Bulgaria, Austria

Pay negotiations covering the Austrian public sector are set to continue with a debate on the use of statistics with key figures being current economic growth but forecasts of inflation for the coming year. The annual negotiations normal set an overall percentage pay increase that takes effect on 1 January and covers the calendar year. Inflation is currently on an upward trend and the metalworkers, in a key agreement, recently settled for a 3.1% increase for 2006. [Read more at > GDG->http://www.gdg.at/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=GDG/Page/GDG_Index&n=GDG_0.0.0.2.detail&cid=1131029075727]

Public service unions in Austria have interrupted their annual pay negotiations with the government. The unions are angry over the threat to 15,667 jobs at federal, regional and local level as a result of government reforms. The unions are challenging the government over the question of how quality of public service can be guaranteed in the light of such large job cuts. [Read more at > EPSU->http://www.epsu.org/a/1555] [Read more at > GOED->http://www.goed.at/10843.html] [Read more at > GDG->http://www.gdg.at/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=GDG/Page/GDG_Index&n=GDG_0.0.0.2.detail&cid

After lengthy negotiations civil servants and employees of the Vienna municipality have the right to switch to part-time work to help them looking after their children up to the age of seven. In the child's first four years, the parent can cut their hours by at least a quarter and up to three quarters. During the next three years the maximum working time reduction is half of normal hours. This entitlement applies to all employees and civil servants with at least three years' service. [Read more at > GDG->http://www.gdg.at/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=C01/Page/Index&n=C01_0.a&cid

The GPA private sector employees' union is carrying out a survey of workers in the health and social services sector to find out the extent to which they are physically and mentally burnt out by their work. The union believes that the exhaustion characteristic of “burn-out” syndrome is common among workers whose jobs mainly involve dealing with other people. There are around 300,000 employees in the sector and the union hopes that the online survey results will help it formulate demands for future collective bargaining and give members and works council members ideas for improving their

The public service union and the GPA private employees union, which organises workers in the private care sector, are calling for proper funding for the care sector. They say that all care workers, whether Austrian or migrant workers, need the protection of minimum standards and have the right to proper pay and conditions. The unions argue that care services often rely on illegal workers and to remove them from the system would lead to its collapse. [Read more at > GÖD (DE)->http://www.goed.at/12082.html] [And at > GPA (DE)->http://www.gpa.at/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=GPA/Page/Index&n=GPA

The GdG trade union has called for the Working Time Directive's maximum of 48 hours a week to be applied to doctors. The union argues that more doctors should be employed in order to reduce individual working hours and warns that the definition of inactive hours that might become part of the revised directive will make matters worse for doctors. The union says that patients' interests should be central to this issue and they should have the right to be treated by doctors who work normal hours not who have been exhausted by excessively long shifts. [Read more at > GdG (DE)->http://www.gdg.at

The autumn pay round has got under way with the GMT metal and textile union and GPA private employees' union beginning their negotiations in the metal and energy sectors. The GDG is also preparing for negotiations in the public sector. As background the GDG notes recent tax cuts for the rich, record company profits and public sector workers unable to take on a greater workload. In view of these factors the union has said it won't be satisfied with arguments from employers about the need to make savings. The GDG expressed its solidarity with the GMT and GPA in their attempts to get a fair share