Waste, Union Rights, Transparency & Corruption, Staffing levels
Pay rise in water – action in waste
The SINTAP trade union has reached an agreement with Águas de Portugal water company that applies to the union’s members and delivers a 3% increase, with a minimum of €53, an increase in the food allowance to €7.60, as well as establishing an entry salary in the company of €905. Workers with more than 10 years’ service get further improvements. Meanwhile, the STAL trade union has been active in the waste sector where it has been involved in protest and industrial action to secure better pay and conditions for workers in the FCC and Resinorte companies. At FCC the demand is for a 15% pay
Confederation suspends political strikes
The SAK trade union confederation has decided to suspend the industrial action taken by a number of its member organisations in order to engage with the government over its programme of welfare cuts and anti-union measures. The actions began on 11 March and were suspended on 8 April. The unions involved were in both public and private sectors – the industrial union, the AKT transport workers' union, service union PAM, the construction union, the JHL public and welfare sector union and the electricity union. SAK wants the government to make clear that it won’t bring forward measures to restrict
Trade unionism is not a crime: Solidarity with Belarusian jailed trade unionists
There will be a virtual solidarity meeting with Belarusian trade unionists on 19 April, 9.30 – 11.00, in framework of “the Day of action for trade union rights and democracy in Belarus”. Meeting is organised by ITUC.
Switzerland: union warns against impact of new health financing system
The vpod/ssp public services has launched a campaign and petition – “Nein zu EFAs” – to try to block changes to the healthcare financing system in Switzerland that will have seriously negative consequences for staff and patients.
Health union looks to shorter full-time hours to tackle overwork
A new report from the Swedish Association of Health Professionals (SAHP) shows that more than four out of 10 young people up to the age of 29 do not believe that they will stay in healthcare for the rest of their working lives. One in five young people testify that the workload is so high with inadequate rest and recovery that it cannot be managed. The union argues that if young people leave the health care system, the existing staffing shortages will worsen. The report shows that more than half of young people feel that staffing is rarely or never sufficient and 85% believe that the workload
Health union calls for end to recruitment freeze
The INMO nurses’ and midwives’ union has called on the Health Service Executive (HSE) to end the moratorium on recruiting frontline patient-facing staff. The HSE has revealed that emergency department attendances are up 13% compared to the same period in 2023 and 452 patients were admitted to hospital without a bed on a single day earlier this month. INMO warns that its members are bearing the brunt of public disappointment and in some cases aggression for the state of the health service while working in extremely challenging environments. The union says that staff who are leaving because of