Ukraine
(December 2016) The FPU trade union confederation organised a national demonstration on 8 December to keep the pressure on the government as it drafts its budget for 2017. The unions have a number of demands including urgent action to tackle low pay and wage arrears. Better pensions and protection of the health service against commercialisation are also important priorities (see resolution for further details). EPSU sent a soldarity message.
Data from the Wage Indicator pay database covering five countries reveals that many of the key workers who have been on the frontline in the fight against COVID-19 are on below)average wages. The research looked at nine jobs in childcare, call centres, retail, nursing, admin, logistics, warehouses and transport in the UK, German, Netherlands, France and Sweden. In the UK all occupations fell below the national average wage while in Germany it was all but one and in the Netherlands all but two. The situation for these workers was better in France and Sweden.
(November 2016) Public sector unions in the CCOO and UGT confederations have been meeting with parties across the political spectrum to highlight their key demands for new statutes covering all public sector workers.They are calling for a pay increase for all workers in 2017 and reinstatement of cuts to pay and conditions imposed since the crisis. They also want to see steps taken to reduce precarious employment and specifically measures in line with the recent European Court of Justice ruling to address the abuse of temporary contracts.
(March 2017) The public sector federations in the CCOO and UGT confederations, along with the CSIF union organisation, have presented their key negotiating demands to the minister of finance and public service. The unions are underlining the important of re-establishing a proper process of social dialogue and are focusing on three central demands - the recuperation of lost purchasing power and negotiation of pay increases, an increase in employment and measures to reduce temporary employment and a restoration of other conditions lost as a result of austerity.
