10 epsucob@NEWS May 2009
Unions prepare for next mobilisation in June
Public and private sector union federations are continuing their mass campaigns over government policy and responses to the crisis. The eight public sector union federations have again come together to support the national days of action on 26 May and 13 June and to re-affirm their main demands to the government. These include immediate negotiations to secure an increase in the index covering public sector pay and revision of the public sector pay salary structure. The unions also want to see an end to job cuts and closures and transfers of services that are combining to undermine the quality
Social workers and childcare workers step up strike action over health agreement
By 26 May an estimated 25,000 social workers and childcare workers had joined the national strike organised ver.di as part of the campaign to secure a new collective agreement that addresses the health concerns of the sector. The numbers joining the strike have steadily increased since the action began on 15 May. More responsibilities and heavier workloads have increased stress and health risks for many employees working in social services and early years education and the union argues that action is needed to improve working conditions. The local government employers’ association has yet to
Public sector unions call off strikes
Public sector unions called off strikes planned for 13 and 14 May and a national demonstration planned for 16 May. The unions secured an agreement on pay for 60,000 civil servants that will now be voted on by union members. If members reject the agreement then the unions will return to the negotiating table with the government. Civil servants’ pay will be increased in line with inflation from 1 January 2010 and they will also get a 6% increase once the economy has registered two consecutive quarters of growth. [Read more at > SSSH (HR)->http://www.sssh.hr/index.php?option=com_content&task=view
Energy unions continue their action
The four main federations in the energy sector – FNME-CGT, FNEM-FO, CFDT and CGC – are keeping up their various forms of action in support of their demands for salary increases in the sector and a stop to outsourcing and closures. Apart from strike action and demonstrations the unions are also using targeted power cuts to get their message across. An industry day of action on 19 May was followed by the four federations joining the national cross-sectoral demonstrations on 26 May. The unions are frustrated by the refusal of the employers in the sector to negotiate and called on the French
Confederations want to resume crisis talks with government and employers
The CCOO and UGT trade union confederations have called on the government to re-open social dialogue on the crisis. The unions want to see reforms to the tax and benefits system with higher and longer payment of unemployment benefit and an end to rules on age that restrict payments. They also want to talk about increasing taxes on the higher paid. They argue that trade unions, employers and government need to get together to mobilise the resources of the economy and agree measures to generate jobs and economic growth. [Read more at > CCOO (ES)->http://www.fsap.ccoo.es/webfsap/menu.do
Unions sign job security agreement for ambulance workers
Unions and employers have a signed an agreement to ensure that ambulance workers jobs are protected when the reorganisation of the service takes effect in 2011. Currently some 40 organisations run ambulance services across the country, employing around 4,800 workers. The reorganisation will mean that ambulance services will be organised across 25 regions and only one operator will get the licence to run services in each region. The next stage in negotiations will be to establish a single collective agreement covering the sector. [Read more at > Abvakabo (NL)->http://www.abvakabofnv.nl/cao
Unions call for action on precarious employment
The public service federation, Frente Comum, has submitted a proposal to the government to reduce the level of temporary employment in the public sector. The federation argues that a proper process of recruitment should take place to enable temporary workers to apply for permanent jobs. The unions argue that in many cases employees on fixed-term contracts are doing jobs that are required on a permanent basis and so it is a matter of fairness that they have the chance to get a permanent contract. The federation also emphasises that this would be an important measure in the current climate with
Three federations sign public health agreement
The three public service federations – FP-CGIL, FPS-CSIL and UIL-FPL – have all signed the latest two-year pay agreement covering 600,000 workers in the public health sector. The agreement includes a €72-a-month average increase with the possibility that workers will also get a further €20 on the basis of productivity improvements. The three federations have welcomed the deal as providing a good balance between national and local bargaining and providing the health service with flexibility in its human resources policies. [Read more at > FP-CGIL (IT)->http://www.fpcgil.it/flex/cm/pages
Unions prepare for bargaining round with equal pay conference
Municipal trade union Kommunal was one of a number of trade unions taking part in a conference on 26 May to discuss collective bargaining priorities and equal pay. Pay negotiations are set to begin in the autumn and Kommunal wants to keep its focus on equal pay and what more can be done to close the gender pay gap. Other key bargaining issues include the right to full-time employment and reduction in temporary employment. The conference provides a forum in which trade unions in the LO confederation can discuss co-ordination of their collective bargaining aims. [Read more at > Kommunal (SE)-
Survey reveals low morale of local government workers
Staff shortages, increased workloads, stress and the threat of violence are among the factors that were uncovered in a survey of local government workers that revealed a high level of discontent. Some 60% of survey respondents thought that morale had declined over the previous 12 months and less than 50% said that they would recommend their job to other people. All groups of staff reported working overtime, with managers, social services, teaching assistants and social workers doing the most hours above their contracted employment. Local government unions have recently rejected the employers'
Unions call for change to procurement rules
Trade unions ver.di, Transnet and GDBA that organise transport workers have criticised rules covering procurement in regional transport that require acceptance of the lowest price bids for contracts. The unions argue that this opens up the sector to unregulated competition and risks creating a downward spiral of wage dumping. They also say that organisations providing training and good social benefits along with collectively negotiated pay are at a disadvantage because of these rules. The unions quote the example of a bus driver in a private firm getting €1560 a month for a 48-hour week while
Unions to continue talks with government over crisis
National talks between trade unions and the government over how to respond to the crisis will resume following a letter to the unions from the prime minister indicating a willingness to discuss a number of key issues. The trade unions have set out a 10-point recovery plan that includes negotiations over public sector jobs and the 7.5% “pensions levy” that has been imposed on workers across the public sector. The government says that it will discuss these matters although has indicated that it wants to see greater flexibility in the delivery of public services. [Read more at > SIPTU (EN)->http
Over 25,000 demonstrate in support of fair wage increases
Members of EPSU affiliates GPA-DJP and VIDA were among the 25,000 workers who demonstrated on the streets of Vienna on 13 May in a protest organized by five trade unions with the support of the ÖGB trade union confederation. The aim of the demonstration was to make it clear to employers that unions wanted a proper process of collective bargaining over the coming months with reasonable pay increases to maintain fair pay. They would not accept that workers should pay the price for the current recession while companies continue to make profits and pay high dividends. [Read more at > VIDA (DE)-
ETUC calls for European Court of Justice to amend case law on strike action
The ETUC argues that a recent decision by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in the Enerji case about the banning of strikes by civil servants should be recognised by the European Court of Justice in its case law. The ECHR ruled that the Turkish government could not impose general bans on strike action by civil servants and the ETUC believes that this provides grounds for amending ECJ case law arising from the Viking judgement. The Viking judgement states that trade union action should be proportionate and so has created a lack of legal clarity that means that trade unions will be
Unions reject latest pay offer from higher education sector employers
The UCEA university employers association has increased its pay offer from 0.3% to 0.4% and refused to work with unions to produce a manual on how to avoid redundancies. The unions representing manual, administrative and teaching staff in the sector have condemned the latest pay offer although did acknowledge progress in discussion in some areas such as equal pay. Read more at > UNISON (EN)
Training deal in care sector
Public services union Abvakabo and Actiz, representing employers in the health and social care sector, have agreed new arrangements to provide training for 5,000 young unemployed workers over the next two years. Health and social care is one of the biggest employers in the Netherlands with around 450,000 workers at the moment but is also a sector that is facing a potential shortage of 13,000 workers by 2012 unless action is taken to increase recruitment. Read more at > Abvakabo (NL)