Equality
Pay deal will help reduce gender pay gap
(May 2016) Municipal workers' union, Kommunal, has negotiated a new three-year agreement covering the welfare sector that includes a real pay increase for all but a higher pay increase for skilled nurses. This is a key part of the union's strategy to tackle the gender pay gap. In 2016 the basic pay increase will be SEK 520 (EUR 56) while nurses will get SEK 2010 (EUR 110). The agreement also includes provisions to ensure that full-time employment is the norm in the sector. Read more at Kommunal (SV)
EPSU expresses solidarity with LGBTI community on International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia 2016
(17 May 2016) Today, the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia 2016, EPSU expresses its solidarity with all members of the LGBTI community. This year’s theme is mental health
Small decline in pay inequality
(August 2016) Local government union Vision reports that the latest analysis of pay inequality by the Swedish statistics agency (SCB) reveals a small fall in the gender pay gap. Men are now paid on average 13% more than women compared to 14% two years ago. The report also shows that even taking into account different professions and educational backgrounds there is still a 6% pay gap. Read more at Vision (SV).
Commission analysis reveals worrying trend in temporary work
(August 2016) A European Commission analysis of temporary employment across Europe not only reveals an increase in temporary contracts but shows a declining trend in transitions from temporary to permanent contracts. The analysis covers the period 2008 to 2014 and shows a drop in transition rates from temporary to permanent jobs in most EU countries and an increase in the transition rate from temporary jobs to unemployment in the majority of EU Member States. These changes in transition rates occurred alongside an increase in the share of temporary employees in the total number of employees in
Commission launches work-life balance consultation
(August 2016) The European Commission has launched a second-stage consultation with the social partners on potential European level action to improve work-life balance. This could be in relation to maternity leave rights, paternity and/or parental leave as well as carers' leave. More rights to flexible working might also be part of the equation. The Commission has given the European social partners until the end of August to decided whether or not they wish to negotiate on any of these. Read more at DG Employment.
Cuts at agency workers' rights inspectorate
(August 2016) The agency set up by the UK government to regulate employment agencies and agency work has seen its budget cut by over 50% since 2010. An investigation by the Labour Party found that staff at the Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate (EAS) had been cut by 70% and that the body had failed to secure a single prosecution over the past year. Although complaints rose by a fifth between 2011 and 2016, the number of inspections carried out by the EAS fell by more than half. Read more at the Guardian newspaper.
Union calls for action on temporary staff
(August 2016) Public service union Kommunal has used the findings of a new report on temporary work to call for measures to reduce fixed-term employment in local government. The union says that employers should have to justify the use of temporary contracts and that there should be a commitment to offer permanent contracts to temporary workers. The report reveals that over 60% of nursing assistants were on temporary contracts and the vast majority of all those on temporary contracts want a permanent job. Read more at Kommunal (SV).
ETUC wants to negotiate on work-life balance
(October 2016) In response to the latest European Commission consultation the ETUC has said that it is willing to negotiate with employer organisations on work-life balance and specifically to improve the current parental leave agreement. The ETUC would also be ready to negotiate an agreement on paternity leave, as this was one of the matters that we proposed to address in the context of the autonomous work programme of the EU social partners 2015 - 2017.