Health and Safety, Pay settlements
Social partners take action against third-party violence and harassment at work
An unprecedented number of European sectoral trade unions and employers launched negotiations on third-party violence and harassment at work on Tuesday, 19 March 2024, with the support of the European Commission.
Pay increases average 13.5% as new public sector pay system implemented
After lengthy negotiations a new public sector pay structure is in place that means significant increases to the coefficients used to calculate salaries for different occupations. Overall public sector workers are set to benefit on average by 13.5% in comparison to pay levels in 2023. Most unions are generally happy with the new system, including the HSSMS-MT nurses’ and health workers’ union which is one of 11 to sign the public sector collective agreement. However, other unions, including teaching unions, are unhappy with the outcome and argue that the new system fails to deliver appropriate
Workers in religious hospitals to get 8.3% pay increase
The vida services union has negotiated a new collective agreement with religious hospitals that has been approved by 92% of union members. The finalisation of the agreement was also pending confirmation of funding from the City of Vienna. Salaries increase by 8.3% with a 7.9% increase on allowances. The night work allowance for doctors increases to €20.00 an hour (18.8%) and the Sunday allowance to €14.00 an hour (20.9%). For non-medical staff the increase in the night and Sunday allowance takes it to €53.00 (21.5%) for more than four hours, otherwise to €6.63 an hour (21%). Workers get a
Labour shortages: Social Partners jointly respond to the European Commission Consultation on Labour and Skills Shortages in the EU: An Action Plan
In a coordinated action, EPSU joined with Social Partners in Health and Social Services to responded to the European Commission consultation on Labour and Skills Shortages in the EU Action Plan.
Unions agree deals in municipal and regional government
The 480,000 workers in municipalities and 140,000 workers in regional government are set to get pay increases of 4% from 1 April as a first instalment of the 6.51% (municipal) and 6.53% (regional) increases over the next two years. An additional 2% fund is available for unions to negotiate separately for different groups of workers and so the overall pay rise will be closer to 8.8% and with an expectation that the real increase overall will be 2.17%. There are also additional amounts for the lower paid. At the end of 2025 there will be further negotiations that will focus on the comparative
National strike to hit ENEL energy company on 8 March
EPSU and PSI have sent solidarity greetings to the three union federations – Filctem-Cgil, Flaei- Cisl and Uiltec – in their dispute with the ENEL energy company. The three unions are planning national strike action on 8 March and began a month-long period of industrial action affecting overtime, travel and changes to working hours on 24 February. The unions are angry about the company’s unilateral plans to change working hours arrangements, to outsource operations on the electricity grid, and its refusal to renew the remote work agreement. The three federations argue that the measures will
Hospital workers to get 7% over two years
The FNV and NU’91 trade unions have negotiated a new collective agreement covering the 80,000 employees of the University Medical Centres. Salaries will increase by 4% on 1 May 2024, (maximum of €246.24, gross/full-time basis) and on 1 July 2025, by 3% (maximum of €192.06, gross/full-time basis). If inflation in 2025 is significantly higher than 3%, then an additional agreement could be negotiated. There will be a travel allowance of 0.18 per kilometre and the working from home allowance will increase to €2.35 per day and will be automatically adjusted each year to the maximum tax allowance
Union negotiates pay rise in private care
The SINTAP trade union has negotiated a new collective agreement with Private Institutions of Social Solidarity (IPSS) which provide care services to children and the elderly among others. The agreement includes a pay increase which works out around 3.75% on average. There is also a service-related increase of €21.00, for every five years of service, up to a limit of six seniority periods. SINTAP sees this as a very positive outcome but is committed to continue to work to secure IPSS workers the same salary and career development conditions as those in public administration.
State sector unions negotiate 7.4% pay increase over two years
Negotiations on a new agreement covering the state sector were concluded on Sunday 11 February with employees set to get a 7.4% pay increase over two years that should deliver a real increase of 2.5%. The first increase will be for 5.9% on 1 April 2024 with a further 1.3% due on 1 April 2025 and 0.2% on 1 November 2025. Additional funds have been allocated for the development of wages and other conditions in the individual collective agreements with the overall package worth 8.8%. There will be an extraordinary salary negotiation at the end of 2025 which will focus on the comparative
Unions secure 9%+ pay increases for Red Cross workers
The vida and GPA private services unions have negotiated a new collective agreement covering the 7,000 employees in the regional associations of the Austrian Red Cross. All employees in the framework collective agreement will get a 9.15% increase while all employees in the new collective agreement section B and in the province of Vienna will get 9.2%. The increases are backdated to 1 January 2024. The collective agreement ensures that important provisions that previously differed from one province to another have now been successfully harmonised across the country, with a normal working week
Unions make progress on consolidating bargaining in private care
The Fp Cgil, Cisl Fp and Uil Fpl public service federations have brought two collective agreements in private social care together and are working on consolidation with a third. The unions have signed the agreement for the period 2020-22 covering the National Association for Public Assistance (ANPAS) and the National Confederation of the Misericordie d'Italia, secular and religious providers of health, social care and other services. The aim is to create a single sector agreement covering providers of social and health assistance, medical transport and emergency out-of-hospital care. The next
Union signs three-year agreement with federal government
The SUFBIH civil servants’ union has signed a three-year agreement with the federal government that runs to the end of 2026. The union was pleased with the outcome after three months of negotiations and said the agreement showed how social dialogue could deliver. The agreement stipulates that the lowest salary in administrative bodies is 70% of the average salary in the Federation of Bosnia & Hercegovina and severance pay for retirement is the equivalent of five average salaries for civil servants. There are improvements to various allowances and supplements, including for on-call periods, and
Unions welcome pay increase but call for urgent meeting on framework agreement
Public sector federations in the CCOO confederation and the UGT-SP federation have welcomed confirmation that a 0.5% pay increase (backdated to January 2023) will be implemented in line with the last three-year pay agreement. The 0.5% figure was linked to growth in the Spanish economy. They now also want action on the 2% promised for 2024 and an end to the limit on replacing employees who leave. In the meantime, the federations are calling for an urgent convening of the monitoring committee on the framework agreement that addresses important issues such as partial retirement, annual leave