18 epsucob@NEWS 11 September 2006
Two-day strike in health sector
The health federation of the CGT union is planning a two-day strike on 18 and 19 September in support of six key demands: salaries that reward qualifications and recognise the difficulty of the job, career progression with quotas, a minimum public sector salary of €1,550 a month, improvements in working conditions, urgent plans for training, and better provision for union reps to perform their duties. Read more at > CGT Santé (FR)
Unions angry at privatisation of health service supplier
NHS Logistics is a non-profit making operation that co-ordinates the supply of a vast range of goods to the National Health Service in the UK. The government is moving ahead with plans to sell the organisation to DHL, the German-owned logistics and delivery service. Public services union UNISON is running a campaign of opposition to the sell-off and is planning to ballot members over possible industrial action. The union has also made sure that it gets the message across to the increasing numbers of Polish workers in the NHS by printing campaigning material in Polish. [Read more at > UNISON
Conflicts in university clinics continue
Industrial peace hasn't settled over all university clinics in Germany yet as strikes and disputes continue in some regions. In Leipzig, members of the ver.di services union took a day's strike action on 5 September in protest against poorer pay and conditions being imposed on new employees. The union wants the same collective agreements to apply to all workers and is threatening to extend the action if the employer doesn't negotiate. In Halle and Magdeburg over 90% of employees have voted for strike action but this has been postponed as negotiations continue with the employer. Ver.di wants
Union ballots over action again decentralisation
The IMPACT civil service union is balloting members in a number of government departments over possible industrial action. The union's decision is in response to the government's failure to guarantee jobs, pay and conditions and career progression to staff affected by decentralisation. Workers in seven departments, including the Department of the Environment and the Prison Service, will be asked to support a range of measures including non-co-operation with the decentralisation plans. Ballots in other departments may follow if no guarantees from the government are forthcoming. [Read more at >
Civil service office abolished
The EIRO industrial relations observatory reports that the Slovak Civil Service Office will be abolished only four years after being set up. Critics argue that the abolition will leave the Slovak civil service more open to political interference. The Office was only established in 2002 with a number of key responsibilities covering ethics, performance appraisal and vocational training. With the abolition of the office departmental managers will have more discretion over human resource management Read more at > EIRO (EN)
Driving agency staff strike over jobs and working practices
Over 2,000 workers in the Driving Standards Agency, the body that organises driving tests, have taken another day of strike action. The union involved, PCS, argues that the Agency has begun pushing through job cuts and changes in working practices without proper consultation. Office closures are also planned in London, Edinburgh and Birmingham. Read more at > PCS (EN)
Demand for immediate negotiations
Five federations in the public services - CGT, FO, UNSA, FSU and CGC - are demanding immediate pay negotiations in the public sector. They argue that plans for job cuts are undermining the public sector's ability to meet its service obligations and that this year's pay increase will reduce even further the purchasing power of public sector workers. Read more at > CGT(FR)
Public sector federation calls national demo
The FNFSP public sector union federation is organising a national demonstration on 12 October demanding the government honours agreements covering public sector workers, improves working conditions and increases pay to make up for the loss of purchasing power over recent years. The unions involved will then join a demonstration organised by the CGTP federation which will be protesting over government reforms to the social security system. Read more at > FNSFP (PT)
Survey shows gas workers opposed to privatisation
A survey of employees of Gaz de France by the CGT and FO union federations revealed that 94% are against privatisation. The private utility Suez is bidding to takeover the company. The survey was carried out in response to claims by the government and GdF itself that employees were in favour of the sale of the company. The unions are now mobilising for a day of action - including demonstrations and strikes - on 12 September. Read more at > FNME-CGT (FR)
European Court rules that working time guidelines are wrong
The European Court has ruled that the government's guidelines on the UK's Working Time Regulations are wrong and should be changed. The wording says that: “employers must make sure that workers can take their rest, but are not required to make sure that they do take their rest”. The Court ruled that this does not place a clear obligation on employers to ensure that employees to actually take the minimum required rest period. Read more at > TUC (EN) And at > euobserver (EN)
Transnational bargaining and "flexicurity" among key themes at ETUC collective bargaining summer school
The main issues discussed at this year's ETUC collective bargaining summer school included transnational bargaining, “flexicurity”, precarious employment and working time. These were all debated along with the normal review of collective bargaining developments across Europe. Read more at > EPSU (EN)
Policies on migrant workers and young workers
EPSU is putting together information on collective bargaining policies on migrant workers and young workers. If your union has successfully negotiated or is in the process of bargaining over policies to improve the recruitment and integration of these groups of workers then please let us know. Are there special arrangements for training migrant workers? Are young workers provided with adequate training/apprenticeships? Please send brief details to [email protected] Read more at > EPSU (EN)