2011 March epsucob@NEWS 04
Warning strikes back up ver.di negotiators
Around 15,000 regional government employees were involved in warning strikes in Düsseldorf, Saarbrücken and Frankfurt at the end of February and beginning of March. The aim of the strikes was to show the strength of feeling of workers in the lead up to the next round of bargaining on 9 March. Ver.di has submitted a claim of €50 plus 3% but with the employers only indicating so far that this is too high. The employers also argue that regional government has no money but ver.di’s response is to point to the vacancies among finance staff who are crucial in ensuring that the authorities bring in
Pay deals agreed in municipal and state sectors
Unions in the state and municipal sectors have managed to secure improved offers from the employers. In the municipal sector there will be a 1.2% rise on 1 May 2011 plus 0.8% for local negotiations. In addition, a €100 bonus for many employee groups - will be paid in May. Overall, the cost impact of the agreement is 2.4%, in line with the projected rate of inflation. The agreement expires at the end of 2011. In the state sector wages and salaries will be raised by 1.3% backdated to 1 February 2011. On 1 May 2011 there will be a locally negotiated increase of 0.5% and 0.2% as an equality
Two-year agreement in municipal and regional government
After some difficult bargaining the negotiations covering workers in municipal and regional government have ended and union members now have the chance to vote on the deals. In a similar way to the state sector agreement, there will be no pay increase in 2011 (this relates to links with private sector pay developments) but the pay rise in 2012 will be 2.65%. One disappointment for the unions was not getting any job security provisions at a time when hospitals are cutting jobs. However, there are some pay equity elements in the municipal deal along with increases targeted at the lower paid and
Confederations agree on period of action over labour code
The five national trade union confederations have agreed a period of protests that began on 28 February to oppose government amendments to the labour code. The government wants more flexibility and the changes include longer probationary periods and no reference to the national collective agreement. Read more at > Romania news website (EN)
Survey highlights positive role of collective bargaining in health sector
A major review of industrial relations in the health sector across Europe has highlighted the positive contribution that collective bargaining has made in improving pay and conditions and making the sector more attractive to workers. However, the study warns that further privatization and decentralization of decision making could make it more difficult for the sector to sustain and continue the progress that has been made. Read more at > EIRO (EN)
Day of action over childcare
The CFDT Interco federation has called for a day of action on 11 March, including strikes, over continuing problems in the childcare sector. The union says that there are problems with oversubscribed crèches, inadequately trained staff and a mix of different of different providers. It is calling for a limit on the number of children in relation to staff and proper training and professional status for childcare workers. [Read more at > CFDT Interco (FR)->http://www.cfdt.fr/rewrite/article/32390/secteur-professionnel/enfance/petite-enfance:la-cfdt-interco-appelle-a-une-journee-nationale-de-greve
Public service unions back demonstrations over pay and conditions and services
The Frente Comum group of public service unions has agreed to back a series of demonstrations as part of the union movement’s continuing campaign against government policies. The unions will be supporting a national demonstration on 19 March called by the CGTP-IN confederation. This will be followed by further actions on 1 April (young workers) and 2 April, focusing on education. Read more at > Frente Comum (PT)
Union organizes equal pay day
The Pardia public services union organized a campaigning equal pay day on 3 March. The aim of the campaign was to highlight the success of getting the 0.2% equal pay allowance in the latest state sector agreement. The union is also using the day to keep the focus on equal pay in the run up to the forthcoming general election to try to ensure that the next government includes equal pay in its legislative programme. Read more at > Pardia (EN) And further at > Pardia (EN)
Union hopes legislation will bring equality a step closer
The vida services union thinks that the equality law that took effect on 1 March will help progress towards pay equality. The law requires employers to provide details of men’s and women’s pay, including various additions and allowances. The law initially applies to employers with over 1,000 employees but will be extended to small employers over the next three years. The report will be confidential within the company and either provided to the works council or, where there is no works council, to the whole workforce. [Read more at > vida (DE)->http://www.vida.at/servlet/ContentServer?pagename
Doctors' win large pay increases after threat to resign
Doctors are to get pay rises worth between 5000 (€206) and 8000 crowns (€330) as part of a deal that will their salaries increase to around 1.5 times the national average salary by 2013. A major national campaign had seen around 3800 hospital doctors threaten to resign on 1 March if the government didn’t make any concessions on pay. Read more at > Ceske Noviny news website (EN)
Increase to employee contributions could undermine local government pensions
Unions in local government have been joined by Conservative politicians in warning that an increase to employee contributions by as much as 3% of earnings could threaten the viability of the scheme. It is possible that many workers could opt out of the scheme if required to pay more and if this is combined with the numbers leaving the scheme because of job cuts, then this could pose a real problem in terms of future funding. [Read more at > UNISON->http://www.unison.co.uk/news/news_view.asp?did=6604] [And at > GMB->http://www.gmb.org.uk/newsroom/news_archive/2011/jan_2011/900m_stealth_tax.aspx
Extra funds for training are welcomed but won't solve problems in elder care
Municipal union Kommunal has welcomed a commitment from the government to spend an extra billion kronor on training and personal development for nurses and other staff in elder care. However, the union points out that this fails to address the more fundamental problem of staff shortages in the sector and these can be traced to low pay and difficult working conditions. Kommunal says that pay in the sector is well below that in the industrial sector for jobs requiring similar levels of training and qualification. Furthermore, the sector relies too much on part-time work (60% of all jobs) with
EPSU reaffirms call for end to opt-out
EPSU has submitted its response to the second phase of consultation on the Working Time Directive. The Federation has underlined the need to abolish the individual opt-out and ensure that important European Court judgements on on-call time at work are codified in a revised Directive. In its submission EPSU highlighted a number of conclusions from a report by the international consultants Deloitte that the European Commission had effectively ignored in drawing up its latest proposals. Read more at > EPSU (EN)
Threat to protection for low-paid workers
Unions are concerned about drastic economic measures that could include abolition of Employment Rights Orders. These provide minimum pay rates and employment conditions in a number of sectors. They are currently under review but if they are abolished it could mean, for example, cleaners seeing their minimum hourly rate cut from €9.50 to €7.65 which is the new, lower rate of the legal minimum wage. The SIPTU general union organized a petition and a delegation of members delivered the petition to the review. [Read more at > SIPTU (EN)->http://www.siptu.ie/PressRoom/NewsReleases/2011/Name,12141
Unions mobilise 50,000 for regional demonstration
The FS-CCOO and FSP-UGT public service federations are continuing their fight against austerity policies around the country. On 1 March they organized a demonstration of 50,000 people in protest at the regional government’s budget plans. The unions are refusing to sign an agreement with the regional government and are calling for the resignation of the president. The unions argue that the cuts will not just affect public employees but will also threaten local services. Read more at > FSC-CCOO (ES)
Employment agency scandal exposes impact of competition
Following the case of the sacked refuse workers ([See > epsucob@NEWS January->http://www.epsu.org/cob/398#a7245]), another scandal has been exposed involving the Adecco employment agency. In this case it concerns the way the company treats workers in nursing homes with the labour inspectorate in Oslo discovering serious infringements of the working time regulations, with some employess working up to 84 hours a week. The main municipal union Fagforbundet argues that Adecco’s attacks on pay and working conditions is a result of the pressure to introduce more competition in the public services.
"SAVE THE DATE": Gender Pay Gap Training Seminar 16-18 November
ETUI and EPSU will be organizing a training seminar from 16-18 November in Vienna to raise awareness of the gender pay gap and the sources of pay inequalities in the public sector, and to address the problem of the concentration of women in low-paid jobs. ETUI will cover the travel and accommodation costs for 20 participants. EPSU expects the participation from trade union affiliates with competences in gender equality issues but more particular in collective bargaining practices. Read more at > EPSU (EN)
Unions secure agreement for extra funds for jobs and pay in health sector
Trade unions representing workers in the federal health sector have negotiated a “mini-agreement” that provides €50 million of extra funding. This will go towards creating 400 jobs and improving pay and conditions. The jobs will ensure that vacant posts are filled and will be targeted at parts of the sector that didn’t benefit from the employment measures in the 2005-2010 agreement. The extra funds will also ensure more workers get supplementary payments for working after 19.00 as well as going towards the second pillar pension scheme. [Read more at > SETCA (FR)->http://www.setca.org/News
Deadlock in University Medical Center negotiations
Unions are going back to their members to consult over the next step in negotiations in University Medical Centers. Bargaining should have been completed by 17 February but unions couldn’t accept the employers’ insistence on a pay freeze as well as changes to overtime, on-call and standby arrangements. A series of workforce meetings are to be held between 7 and 21 March. [Read more at > FNV Abvakabo (NL)->http://www.abvakabofnv.nl/nieuws/nieuws/cao-overleg-umc-opgeschort] [And at > CNV Publieke Zaak (NL)->http://www.mijnvakbond.nl/Bijeenkomsten-CAO-UMC?referrer=266] [And at > NU 91 (NL)->http
Public sector strike by FP-CGIL on 25 March
The FP-CGIL public service federation has called a public sector-wide strike for 25 March calling for renegotiation of collective agreements and measures to tackle precarious employment. This is in response to the government’s decision to freeze agreements for three years. The FP-CISL and UIL federations are not taking part in the strike as they have signed an agreement with the government which they argue protects pay and conditions. Read more at > FP CGIL (IT) And at > CISL FP (IT)
Three-stage increase at MVV Energie
After four rounds of bargaining a new collective agreement has been negotiated at the MVV Energie company. There will be three increases to pay during the agreement: 3.0% backdated to 1 January 2011, 1.9% from 1 October 2011 and 0.6% from 1 July 2012. There will also be talks over special rules covering union members only. Read more at > ver.di (DE)