Electricity, Demographic change, South East European Energy Community
Union launches campaign to increase pay in social services
(May 2017) The OSZSP health and social services union has launched a campaign to improve pay in the social services sector under the slogan "end cheap labour". The union has already had a meeting with the government where it highlighted staff shortages, excessive workloads and very low pay with some on as little as CZK 12000 a month (EUR 450). The union stresses that staff shortages are set to become more urgent as workers in the sector retire and there is increased demand from an older population.
Pay rise for 20000 workers in electricity sector
(March 2017) Around 20000 workers in the private electricity sector saw their pay increase by 1.55% from 1 February following a new pay deal negotiated by the GPA-djp and PRO-GE trade unions. The increase is above the 0.9% average inflation rate for 2016. Trainees will also get the increase. The agreement includes a commitement to contiinue discussions about pay and job content, working in difficult circumstances as well as shift work and arduous work at different phases of the working career.
Energy workers strike over pay
(January 2017) Member of five trade unions organising in the energy sector, CGT, CFDT, FO, CFE-CGC and CFTC, called for strike action on 31 January in protest at the employers' attempt to freeze pay in the sector. The unions say that workers will not pay the price of restructuring in the sector and want immediate negotiations on pay. They also call on the government (the majority shareholder in the major energy companies EDF and ENGIE) to come up with an industrial strategy for the sector. EPSU sent a message of support.
Energy unions end strike over rest periods
(November 2016) Energy unions have agreed a new collective agreement and ended their strike over rest periods. The new collective agreement increases minimum wage rates and allows for local bargaining around a 2.4% pay increase. The strike was over an attempt by the employers' organisation to reduce rest periods for workers who have been on call. In the end it was agreed to negotiate this at company level where the unions are positive about maintaining the appropriate rest periods.
EPSU’s Standing Committee on Utilities strongly supports Norwegian energy sector’s industrial action
(5 October 2016) EPSU’s Standing Committee on Utilities meeting today in Brussels voted unanimously to strongly support the industrial actions currently underway in the Norwegian Energy sector.The EL and IT
Union organises strike against network privatisation
(September 2016) The FNME-CGT energy trade union is planning a day of action on 21 September by workers at the RTE electricity network. The union is very concerned about the impact of a sell-off on prices and services to users as well as the implications for the pay and conditions of workers in the sector.
Electricity Sector: Trade unions and employers sign landmark agreement on traineeships
EURELECTRIC/IndustriAll Europe/EPSU Joint Press Release (27 June 2016) Today Employers and trade unions have signed a landmark agreement to provide minimum standards for trainees in the European electricity sector.Jan Willem
Strike action secures commitment to social dialogue
(May 2016) Following strike action last month, the SDE Slovenije energy union, has secured an agreement from the government that any planned restructuring of the energy industry would be subject to social dialogue with the union. The union took industrial action in reaction to recent trends where the government had been taking unilateral decisions about the electricity sector while failing to fully honour agreements signed with the union. Read more at SDE (SL)