2012 June epsucob@NEWS 11
State sector unions' day of action - 28 June
The FSC-CCOO and FSP-UGT public service federations are coordinating a day of action on 28 June in protest at government policies. The unions will be highlighting the attacks on the state sector and linking the threats to services to increasingly precarious employment and the cuts to workers' pay and conditions and collective bargaining rights. Read more at > FSC-CCOO (ES) And at > FSP-UGT (ES)
Unions pleased with pay deal following strike action
Public sector unions called off their strike action earlier this month after securing a better pay offer from employers in the municipal and state sectors. Along with a general annual increase of NOK 1200 (€1600), there also higher payments for weekend work and guarantees of equal treatment for temporary workers. The unions say that the increase will keep public sector pay in line with the private sector. [Read more at > Fagforbundet (NO)->http://www.fagforbundet.no/forsida/?article_id=93472] [And at > YS Stat (NO)->http://ys.no/kunder/ys/cms.nsf/%28$All%29/06CAF9D18704ABCEC1257A110014433F
Union maintains campaign against pension changes
PCS, the main civil service union, is continuing its campaign of protests and strike action over proposed changes to the pension scheme covering central government. Over the next two months PCS members are being urged to support a ban on voluntary overtime and campaigning will be stepped up in the autumn when the union will coordinate action with other public sector unions. [Read more at > PCS (EN)->http://www.pcs.org.uk/en/news_and_events/pcs_comment/index.cfm/id/F89EA852-5B31-4AF5-9469FAD80CA11B4C] [And at > PCS->http://www.pcs.org.uk/en/news_and_events/pcs_comment/index.cfm/id/D970A15A-C631
Consultation over local government pensions
Public services union UNISON will be consulting its members over the latest proposals for changes to the local government pension scheme. The proposals include a change from a final-salary to a career-average salary but with a higher accrual rate. Lower paid workers will keep the same level of contributions and outsourced workers will be able to stay in the scheme. Read more at > Unison (EN)
Union concern over decline in ambulance service
The FNV Abvakabo public services union has expressed major concerns of falling quality standards in the ambulance service. The union reports that some staff have not been fully trained while workers are also facing longer hours with more overtime and 12-hour days. On top of this Abvakabo says that vehicles and equipment are not properly maintained or renewed. Read more at > FNV Abvakabo (NL)
Labour minister challenged over trade union rights
Representatives of the global trade union federations, including Public Services International, met with the Turkish labour minister in Geneva on 12 June to raise a range of key trade union rights issues. These included the ban on strike action in aviation, restrictions on strikes in public services, intimidation and imprisonment of trade unionists and major problems relating to health and safety. Read more at > IUF (EN)
National agreement delivers on savings
The Impact and SIPTU trade unions report that the national agreement on jobs, pay and services - the Croke Park agreement - has delivered savings of €1.5 billion over two years. Public sector employment has been reduced by 17300 in the period and more are to go in the next three years but Impact warns that the government needs to be more flexible with its recruitment restrictions. [Read more at > Impact (EN)->http://www.impact.ie/12/06/13/Croke-Park-agreement--IMPACT-welcomes--1-5-billion-in-recurring-savings-but-warns-against-complacency.htm] [And at > SIPTU (EN)->http://www.siptu.ie/media
Union surveys contract workers
The CFDT Interco trade union federation that organises in local government and parts of central government is carrying out a major survey of public sector workers on employment contracts. There are around 800,000 public sector workers in France who have a permanent or temporary contract in contrast to civil servants who are covered by statutes. The union is aiming for 8000 responses from this group of workers that will help it formulate key demands on recruitment, pay and employment conditions. [Read more at > CFDT (FR)->http://www.cfdt.fr/rewrite/article/40998/communication/communique::la
Hospital management take hard line
Strike action is possible at the Helios/Damp group of hospitals in seven cities across Germany. Ver.di is trying to negotiate a 7.5% pay increase for the 5600 workers employed by the company which is part of the Fresenius group. In contrast the management is trying to undermine existing collective agreements, wants to freeze pay for some workers and introduce a new pay structure for other workers that would many without a pay increase. Read more at > ver.di (DE)
Protest over finance staff shortages
The ver.di services union organised a protest on 11 June to highlight the problems arising from major staff shortages in the Berlin regional government's finance department. The union points out that funds are urgently needed to develop childcare and maintain streets and parks and that the staff shortages mean that millions of euros in tax revenue are going uncollected. Read more at > ver.di (DE)
Union calls for better working conditions to tackle labour shortage
The vida public services trade union has called for better employment and working conditions in the care sector to tackle labour shortages. It highlights the problems of long hours, changing shift patterns and low pay that are making it difficult to recruit. The union has called for improved funding for the sector in contrast to employer organisations who have called for care professions to be included in the skilled worker regulations that control which categories of non-EU workers can enter the country. [Read more at > vida (DE)->http://www.vida.at/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=S03/Page
Collective bargaining seminar discusses economic governance
Participants at the EPSU collective bargaining seminar in Belgium last month had the opportunity to discuss economic governance and the coordination of collective bargaining policy with experts from the ETUC and IndustriAll, the new European trade union federation created from the merger of the metalworkers (EMF), chemical workers (EMCEF) and textile workers (ETUF:TCL). A report of the meeting is on special website created by the ETUI who coordinated the seminar. Read more at > seminar website (EN)
ITUC survey of trade union rights violations
The ITUC global trade union confederation has published its survey of trade union rights violations for 2012. While the pressures on trade unions may be more urgent and dangerous in other regions, the ITUC notes that the crisis has increased the pressure on trade union rights across Europe and again highlights Georgia as a country where the right to strike has been undermined and strike action repressed. Read more at > ITUC (EN, FR, DE, ES)
Collective bargaining key part of social compact
The ETUC has launched a campaign for a social compact that it want to agree at European level. At the heart of the compact are key demands on collective bargaining and social dialogue as "an integral part of the European Social Model. Both must be guaranteed at the EU and national level." The compact also insists on the autonomy of the social partners at national and European level as well as their involvement in European economic governance. Read more at > ETUC (EN) And in French at > CES
Report puts social dialogue at centre of green economy
A new report from the International Labour Organisation, Working towards sustainable development: Opportunities for decent work and social inclusion in a green economy, argues that it is vital that social dialogue is at the heart of the transformations required to tackle climate change. The need to change production methods, reallocate jobs and ensure decent work all can be better achieved through social dialogue, according to the ILO. Read more at > ILO (EN) (Summary EN, FR, ES)