Collective Bargaining, Strike
Collective bargaining – trends and developments
Collective bargaining is a core activity of trade unions and EPSU’s affiliates negotiate with public service employers at every level. This can range from national public-sector wide bargaining to sector and local negotiations with public sector employers but also private and non-profit providers of public services. EPSU works with the European Trade Union Confederation to try to improve collective bargaining rights for all workers across Europe. We also act as a European information point so that EPSU affiliates are aware of trends in public service negotiations. EPSU’s collective bargaining newsletter provides regular updates on developments across Europe.
Energy union protests over threat to collective agreements
(April 2017) The Estonian energy workers' union organised a picket of the Eesti Energia power company on 18 April supported by the EAKL trade union confederation and several other trade unions. The protest was over the threat by the company to end collective agreements and leave workers on legal minimum standards. The company also wants to consolidate various payments into the basic salary and effectively end collective bargaining. The union has also called on the public conciliation office to intervene and help resolve the dispute. Further information is in the attached union statement.
Public service unions highlight loss in purchasing power
(April 2017) Latest statistics show pay rises failing to keep pace with inflation and public service union have highlighted how their members have been losing out after several years of pay freezes and below-inflation pay increases. The GMB union estimates that a full-timie public sector worker has lost out by GBP 9000 (EUR 10600) since 2010.
Union welcomes new collective agreement in healthcare
(April 2017) The vpod public services union has welcomed the negotiation of a new collective agreement that covers around 18000 workers employed by health institutions in the Bern region. Nursing staff, doctors as well as catering and cleaning staff will all be covered by the agreement which will come into effect on 1 January 2018. There will be a new pay system and improved paternity and adoption leave in some institutions along with other benefits like additional holidays. The minimum wage in the agreement will be CHFr 4000 (EUR 3750) per month over 12 months although the unions were aiming
Update on collective bargaining across Europe
(April 2017) The latest issue of the ETUI's collective bargaining newsletter includes articles on nurses' pay in Cyprus and doctors' pay in Slovenia and Romania; a pay increase for police, firefighters, customs staff and prison officers in the Czech Republic; action by museum workers in France and Greece; and action by energy workers in France and firefighters in Ireland.
Negotiating successes for ver.di in health and social care
(April 2017) Services union ver.di has signed a key agreement in Bremen that covers around 3200 eldercare workers employed by several non-profit care providers. The union sees this is as a significant step towards better collective bargaining coverage in the sector and helps remove pay and conditions as a factor in competition. Meanwhile the union has also negotiated two new agreements in the health sector, one provides a 7,3% pay increase for 3900 workers at the University Hospital in Leipzig and the other is a 5.1% pay increase for the 24000 employees in 36 hospitals run by the Helios
Union movement attacks IMF stance on Greece
(April 2016) The European and International trade union confederations (ETUC and ITUC) have criticised the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for calling for further changes to Greek laws on strikes, collective bargaining and employment protection. The IMF demands have not been taken up by the European Commission and are not even supported by the Greek employers. An article by EPSU also highlights how the IMF position ignores the recommendations of a committee of experts that reported at the end of last year.
Benchmarking survey covers wage and bargaining trends
(March 2017) The annual benchmarking report from the European Trade Union Institute provides an overview of latest developments in wages and collective bargaining. It notes a trend towards higher real wages, particularly in central and Eastern Europe, mainly as a result of low inflation. There has also been growth in minimum wages but most are still at a very low level. It also found that the decline in collective bargaining coverage continued and was very pronounced in southern and eastern European countries.
Union calls for additional pay increase for sectors dominated by women
(March 2017) Public services union JHL is calling for an extra pay increase for sectors dominated by women. The union chair Päivi Niemi-Laine said:"We need a separate round on top of the general increase. Women-dominated sectors have been kept in check and now we have to ensure that purchasing power remains strong in women-led fields." The union argues that action needs to be taken to address the persistent gender pay gap and that public salaries are being effectively cut by a decision to reduce holiday pay as part of the competitiveness deal negotiated last year.
Collective bargaining news from all sectors around Europe
(March 2017) The latest edition of the ETUI's collective bargaining newsletter includes several articles covering developments in the public services with news of a public sector pay deal in Cyprus, a strike of emergency service workers in the Czech Republic, disputes in Greece and Malta and further purges of public sector staff in Turkey.
Unions present their key demands to the government
(March 2017) The public sector federations in the CCOO and UGT confederations, along with the CSIF union organisation, have presented their key negotiating demands to the minister of finance and public service. The unions are underlining the important of re-establishing a proper process of social dialogue and are focusing on three central demands - the recuperation of lost purchasing power and negotiation of pay increases, an increase in employment and measures to reduce temporary employment and a restoration of other conditions lost as a result of austerity.
Energy unions unite in day of action on pay
(March 2017) Five energy federations, including FNME-CGT, FNEM-FO, CFDT, CGC and CFE, organised a joint day of action and strikes on 14 March in their campaign to secure a pay increase as well as an end to restsructuring and job cuts. The unions want to see an increase applied to the basic pay structure but employers in the sector have only been offering changes to other payments and have refused an increase on the basic salary which would guarantee a pay increase for all workers in the sector. EPSU sent a solidarity message.