31 May is a day of action and strikes of Belgian public service workers. The unions demand higher pay, better conditions and pensions, investment in public services and respect for the work of public service workers. All unions joined. 2 June CNE and Acv-Puls organise a demonstration for pay, better conditions in the broad non-profit social and culture sector and 20 June there will be a national demonstration of the 3 confederations demanding measures on pay as prices rise and companies make profits.
2 June the French energy unions mobilise for better pay and pensions. With rising prices and a lack of response of the employer, unions are organising strikes and demonstrations. The CGT-Sante union has called for strike action in the homes of Orpea. This employer takes away the bonus for its workers while having had large profits in 2021. It wants to make the workers pay for the corrupt management of the company adding insult to injury.
That actions and strike bring results was shown by the workers in childcare, social work, and disabled care in Germany. After several actions and strikes a collective agreement was reached with more pay and more free days to deal with stress at work. The Verdi health and care branch is organising a massive demo on 22 June to convince the German health care ministers more funding is needed for quality care and more staff to do the work.
EPSU staff joined a picket of the Turkish energy union which is seeking to reinstate trade unionists that were unfairly dismissed in a subsidiary of German energy giant EON. The protestors were arrested, harassing them as they demonstrated in front of the Eon owned holding company. The Turkish health unions Dev-Saglik-Is and SES joined protests and you can read more about this in our collective bargaining newsletter.
Please support the independent trade unions in Belarus – petition and action on 8 June
You will be aware of the arrests of trade unionists in Belarus. Lukashenko is labelling these independent unions terrorist organisations. He is intend on destroying the unions and our comrades. If you have not signed yet, please do sign: https://www.labourstartcampaigns.net/show_campaign.cgi?c=5092 Please circulate to your members and others. We want this to be a massive sign of our global support for the harassed and jailed Belarus unionists. And if you can please join actions on the 8 June. It is the global day of action in support of the Belarus independent unions.
23 June actions are taking shape with 3 weeks to go
More and more unions are preparing actions around 23 June, mostly around pay, like the UK’s TUC demonstration on the 18th. Groups of unions work together like our Mediterranean comrades on the 22nd, or our Romanian and Moldovan affiliates. I met the Hungarian unions who are likewise planning visibility for public service workers. Please let us know if you are organising something, and do not not forget to send us your workplace pictures. Action together we are stronger and build a powerful movement.
