Following unprecedented unity among 12 trade union and student organisations, public and private sector trade unions were celebrating the French government's decision to withdraw the CPE law that would have undermined the employment rights of young workers. Unions are now arguing that this unity has to built on to fight off the next threat - the merger of the Suez private utility company with the state-owned GDF gas company.
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Unions celebrate victory and plan next campaign
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Unions celebrate two more victories in the courts
After the recent success of public service union UNISON in getting the courts to end the government's policy to charge workers for the right to take employment tribunal cases, UNISON and the PCS civil service union have celebrated two further court victories. UNISON's second success came in another landmark case that will effectively require employers to consult over workplace restructuring such as redundancies. The PCS victory was in a judicial review of government cuts to the civil service pension scheme which the government now has to withdraw.
Outsourced workers celebrate living wage victory
Workers employed by the Aramark outsourcing company at the government's Department for Business Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) have won their campaign to be paid a living wage. After two months of strike action the company agreed to pay a minimum of GBP 10.55 an hour (EUR 11.75) and also to improve holiday entitlement and sickness benefit. Negotiations covering other workers at BEIS employed by the ISS multinational are still underway.
Demonstration in May is next stage of union campaign
Public administration union STAL is following three days' of action in April with a national demonstration planned for 19 May in Lisbon. The 10, 11 and 12 of April saw the union organise vigils outside the head offices of the minister for local administration, the finance minister and then on 12 April outside the prime minister's office. The campaign continues to focus on opposition to government cuts in public spending and defence of the pay and conditions of public service workers. The union will also be launching a national publicity campaign to alert people to the threat to public services