2010 September epsucob@NEWS 18
Union confederation calls for support for public service workers
Public sector workers are facing an across the board cut of 10% in salaries as well as the prospect of a new pay structure that could result in cuts of up to 40% for some workers. The CMKOS trade union confederation organised a national demonstration on 21 September in protest at planned changes to the labour code and attacks on public sector workers. EPSU has sent a letter of protest to the Czech government over its proposals on public sector pay. The health sector union says it will take strike action on 15 October if the government pushes ahead with its plans. [Read more at > EPSU (EN)-
A week of protests against the cuts
Union confederations and public sector unions are organising a week of action against the government’s austerity measures and 25% cut in public sector pay. The key demands are for pay cut to be rescinded and for a stop on planned redundancies. Read more at > news website (EN)
Large demonstration and strike action expected against pay freeze
A government decision to freeze public sector pay will be met by strike action and demonstrations on 22 September. Workers across the public services are expected to take part in the action. Read more at > WBJ news website (EN)
Union pleased at 70% support for national strike
The STAL local government union believes that the public sector pay freeze and other attacks on local government meant a high level of support for its one-day strike on 20 September. The union says that workers supported the strike even in areas where it is not so strong. The strike was in protest at government policies but in particular in its attempts to undermine collective bargaining in local government and to impose new working time regulations. Read more at > STAL (PT)
Support for general strike goes beyond trade unions
Spanish unions are planning a general strike on 29 September in protest at government austerity measures including the imposed 5% cut in pay for public sector workers and reforms to employment legislation. The unions report growing support for the action from over 1,500 organisations, including community groups, youth and cultural organisations, environmental campaigners and migrant action groups. The CCOO and UGT federations organised a meeting of 16,000 union activists in Madrid on 9 September as part of their collaboration in building for the strike. [Read more at > FSC-CCOO (ES)->http:/
Private health deal finally agreed
After 56 months, workers in the private health sector are getting a pay increase. The last collective agreement on pay effectively expired at the end of 2005 and the three trade union federations have been trying to negotiate a new agreement with the AIOP employers’ organisation ever since. On average pay will increase by €103 a month as of September. The three federations are pleased that the national agreement has been maintained and that the increase goes some way to recognising the value of workers in the sector. [Read more at > FP CGIL (IT)->http://www.fpcgil.it/flex/cm/pages/ServeBLOB
Comparing salaries in the energy, waste and water sectors
Next month a new project will be launched that aims to collect data on salaries in the energy, waste and water sectors. Supported by EPSU the project will be run by researchers at the University of Amsterdam using the international network of Wage Indicator websites. EPSU affiliates will be urged to get involved and encourage their individual members in the energy, waste and water sectors to complete a short online survey. A briefing on the project is available on the EPSU website and is being translated. Read more at > EPSU (EN, SV, FR, HR, RU)
Multinational sidelines union to undercut collective agreement
The VPÖD/SSP union is continuing its long-running dispute with the ISS multinational over the collective agreement covering workers at Geneva airport. The company says that a consultation with employees has produced a majority in favour of a new collective agreement negotiated with a newly formed trade union (PUSH). The VPÖD/SSP has challenged the outcome arguing that employees were in a difficult position as the new collective agreement was better than the individual terms that employees had been offered but worse than the collective agreement negotiated by VPÖD/SSP and terminated by the
EQUAL PAY QUESTIONNAIRE – URGENT
All EPSU affiliates are being urged to reply to the questionnaire on equal pay that was sent out earlier this year. This is a vital issue for EPSU with two resolutions passed on the subject at last year’s Congress. So far we have had 23 responses from 16 countries (Armenia, Austria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Moldova, Netherlands, Norway, Romania, Slovakia, Sweden and the UK), but not necessarily from all sectors in these countries. This means we have a long way to go before getting a comprehensive picture of pay inequality and action to close the
Unions continue to mobilise over pensions
After the major national demonstration on 7 September and further action on 15 September to coincide with the vote in the National Assembly, unions are now mobilising for the 23 September in anticipation of the debate beginning in the Senate on 5 October. The demonstration on 7 September prompted a response from the government but unions still reject proposals that will mean deferring the retirement age from 60 to 62 and the age at which a full pension is paid from 65 to 67. The unions are also challenging the resulting additional years of contributions that will be required and continue to
Flat-rate claim to protect low paid workers
The public services union FOA is arguing for a flat-rate pay claim in the next municipal sector negotiations. The current three-year agreement expires at end of March 2011. The union points out that it is a very tough bargaining environment with the government demanding a freeze on public sector spending. FOA says that low paid workers have seen their pay increase by around 40% over the last 10 years, in contrast to the 100% increase enjoyed by managers. The union is also concerned about more redundancies begin planned in hospitals and calls on municipalities to take more initiatives on
Telephone hotline set up to advise care workers on minimum wage
The ver.di services union ran another telephone hotline at the beginning of September to help ensure workers in the care sector that they were aware of their rights and that employers were not trying to avoid paying the minimum wage. From 1 August care sector workers became entitled to a minimum hourly rate of €8.50 (in the West) or €7.50 (in the East). Read more at > ver.di (DE)
Union calls for more focus on social clauses in procurement
EPSU Vice-President and President of the JHL public service union, Tuire Santamäki-Vuori has called on public authorities to take social criteria into account when purchasing services from the public sector. She points out that many local authorities have forgotten that it is possible to incorporate social criteria into procurement and that they should not be focusing on the lowest cost bids that risk delivering low quality services and poor employment conditions. Read more at > JHL (EN)
Employers break off care sector negotiations
Employers in the nursing home and care sector have broken off negotiations with the unions with failure to agree over pay and the personal budget scheme as well as maternity improvements, flexibility and training. Unions were looking at achieving an increase of around 3.5% over two years with the employers offering only 2.5%. Trade union action in support of the collective bargaining claim has been going on over recent workers and further action is planned. The unions argue that the employers are missing a good opportunity to make working in the sector more attractive and so tackle recruitment
Low pay, equal pay and pay cuts
This year’s EPSU collective bargaining conference will give affiliates a chance to discuss their strategies and tactics in dealing with some vital issues. Apart from a new report on the impact of pay cuts, there will also be working groups on initiatives to deal with low pay and on responses to the EPSU equal pay questionnaire. Full details of the agenda and practical arrangements are on the EPSU website. Read more at > EPSU (10 languages)
Unions manage to secure talks over IMF policies
Trade union representatives were involved in a meeting with the government and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to discuss the social and economic impact of IMF policies in the country. It was agreed to create a joint task force to examine the impact on wages with the participation of the government, local authorities, the FPU trade union confederations and other trade unions, employers and the IMF. The meeting also agreed to investigate new ways of bringing stability to the pensions system and to develop further social dialogue with the participation of the IMF.
Energy deal includes commitment to improve skills
Unions have agreed a new deal with the KS employers’ organisation representing energy companies. There is a basic increase of NOK 4,500 (€569) and the agreement also establishes a minimum wage for the sector, ensuring that no one is paid below NOK 310,000 a year (€39,200). There also increases for daily allowances and a commitment that all workers should get the opportunity to upgrade their skills at least once every two years. Read more at > EL&IT (NO) And at > Fagforbundet (NO)
Unions plan co-ordination of bargaining in industrial sectors
Six affiliates of the SAK confederation are discussing co-ordination of pay demands in the next round of collective bargaining. They are seeking to protect the level of real wages of their members. With inflation expected to reach 2% next year the unions have already rejected the call from the main employers’ organisation to limit increases to 1%. Read more at > SAK (FI)
Union calls for training in eldercare sector to be maintained
Ver.di has criticised the government for not maintaining the provision of training in elder care. The union points out that over 14,000 people, over half of whom were on state benefits, had benefited from training in elder care. Ver.di sees this as successful both in terms of helping the unemployed get new skills and find jobs but also in beginning to address what is a growing problem of staff shortages in the care sector. However, the government has decided not to continue the training scheme beyond the end of this year. [Read more at > ver.di (DE)->http://presse.verdi.de/pressemitteilungen
Survey of works councils in lead up to negotiations
The vida and GPA-DJP trade unions are co-operating in a survey of works council representatives in the private health sector. The unions are also encouraging works councils to organise meetings so that the survey can be discussed with other reps. Read more at > vida (DE)