Workers at energy contractor in dispute over pay

A nine-month long dispute between the PCS civil service union and contractors ISS and Aramark could be near to conclusion if details of a pay offer are confirmed. The companies provide services to the Department for Business, Energy and Industry Strategy which has indicated that the contractors may meet the union's demand to pay the London living wage of £10.55 (EUR 11.80) an hour. Meanwhile, the union is planning another five days of strike action in another long-running dispute, this time over union recognition at the contractor Interserve which provides services for the Foreign Office.

Unions have won a victory in court to ensure that a Polish contracting company working on a power station pays its workers in line with the relevant collective agreement. The company, Remak, is working on the construction of a new coal fired power stations in the port Eemshaven and is working on contract for the German company RWE. Remak was paying 9 euros an hour, instead of 11.50 but will now have to pay the higher rate and should respect the working time reduction, holiday and night work bonuses. Remak was also one of a number of contractors on power station sites in the UK who were exposed