Water, Electricity, Corporate Social Responsibility
Unions take action in public services and Veolia
The pay freeze and job cuts in the public sector have prompted action by some unions in February with the CGT taking strike action on the 5th and FO organising a week of action 3-10 February with a national demonstration on the 7th. Their principal demands focus on unfreezing pay, stopping the job cuts but there are also broader demands about the minimum wage and a fairer tax system. Fairness is also one of the factors behind the unions' joint call for strike action across the energy, water and waste company Veolia which employs 50000 workers in France. The CFDT, CFC, CFT and FO are calling
Health and utilities workers in action
Trade unions representing workers in the electricity, gas and water sectors organised a day of strike action on 17 December. The unions are concerned that changes to procurement rules will lead to more outsourcing and so threaten jobs, pay and conditions and the quality of services. Meanwhile, unions organising in the private health sector began a series of regional actions with a strike in Lazio on 14 December as part of a campaign to secure a new sector agreement covering 150000 workers. It is 12 years since the last agreement was negotiated.
Skills needs, developments, vocational education and training systems in the changing electricity sector
The European social partners for the electricity sector—industriAll European Trade Union and the EuropeanPublic Service Union (EPSU), representing the trade unions, and Eurelectric, representing the electricity-sector employers—have identified the skills needs for the electricity sector and education and trainingsystems as a priority for their joint work.
European Parliament votes to start trialogue on Drinking Water Directive. Time to implement the Human Right to water in European legislation!
Yesterday the European Parliament voted with a very slim majority to endorse the report of MEP Michel Dantin on the Drinking Water Directive (DWD).
Stand up for the Human Right to Water and deliver on the ECI, citizens tell European Parliament
Ahead of next week’s vote in the European Parliament on the Drinking Water Directive (DWD), the European Federation of Public Service Unions (EPSU) urges Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) to support the call for the provision of universal access to drinking water.
Right2water is voted next week in Plenary
On October 23rd the European Parliament will vote the report of MEP Michel Dantin concerning the Drinking Water Directive, as we have explained before this is the first legal reference to the ECI Right2water and the Human Right to water in European Union legislation.