UNISON, GMB and Unite, the three local government unions, have decided to approach the arbitration service ACAS and seek binding arbitration following the employers’ attempt to pose another pay freeze on the 1.5 million workers in the sector. The employers are also refusing to pay the £250 (€299) increase to workers paid less than £21000 (€25140) allowed under the government’s pay policy
Read more at > UNISON (EN)
Local government unions go for binding arbitration
More like this
Local government pay deal now in arbitration
Trade unions and employers in local government (England, Wales and Northern Ireland) have agreed to the three-person arbitration panel that will begin its hearings in February and rule on the pay dispute that has been rumbling on since last spring. The employers have offered a 2.45% increase plus an extra £100 (€111) for the lowest paid backdated to 1 April 2008. The trade union side has also agreed the three key elements of their pay demand for 2009-2010: a 12-month agreement that covers pay only and that provides an increase to match inflation with a higher increase for the lower paid. [Read
Strikes in hospitals continue while arbitration imposed in local government
The UNIO trade union confederation whose members cover workers with higher education has been pushing for higher pay deals in three negotiations – national local government, Oslo municipality and public companies represented by the employers’ organisation, Spekter. The NSF nurses’ union is one of UNIO’s members involved in the strikes and negotiations and they are calling for higher pay for nurses to tackle major staff shortages. The government has stepped in to end strikes in local government and the Oslo municipality on the grounds, rejected by the trade unions, that the actions pose a
Employers challenge generally binding agreements
(August 2016) The Trade Union News website reports that employer organisations are beginning a campaign against the generally binding nature of collective agreements. This is an important element of Finnish industrial relations ensuring that collective bargaining coverage is very high - 75.5% in the private sector and 100% in the public sector. The trade union confederations have made clear their support for the system which they argue prevents undercutting by unscrupulous employers. Read more at Trade Union News (EN). Also see a recent analysis by the ETUI.