03-2007 epsucob@NEWS 6 February 2007
Unions strike to defend benefits for workers and pensioners
Unions in the electricity are taking strike action against government proposals to end the arrangement that entitled them to cheaper electricity. The unions argue that the cuts will not just cause hardship for those at work but risk pushing those who have retired from the industry into poverty. Support for the action is up to 95% in some areas. EPSU has sent a message of support and called on the Hungarian prime minister to intervene and resolve the matter. Read more at > EPSU (EN)
Six federations back action on 8 February
Six public sector union federations are backing a day of action on pay on 8 February and EPSU has sent a message of support to the unions taking part. The action is another stage in the unions' long-running campaign to try to bring the government to the negotiating table, to get at least a 1.8% increase on pay this year and then make up for the reduction in purchasing power since 2000. Unions are also concerned about the implications of the government's planned job cuts for the quality of public services. Read more at > EPSU (FR)
Unions ballots for strike action over health job cuts
IMPACT is balloting its 25,000 members in the health service over possible industrial action in protest at new restrictions on staffing in the health service. Local health service organisations no longer have discretion to replace workers who have resigned or who go on maternity leave. This can now only be authorised by a central unit. The union is also planning a special conference on 7 February to debate a range of pressures facing the health service including cuts in jobs and accelerating privatisation. [Read more at > IMPACT (EN)->http://www.impact.ie/iopen24/pub/newsdesk_info.php?newsdesk
Bulletin looks at trends in working conditions
The latest collective bargaining bulletin from the ETUC looks at recent evidence of trends in working conditions and finds a number of issues of concern for trade unionists. The high level of temporary work facing young people, the increase in enforced part-time work and low levels of training are among some of the main worries identified by the ETUC. However, in the light of the current debates around flexicurity the newsletter emphasises the need to create jobs and that any initiatives around greater flexibility, improved training and greater employability will be worthless if the economy is
Pay deals lag behind inflation
The Hans Böckler research institute has published it round-up of collective bargaining in Germany in 2006 and notes that pay deals averaged 1.5%, just below the 1.7% inflation rate and therefore well below the 3.5% “negotiating space” made up of inflation (1.7%) plus productivity growth (1.8%). The main energy sector deal during the year (AVEU Ost) was higher at 2.6% while there was no increase in pay rates in regional government, only lump sum payments of between €50 and €150. [Read more at > Hans Böckler (DE)->http://www.boeckler.de/cps/rde/xchg/SID-3D0AB75D-85AFF3A6/hbs/hs.xsl/547_85115
One-day strike marks new stage in civil service jobs campaign
A national, one-day strike of civil servants on 31 January marked the latest stage in a campaign by the PCS union to force the government to rethink its plans to cut 100,000 jobs. The strike was supported across the country and will now be followed a two-week ban on overtime. This comes at a very busy time, particular for the revenue and customs department as 31 January was the deadline for tax returns. Read more at > PCS (EN)
Employers reject agreement in non-profit sector
Employers in the non-profit sector in the Wallonia region of Belgium have rejected a an agreement signed by the unions and the regional government last year. The non-profit sector covers various services including health, housing and social services and the agreement would have provided a range of benefits for the 19,000 workers. The employers have rejected particular elements of the deal including the creation of more jobs to allow employees to take more paid leave and extra finance to encourage trade union organisation and social dialogue in some of the smaller organisations in the sector.
Progress on gender equality
The social partners have just published a report identifying recent progress under the Framework of Actions on Gender Equality, the agreement signed by the social partners in 2005. This includes a number of examples from the public services, including, for example, the Danish state sector agreement from 2005 that increased parental leave, the Spanish public sector agreement that aims to reduce temporary employment and the UK health service agreement (Agenda for Change) that set out plans for equal pay reviews across the service. [Read more at > ETUC (FR)->http://www.etuc.org/a/3280] [Read more
Health workers win right to permanent contracts
The Labour Court has ruled that the Health Service Executive West has to give 90 long-term temporary workers permanent contracts. Management should have give them permanent contracts with the Fixed-term worker regulations were implemented in 2003 but the workers were only offered permanent contracts to work whenever work was available. The Court ruling now means the workers can get full-time, permanent contracts and it is likely to have implications for the rest of the health service. Read more at > SIPTU (EN)
2.55% increase in private electricity suppliers
Employees of private electricity companies see their pay and allowances increase by 2.55% as from 1 February. They also get a €200 lump sum payment and manual workers covered by the agreement will move to a new pay structure in July. The latest figure for inflation in Austria is 1.5% in the year to December 2006. This was also the average rate of inflation in 2006. Read more at > GPA-JDP (DE)
New agreement for mental health sector
On 31 January unions in the mental health sector concluded a new agreement with employers that runs from 1 September 2006 to 29 February 2008. This includes a 2% pay increase from 1 April 2007, a 0.5% increase on the end-of-year payment in December and a reduction in pension contributions as the share of contributions between employees and employers is changed with employees covering 52% rather than 56% of the total. Inflation in the year to December 2006 was 1.1%. Read more at > ABVAKABO (NL)