with the national Croke Park agreement and earlier national agreements that give priority to using in-house labour. Read more at > SIPTU (EN)
Equal pay victory for municipal workers
Around 900 women working for Bury council in the North West of England are set to benefit from a ruling from the Employment Appeal Tribunal on equal pay. The jobs mainly carried out by women (such as carers, cooks, cleaners, support workers) were compared to jobs of equal value predominantly carried out by men (including refuse collectors, gardeners and drivers). The basic rates for the jobs were similar but bonuses and attendance allowances were only available for “male” jobs which could mean 35%-50% higher salaries. [Read more at > Unison (EN)->http://www.unison.org.uk/asppresspack
Union supports call to abandon government productivity scheme
The Pardia public service union is supporting the proposal from the National Audit Office (NAO) to end the state productivity scheme. Both the NAO and Pardia argue that the programme has become little more than a programme of cuts in staffing. Pardia in particular highlights the failure to do more to boost productivity through new forms of work organization and innovative practices initiated by public sector employees. Latest evidence suggests that productivity has declined while stress and burnout have increased. Read more at > Pardia (EN)
Welcome for equality committees
The FSC-CCOO public sector federation has welcomed the setting up of committees throughout the state administration and public agencies to tackle the question of equality between men and women. The union says that it is important that union representatives have access to the relevant data and analyses in order that they can take a full part in negotiating the equality action plans. The FSP-UGT is also pleased about the initiative and believes it has the potential to make a real difference, particularly in relation to the more equal sharing of family responsibilities. [Read more at > FSC-CCOO
Firefighters' union calls for action to tackle attacks
The FOA public services union has called on the local authorities and police to respond to the rise in incidents of violence directed against firefighters. The union says that there should also be a more long-term initiative to educate young people about the role of the fire service. Read more at > FOA (DK)
No progress after two rounds of bargaining
The employers and trade unions (GPA-DJP and PRO-GE) trade unions are no closer to agreement after two rounds of collective bargaining. The unions argue that the employers’ offer is below the trend set by the metal industry negotiations last November with an increase in inflation since then. The unions also argue that the electricity sector has not been hit so hard by the crisis. They also reject the idea that pay rises should be linked more to results at company level and have criticized the employers for not doing enough to maintain the sectoral agreement. [Read more at > GPA-DJP (DE)->http:/
3.4% pay rise in RWE and Vattenfall
Difficult negotiations along with warning strikes eventually produced pay increases of 3.4% for employees of the two energy companies RWE and Vattenfall. The Vattenfall agreement covers 20,000 workers and runs for 13 months from 1 January 2011. The RWE agreement is also for 13 months and runs from 1 November 2010 to 30 November 2011. [Read more on Vattenfall at > ver.di (DE)->http://presse.verdi.de/pressemitteilungen/showNews?id=ab24cf98-3469-11e0-7db0-001ec9b03e44] [And more on RWE at > ver.di (DE)->http://energie-bergbau.ver-und-entsorgung.verdi.de/tarifarbeit/private_energieversorger
Waste sector workers get 2% rise in 2011
After nine months of negotiations and strike action, ver.di has agreed a deal with the BDE employers’ organization covering 20,000 workers in the private waste industry. There will be a pay increase of 2% for 2011 with a €350 lump sum to cover the period from May to December 2010. Ver.di managed to resist pressure from the employers to create a two-tier pay structure that could have cut some salaries by 20%. Read more at > ver.di (DE)