Company policy and EWCs, Gender pay gap
Trade unionists from all over Europe agree to step up efforts to build networks in health and social care multinationals
On 4 September, more than 40 trade union representatives from 15 European countries met in Brussels to discuss how to coordinate their activities in multinational enterprises in the health and social care sectors.
Setting up a European Works Council in KORIAN – first meeting of the Special Negotiating Body
Trade unions and works council representatives met for the first time in the Special Negotiating Body (SNB) in order to establish a European Works Council (EWC) in the French-based care company KORIAN.
Building transnational union networks in private social care
EPSU has made considerable progress in bringing together trade union representatives from across Europe in two social care multinationals - Orpea and Korian. Company networks are being built in both organisations while steps have already been taken in Orpea towards setting up a European works council, with the first meeting of the Special Negotiating Body taking place on 25 April. Both companies are French-owned and have expanded rapidly in recent years with subsidiaries now operating in several European countries.
Unions strike over Veolia's plans for job cuts
Trade unions at the Veolia water company are taking strike action over the company's plans for restructuring - the fourth in only three years. These will impact on over 1500 posts with 572 specified as job cuts. The unions are particularly angry that the company is talking about compulsory redundancies. This would be a first for the sector. The unions want the company to withdraw this threat and to properly negotiate over the changes with a view to providing workers with training and retraining opportunities.
Strike action against Veolia's plans for job cuts
Unions at the Veolia water company have announced strike action in protest at the company's latest plans for restructuring, the fourth in three years. The unions are angry that a further 572 jobs are due to go by 2019 after 2000 have already been cut since 2014. They are particularly concerned that this time the company has not ruled out compulsory redundancies which the unions say would be the first for the sector. The unions say the cuts aren't justified in terms of the company's economic performance and they want the company to withdraw the threat of compulsory redundancies and begin a