2014 March epsucob@NEWS 05

Next month in the Lower Saxony region, the ver.di services union and Marburger Bund doctors' union will begin negotiations over a collective agreement with church organisations. This marks a breakthrough after courts cases have established union rights in the face of claims by church bodies that they should be able to maintain their special arrangements of joint committees that determine workers' pay and conditions. The collective agreement will, however, be negotiated with a process of arbitration and both sides have agreed to cooperate in this new approach which might provide a model for

The Fp-Cgil, Cisl-Fp and Uil-Pa trade union federations have written jointly to all the new ministers to urge them to negotiate with the unions over pay, jobs, restructuring and the provision of services. The unions acknowledge that the changes anticipated vary considerably from ministry to ministry but argue that it is crucial to re-establish a proper process of social dialogue to ensure any changes are properly negotiated with appropriate account taken of the need to invest in the workforce. [Read more at > Fp-Cgil (IT)->http://www.fpcgil.it/flex/cm/pages/ServeBLOB.php/L/IT/IDPagina/28052]

Local government unions FNV Abvakabo and CNV Publieke Zaak issued the employers with an ultimatum last month, giving them until 17 March to respond. The date has passed with no response and the unions will now consider what action to take to try to get negotiations back on track after they broke down last year and failed again earlier this year. Unions are keen to negotiate over purchasing power and job security. [Read more at > FNV Abvakabo (NL)->http://www.abvakabofnv.nl/over-ons/nieuws/nieuwsoverzicht/2014/02/ultimatum-aan-vereniging-nederlandse-gemeenten/] [And at > CNV Publieke Zaak (NL)-

The general secretaries of the two main trade union confederations - CCOO and UGT - met with employer representatives and the prime minister and employment minister on 18 March to discuss tripartite and bipartite negotiations over jobs, training, investment and other issues. The parties agreed that they had to undertake an urgent agenda of issues as part of a process of re-establishing both social dialogue including the government and direct collective bargaining with the employers. Also on the table is the question of a fairer tax system as well as the pay and employment in the public sector

The SIPTU general and public services union has challenged Irish Water to tackle its contractors and sub-contractors who are working on water meter installation because of their failure to abide by the relevant sector collective agreement. SIPTU organisers have made contact with many water meter installation workers and found many examples where employers are not providing the appropriate pay, pensions and other conditions. It is also concerned about the anti-union hostility that is making many of the workers reluctant to ensure they are getting their entitlements. [Read more at > SIPTU->http

The IMPACT services union is alerting members to the potential effects of significant restructuring planned in the public sector. In health services the union is concerned that moves towards creating clusters of hospitals may pose a threat to national pay bargaining. Meanwhile, proposals to abolish and merge a large number of local authorities raise issues about job security, mobility and protection of pay and conditions. [Read more on hospitals at > IMPACT->http://www.impact.ie/14/03/12/Hospital-clusters-warning.htm] [And on municipalities at > IMPACT->http://www.impact.ie/14/03/12/Call-to

Four of the main trade union organisations - CGT, FO, FSU and Solidaires - took part in strike action and protests on 18 March in defence of public services and in protest at the government's "responsibility pact" with its primary aim of reducing costs for employers. The unions estimate they mobilised around 240000 workers in 140 towns and cities across France, highlighting the need for urgent action on jobs as well as maintaining their call for pay increases in the public sector. [Read more at CGT (FR)->http://www.cgt.fr/L-irruption-des-salaries-pour.html] [And at > FO (FR)->http://www.force

Vision, the white-collar trade union in local and regional government, is moving towards a more individualised approach to pay determination following one of its largest member consultations in recent years. The union says that many of their members want to see their salary more clearly linked to their duties, qualifications and performance and think that can best be done by negotiating pay with their immediate supervisor. Vision also believes that pay determined in this way might address the structural differences in the labour market that contribute to the pay inequality and so help to

The FOA public services trade union reports that survey results suggest that employees have greater job satisfaction and work more productively where measures are taken to create a healthy workplace. Training at work and initiatives relating to food and exercise can contribute to improving workers' health. The union joined with Danish local authorities, the Pensam occupational pensions company and the Dagens Medicin publication in a conference to discuss the issues. The union highlights in particular the potential for workplace health initiatives to help address the significant inequalities in

The FOA public services union reports that municipalities are becoming less rigid about monitoring the time taken by home carers to carry out tasks during their home visits. In a survey in 2007 the union found that 40% of municipalities required their home care staff to record details of the time spent on home care. This figure has now dropped to 21% and FOA welcomes this as a sign that local authorities are trusting their employees to use their professional expertise to do their jobs and ensure there is enough time for caring and interacting with those in their care. [Read more at > FOA (DK)-

Renfrewshire Council in Scotland is the latest local authority to sign up to the ethical care charter promoted by public services union UNISON. The charter commits councils to buying homecare only from providers who give workers enough time, training and a living wage, so they can provide better quality care for thousands of service users who rely on it. And earlier this month the union reported that Optalis, a company, operating in Wokingham in the south of England, was the first local authority trading company to sign up to the charter. [Read more on Renfrewshire at > UNISON->http://www