Finland
Following trade union protests the government has revised some of its employment law changes but what remains along with proposed changes to elder and child care provision will have a massive impact on women in the labour market. The JHL union is concerned that many women will be forced to stay at home to look after children and relatives, while changes to allow more fixed-term work and to extend probationary periods will add to insecurity at work.
Read more at > JHL (EN)
UNISON is consulting its members in local government over a pay claim for 2014-15. The union proposal is to aim for a living wage as a minimum rate. The options are either for a flat-rate £1.00 (€1.20) per hour increase for all workers or an increase of £1.00 per hour on the lowest rate of £6.45 (€7.72) and an equivalent percentage increase for all other workers. The living wage outside London is currently £7.45 (€8.92) while the rate for London is £8.55 (€10.23) Read more at > UNISON
The European Federation of Public Service Unions (EPSU) wishes to express its condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of the bus inspector brutally killed this Easter in Brussels while doing his job.
The STAL public service union and FIEQUEMETAL industrial union targeted the government in the latest stage of their long running campaign to win improvements to pay and conditions at the AdP water company. The unions were responding to the company’s claim that the government wouldn’t allow it to increase salaries by more than the 0.9% that it had already offered to the unions. The unions are pushing for a range of improvements on top of pay, including a 35-hour week, implementation of an allowance for arduous work, increased recruitment and a better career structure.
