Lithuania
The four main Lithuanian trade union centres – Lithuanian Trade Union Confederation, Lithuanian Labor Federation, Lithuanian Trade Union „Solidarumas“ and Lithuanian Journalists’ Union – organized a national demonstration on 19 March calling for a higher minimum wage, more progressive taxes, and increases to pensions. Over 2,500 people joined the March including a delegation of 50 from the Lithuanian Energy Workers’ Trade Union Federation.
Read more at > LDF (EN)
The VPOD/SSP public services union is working with other health unions and the SGB/USS trade union confederation to campaign for a major reform of the Swiss healthcare system. The SBK/ASI nurses' association and SVBG/FSAS federation of professional health associations are also supporting the campaign. The unions believe it is possible to move to a more affordable and efficient system with more planning to reduce the costs of what they see as an inequitable and costly system. They are also calling for action on working time and the training and employment of more health specialists. The unions
The nhstogether campaign organised its first major public event on 1 November with a lobby of parliament. The campaign brings together all the health unions in the TUC confederation along with three of the main non-TUC unions representing nurses, midwives and doctors. It is the first time all these organisations have united in a campaign. The unions used the lobby to express their fears of cuts to health service budgets, further privatisation and top-down change without proper consulation. Read more at > nhstogether (EN)
EPSU affiliates, FP SEK, FSGE SEK, PASYDY, report that they will be taking strike action on 15 December in protest at the latest package of austerity measures. Earlier measures and the latest pay freeze mean that public sector workers will be 15% worse off by 2013. The unions are particularly angry that, despite the fact that most of the measures affect public sector workers, there has no social dialogue. There will also be a protest outside the finance ministry and a march to parliament. [Read more at > Cyprus Mail (EN)->http://www.cyprus-mail.com/union/unions-vote-hold-wage-freeze-strikes
