Germany
Private waste sector workers around Germany have been involving in warning strikes in protest at the pay offer from the BDE private waste employers’ organisation. Services union ver.di has condemned the offer which effectively means no increase covering an eight-month period and then a rise of 1% in 2011.
Read more at > ver.di (DE)
In the lead up to the third round of negotiations with the BDE private sector waste employers' organisation, services union ver.di is organising warning strikes and a rally outside the head offices of the SITA Deutschland company. The union wants a 7% pay increase in a 12-month agreement which it sees as crucial for this low-paying sector where pay is lagging behind similar jobs in the public sector. Read more at > ver.di (DE)
The vida and GPA-djp private service unions will be coordinating further warning strikes on 26 and 27 February to put pressure on the employers in the negotiations covering 125000 workers in private health and social care. This follows the sixth round of bargaining which ended again without a concrete proposal from the employers. The unions are determined to press on with their central demand of a 35-hour week while maintaining pay and with an appropriate increase in staffing.
The FP-CGIL reports that an estimated 80% of workers supported the strike in the private waste sector, backed also by the FIT-CISL, UIL TRASPORTI and FIADEL union organisations. The strike was over concerns about safety in the sector and the need to renew the sectoral agreement as an important protection for workers in the face of liberalization. A meeting with employers on 1 December didn’t resolve the dispute and the unions are determined to maintain their position and are considering a second day of strike action in January. [Read more at > FP-CGIL (IT)->http://www.fpcgil.it/flex/cm/pages
