Japan, Poland, Malta

The government has proposed extending rights for working parents, currently enjoyed in the civil service, right across the public sector. The minimum legal provision of three months' leave and time off for emergencies was much improved by negotiation in the civil service where 12 months of parental leave is available and civil servants have the right to work shorter hours until their children reach the age of 12. Private sector employers have reacted angrily to the proposals fearing that the government might extend them beyond the public sector. [Read more at > EIRO (EN)->http://www.eurofound

A round-up of the latest news on pay in Poland by the German social democratic foundation, the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, shows many sectors pushing for higher pay as unemployment has fallen and emigration increased. Doctors and nurses have been particularly active in demonstrating for higher wages in the health sector, where the government has neglected the issue of wages for many years. The report also highlights a job security agreement covering 70,000 workers in state energy companies. The government proposes to merge 15 companies to form four groups and has offered job security until 2018

Nurses and midwives at the specialized hospital in Radom in central Poland are on strike in support of their claim for a substantial pay increase. The hospital has said it cannot afford the pay increase as it is already in deficit. The strike began on 5 August at the hospital that is the biggest in the region. [Read more at > Polish Radio news (EN)->http://www.polskieradio.pl/thenews/national/artykul113659_striking_radom_nurses_break_off_talks.html] [And more at > Polish Radio news (EN)-> http://www.polskieradio.pl/thenews/national/artykul113550_third_day_in_nurse_strike.html] [Thanks for this