Water
Date
Jun. 12, 2025
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Thousands of Scottish Water workers represented by UNISON , Unite and GMB held a seven-day strike from 2 to 8 June after rejecting the company’s initial pay offer. The action followed earlier walkouts in April and May and disrupted emergency repairs, wastewater treatment, and other essential services across Scotland. The unions demanded a flat-rate increase of £3,000 for staff in grades 1 to 8. Scottish Water had originally proposed an average pay rise of 3.4% for 2024–25, with slightly higher increases for the lowest grades, alongside a move to a 35-hour workweek and access to performance
Mar. 19, 2025
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Strike in healthcare, agreement in water sector
On 20 March, nurses from Lisbon’s health centres will strike and hold a rally at the Ministry of Health at 10:00 am. Organised by SEP , the strike demands the payment of all retroactive wages since 2018, the completion of competitions for managerial and specialist positions, and harmonisation of pay and resources across units. Nurses are also calling for the implementation of the “career accelerator” and urgent hiring to meet service needs. The union argues that the integration of Lisbon’s health centres into new local health units (ULS) in early 2024 has worsened administrative and financial
Dec. 11, 2024
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UK: Water workers secure long-overdue pay offer
Workers at Northern Ireland Water and NI Water Alpha have ended their industrial dispute after accepting a pay offer that includes a 5% increase and a one-off payment of £1,500. The deal, covering the 2023-2024 fiscal year, aligns with pay awarded to other civil service workers. Unite and GMB unions warned that the agreement highlights deeper issues within NI Water. Despite the pay increase, many frontline workers remain on wages barely above the national minimum, including skilled trades and craft workers. This has led to recruitment and retention challenges, putting the maintenance of
Nov. 14, 2024
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Portugal: New agreement for better pay and conditions in public administration
In the Public Administration sector, a new Multiannual Agreement for the Valorization of Public Administration Workers was signed on 6 November 2024, covering the period from 2025 to 2028. Negotiated by SINTAP , the agreement guarantees a minimum annual salary increase of €56.58 for 2025 and 2026, and €60.52 for 2027 and 2028. Additionally, the public administration remuneration base will rise incrementally, starting from €878.41 in 2025 to €1,056.03 by 2028. These measures aim to restore purchasing power for over 80% of workers by 2025, alongside allowances for cost-of-living adjustments and
Jun. 03, 2024

Commission modification of the Nitrate Directive at odds with statements on water quality
The European Commission’s annual “Green Week” took place from 27 – 31 May 2024. Maroš Šefčovič, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission for the European Green Deal, recognised Euope's broken water system.