22 epsucob@NEWS 6 November 2006

Both EPSU and the ETUC have expressed their concern about attempts by the Finnish Presidency to end the deadlock on changes to the Working Time Directive. While the federations welcome proposals to place restrictions on use of the opt-out they are very worried that there is no clear indication of eventual abolition of the opt-out. Unions are also unhappy that the Finnish proposals will effectively mean a redefinition of working time to deal European Court judgements on on-call time rather than amending the Directive strictly in line with those judgements. [Read more at > ETUC (EN)->http://www

A new report from the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions reveals how low pay and low status are making it difficult to attract workers to the care sector and to keep them in their jobs. This report looks at a range of innovative approaches, in 11 EU Member States and two acceding countries, aimed at increasing the supply of qualified workers who can meet the growing demand for care services. It highlights strategies such as improving the public image of care work, raising the qualification profile of care workers, increasing salary levels, attracting more

After the 14-week strike earlier this year the new collective agreement covering regional government employees came into effect on 1 November. The central element of the agreement was on working time where ver.di and the other public service unions had successfully resisted attempts by the employers to introduce an increase for all workers. A formula based on the average of hours worked by full-time workers was used to work out the new weekly working hours which vary across the nine regions in western Germany: Baden-Württemberg 39 hours, 30 minutes; Bayern 40 hours, 06 minutes; Bremen 39 hours

Local government unions have organised a mass lobby of parliament on 22 November to make sure they let MPs know about their concerns over proposed changes to the Local Government Pension Scheme. The government has been trying to reform the LGPS for the last two years and abandoned their initial plans to reduced scheme benefits when the nine local government unions united in a day of national strike action. The government has issued a consultation paper with several different options but unions are campaigning hard to retain a final-salary scheme and above all for their members not to have to

The European Commission is consulting over a number measures in response to the demographic challenge - the ageing of the European workforce and falling birth rate. Its consultation paper looks in particular at initiatives to improve the balance between professional life and family life. The consultation will consider what changes might be necessary to rights to maternity and paternity leave and how more flexible working patterns might help employees deal with their caring responsibilities. The European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions has produced a report which