04 epsucob@NEWS 18 February 2006
Feb. 18, 2006
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Strike action over longer hours continues
Public sector workers are continuing their strike action against attempts by local and regional employers to impose longer working hours. Around 3,000 university clinic employees are on strike around the North-Rhine Westfalia region, including in Cologne, Münster, Essen and Düsseldorf. [Read more at > ver.di->http://gesundheit-soziales.nrw.verdi.de/uni-kliniken_im_streik] In the Lower Saxony region an estimated 4,000 workers have joined the strike. [Read more at > ver.di->http://nds-bremen.verdi.de/presse/pressemitteilungen/showNews?id=4cd136aa-9c9e-11da-6295-000e0c66dc60] In Baden-Württemburg
Feb. 18, 2006
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Week of action planned in March
The FNFSP public services union federation is planning a week of action in March as part of its continuing campaign against government policies. The Federation will be organising events to ensure that the public are aware of the impact of government policies on reforming the public administration and privatising services. The Federation is also protesting to protect the rights of public administration workers and the right to collective bargaining. Read more at > FNFSP
Feb. 18, 2006
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Parliament cleaners win pay battle
Cleaners at the Houses of Parliament have won their claim for a living wage and improvements to holidays and sick pay. After two days of strike action last year and high-profile campaigning, the cleaners will see their hourly pay rise from £5.20 to £6.10 in March, then to £6.40 in October. The target of £6.70 an hour should be reached in January 2007. Read more at > TGWU
Feb. 18, 2006
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Public service pensions
A strike ballot by firefighters has been postponed while the FBU union considers alternative government proposals on changes to retirement. The government had wanted to increase the retirement age from 55 to 60 but has so far allowed firefighters to retain 55 as a retirement age if they have 30 years service. Meanwhile nine unions with members in the local government pension scheme could start balloting for strike action this week if they get no response from the employers. Unions are angry about plans to end the “85-rule” which allows workers to retire on a full pension if their age and
Feb. 18, 2006
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Mobilising in March
The local and regional public service federation of the CGT is calling on members to mobilise for 7 March in the next stage of union campaigning over pay and employment rights. As well as the continuing demand for increases to public sector pay the demonstration will also focus on the new CPE law which makes it easier for employers to dismiss young workers. Read more at > CGT
Feb. 18, 2006
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5% and 6% pay increases in public sector
A new collective agreement running for 12 months from 1 January 2006 provides for a 5% increase in pay for civil servants. It also allows from some local negotiations, particularly on working time so that it is possible to cut the standard 40-hour working week by up to 2½ hours. Longer paid leave can also be negotiated at local level. [Read more at > EIRO->http://www.eiro.eurofound.eu.int/2006/02/inbrief/sk0602101n.html] Meanwhile the 300,000 public sector employees who don't have civil service status should see an increase in basic pay of 6% from 1 July. [Read more at > EIRO->http://www.eiro
Feb. 18, 2006
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Health sector agreement at risk
According to the EIRO industrial relations observatory employers in the health sector claim they cannot afford to pay the 2006 salary increases that were agreed as part of the two-year deal signed in 2004. Unions are worried that failure to pay the increases and the action by the employers to undermine the collective bargaining system will lead to increase emigration by healthcare workers. The 2004 agreement allowed for pay increases of 50% doctors, 56% for nurses and 43.7% for medical carers over the two-year period. [Read more at > EIRO->http://www.eiro.eurofound.eu.int/2006/02/inbrief
Feb. 18, 2006
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Public sector pay deals
Public service employees are due to see their pay rates increase by 3% on 1 April this year while overall earnings should increase by 4.8% following negotiations in December. Inflation for 2006 is forecast to be 2%. Civil service pay rates will increase by as much as 5.1% from 1 April. Read more at > EIRO
Feb. 18, 2006
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Disabled care workers demonstrate over new agreement
Over 200 workers in the disabled care sector braved wind and rain on Friday 17 February to show the support for a new collective agreement in the sector. The unions involved, ABVAKABO and CNV are pressing for talks with the employers so that progress can be made. Read more at >ABVAKABO
Feb. 18, 2006
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Wide range of reasons behind strike action
A report from the EIRO industrial relations observatory provides some background to the strike action by public and private sector unions last December. The government wants to end civil servant status in the utilities and other public services and to intervene in collective bargaining in the sector. A series of privatisations are planned and more generally unions are campaigning over the high cost of living, rising unemployment and changes to working time regulations. Read more at >EIRO
Feb. 18, 2006
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Collective bargaining information on EPSU website
There have been some changes to the information available on the EPSU website thanks to funding from the European Commission for the Social Dialogue and Collective Bargaining Project last year. A description of the epsucob@ collective bargaining network is now available in several languages. [Read more at > EPSU->http://www.epsu.org/r/87] Summaries of collective bargaining policy are listed in a new section. [Read more at > EPSU->http://www.epsu.org/r/255] The annual report on social dialogue and collective bargaining is on the website although only available in English. [Read more at > EPSU-
Feb. 18, 2006
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Home helps wait for new agreement
A protest rally is planned for 13 March in protest at the Health Service Executive's failure to implement a pay and conditions agreement for home helps and for cutting the number of hours available to the service. Without the agreement home helps are effectively working on zero-hours contracts and so are not paid if clients are not available. Read more at >SIPTU