Union Rights, Romania, Kazakhstan
Romania: EPSU joints ETF in condemning attacks on metro workers
The European federations representing transport and public service (ETF and EPSU) condemn the actions of the Romanian government in what appears to be an orchestrated attempt to intimidate ETF and EPSU affiliate USLM with union busting tactics, in response to the union working to protect workers in the Bucharest metro.
ETUC and ITUC write protest letter to government
The European and global trade union confederations (ETUC and ITUC) have written to the Romanian government to protest against the decision not to implement a pay increase for public sector workers. The letter also challenges the government on anti-union statements and threats to remove the right of trade unions to collect membership fees through check-off. EPSU also wrote to the government along similar lines in January and followed up this letter in March – with no reply received so far to either letter.
Health union achieves major victory with sector collective agreement
The Sanitas health trade union has managed to negotiate a collective agreement in the sector despite the strict representative rules that make it extremely difficult to negotiate sector deals in Romania. The agreement confirms many of the rights the union has won over the years and ensures that they apply uniformly across the country. Among the most important elements are holiday entitlement (21-30 days depending on length of service), the role of the trade union in personnel policy, collective redundancies and disciplinary procedures and measures to support nurses' further education and
Union movement calls on EU to speak out on trade union rights
(April 2017) The European and International Trade Union Confederations wrote a joint letter to EU High Representative Federica Mogherini calling on the EU to raise the serious attacks on trade union rights in the EU-Kazakhstan Cooperation Committee. The ETUC highlighted the detention, intimidation and arbitrary interrogation by the police of trade unionists because of their union activities urged the EU to demand that the Kazakh government ensure full respect for the right to freedom of association.
Courts deregister independent union confederation
(January 2017) The International Trade Union Confederation is committed to support its affiliate the CNTUK confederation in the face of the courts' decision to withdraw registration of the confederation and two of its affiliates in the health and social services sector. The authorities have also taken action against the general secrerary and seized confederation documents. The ITUC had previously written to the President complaining of the government's failure to comply with ILO Convention 87 in relation to the CNTUK.