2011 March epsucob@NEWS 05

A new collective agreement covering 580,000 employees in regional government has been approved by ver.di’s collective bargaining committee. There will be a lump sum payment of €360 (€120 for trainees) plus a pay increase of 1.5% from 1 April this year. Ver.di estimates this to be worth around 2.3% overall. There will be a further pay increase on 1 January 2012, consisting of 1.9% plus €17 (€6 for trainees) that ver.di calculates as an overall increase of 2.55%. The union also believes that a new pay structure, coming into effect from 1 January 2012, will mean workers moving more rapidly to the

The main trade union confederations organized a demonstration in Bucharest on 16 March in protest at changes to the labour code prepared by the government, in consultation with the IMF and the employers. The changes include: no collective agreements at national level, cross-sectoral or sectoral; greater possibilities to use temporary contracts; discretionary lay offs, decided unilaterally by the employer, without prior notice; and pay and conditions set unilaterally by employers. The confederations are collecting signatures for a general strike that could be organized in April-May this year

The three unions organizing health workers in the public and private sectors, GdG-KMSfB, GPA-djp und vida, have collaborated with the Chamber of Labour on a major survey of health workers in Vienna and Lower Austria. The survey shows that with staff shortages many workers are facing long hours and deteriorating working conditions which raises important health and safety questions both for the workers themselves as well as patients. The unions also highlight the long-term problems of recruitment and retention as the ageing population and workforce will increase demand for care as well as making

The FOA public service union says that progress to equal pay in the public sector could take over 500 years if future agreements follow the one just negotiated in local and regional government. Although the agreement did include some provisions for tackling the pay gap, if progress was the same for each future round of collective bargaining over a three-year period then it would take 178 agreements to close the 18% pay gap in the municipal sector. The union argues that parliament needs to contribute to the process and pass the legislation and agree the funding that would ensure equal pay for

The SKTF white-collar local government union has produced a new report demonstrating how workers doing the same job are on very different salaries depending on whether they work in a sector dominated by women or men. Taking the example of an economist, the union shows that on average the monthly salary for this occupation is Kr29500 (€3310) in the municipal sector (dominated by women) but Kr 41000 (€4600) in the private sector (dominated by men). SKTF is calling for a major initiative to address the problem involving employers, trade unions and the government. [Read more at > SKTF (SV)->https

On 10 and 11 March, the ver.di services union organized warning strikes in 12 clinics belonging to the Helios group. The aim of the strikes was to show the strength of feeling of workers in the lead up to the third round of bargaining with the company, which has 17,000 employees across Germany and is part of the Fresenius health company. Ver.di had become frustrated by the employer’s failure to come up with a pay offer and is demanding a range of measures in a package worth around 7%. This includes increases in pay, including payments to trainees, along with higher rates for on-call and night

A survey by public service unions UNISON and PCS reveals that thousands of workers are already having to tighten their belts even before the main round of cuts have been imposed on the public sector. The unions surveyed over 10,000 public sector workers with over 70% saying they have already cut back on their food shopping while spending on a range of other items, including healthcare has also been reduced. The survey also confirmed fears that a significant number of workers would consider leaving their pension schemes if plans to increase contributions and reduce benefits were to be

Nine trade union organisations are working together to improve the pay and conditions of the predominantly female workforce in a range of social service occupations. The unions believe that demonstrations on 16 March were crucial in getting the CSFPT committee responsible for local and regional government to withdraw plans to maintain a range of social service occupations in the B pay grade. Unions are calling for proper recognition of workers’ qualifications in the sector and for jobs to be moved up to the A salary grade. A further day of action is planned for 7 April. [Read more at > CFDT

Municipal unions Fagforbundet, YS Kommune and Delta have signed a new agreement that focuses on working with the employers to improve local services. The agreement, a follow up to the initiative on quality municipal services run from 2005, includes several different elements including action on sickness absence, recruitment and competence, providing full-time work and improving the image of local government. The agreement comes shortly after scandals of low pay and poor working conditions in the care and waste sectors have been exposed, with temporary agency workers being exploited rather than

Local government unions FNV Abvakabo and CNB Publieke Zaak are concerned that municipal employers will go back on their agreement to pay a 1% salary increase this year. The rise was dependent on union commitments to negotiate on delivering efficiency savings, reducing bureaucracy and modernizing the collective agreement. The unions are putting forward a range of measures and argue that the employers should take a longer term view rather than just focusing on the need to ensure that short-term efficiency savings justify the 1% pay increase. [Read more at > FNV Abvakabo (NL)->http://www

The Unite trade union has published a new study that highlights the threat that outsourcing poses to the quality of public services as well as the issues of democratic control and accountability. The study also uses new data to indicate how private sector provision of public services often means poorer working conditions for the workers delivering those services. The report found that length of service tends to be much shorter but working hours much longer for employees of private sector companies providing public services than for publicly-employed workers. [Read more at > Unite (EN)->http:/