2016 January epsucob@NEWS 01

Millions of central government workers across Europe are now covered by a landmark agreement on information and consultation. The new agreement was signed in December by EPSU, leading the trade union side, and the EUPAE central government employers' organisation in the European Social Dialogue Committee for Central Government Administrations. The two sides have called upon the Commission to transpose the agreement into a directive as quickly as possible. The agreement fills in a legal vacuum at EU level by providing minimum requirement for the employers to inform and consult trade unions on

After seven days of strike action and several demonstrations public sector workers in Geneva canton have managed to get the authorities back to the negotiating table. The canton had threatened to increase working hours, increase part-time employment, freeze recruitment and reduce redundancy rights as part of a raft of measures to cut public spending. These measures are now on hold at least until 21 March during which time negotiations over the proposed budget cuts will take place. [Read more at > SSP/VPOD (FR)->http://www.ssp-vpod.ch/actualites/nouvelles/nouvelles/browse/1/article/geneve-un

Public sector unions, including state sector union SDLSN, have threatened to go to the courts if the new government does not honour an agreement to implement pay increases 4%, 8% or 10% based on years of services. The previous government did not pay any increases in 2015 in response to the pressure on public finances but they were expected in 2016 with a return to economic growth. The new government is asking unions to be patient while it sorts out funding for the current year as current financial plans do not include provisions for the increases for the whole year. [Read more at > SDLSN (HR)-

At the end of December unions signed an historic first collective agreement with the government covering around 69000 state employees. The agreement establishes many existing working and employment conditions and is aimed specifically at improving social conditions and health and safety at work. It also provides for the possibility of discussions on indexation of civil service pay scales for the following year. The agreement runs for the calendar year 2016 and was negotiated by the state sector, health, defence and education unions. [Read more at > statorg (CZ)->http://statorg.cmkos.cz/] [And

Around 400 employees of the European Patent Office (EPO) in the Hague joined a march on 28 January to protest against the sacking of two employees and the demotion of a third, all trade union activists. The protest was called by the SUEPO trade union for EPO staff which argues that the employees have been targeted for their trade union activity and for challenging what they see as the dictatorial approach of the EPO's boss, Benoit Battistelli. [Read more at > EPSU (EN)->http://www.epsu.org/a/11984] [And at > omroepwest news website (NL)->http://www.omroepwest.nl/nieuws/3048057/Honderden

The FNV trade union has negotiated a new collective agreement for around 165000 workers in local government. The agreement is backdated to 1 January 2016 and runs to 1 May 2017 with a 3.0% pay increase this year and 0.4% next year. The unions and employers have also agreed to discuss the spread of flexible working practices. The FNV is concerned about excessive flexibility particularly in the light of the commitment by local authorities to provide 1000 jobs for younger workers and 730 jobs for workers with disabilities. [Read more at > FNV (NL)->https://www.fnv.nl/over-fnv/pers/persberichten

In the middle of December the CGT-Santé health federation signed a deal to end a long-running strike and dispute with the Vedici/Vitalia private health company. The 51-day strike was at the company's clinic in Montauban in southern France, close to Toulouse. The agreement includes taking on three full-time care assistants on permanent contracts, a reorganisation of working conditions, payment of a EUR 400 lump sum, abolition of all pay rates below the minimum wage as well as improved parental leave and holidays. [Read more at > CGT-Santé (FR)->http://www.sante.cgt.fr/Victoire-des-grevistes-de

Three public service unions, including the SEP nurses' union, are taking strike action on 29 January as part of their campaign to defend the 35-hour week. The government attempted to impose a 40-hour week across the public sector over two years ago but met with widespread opposition. Unions have managed to negotiate hundreds of local agreements to retain the 35-hour week. In its action the SEP nurses' union is also highlighting the challenges its members face in trying to maintain services in the face of job cuts and increase sickness absence arising from the pressure of work. [Read more at >

Trade unions are concerned that recent proposals from the government will increase precarious employment. The government wants to make it easier to employ workers on temporary contracts, changing the law to remove any justification for them. At the moment employers have to indicate that they are using temporary contracts to fill staffing shortfalls. Other changes would extend probationary periods when new workers can be sacked for no reason and reduce periods during which redundant workers can be offered jobs by their former employer. [Read more at > Trade Union News Finland (EN)->http:/

The KKDSZ culture workers union has been organising a series of actions and protests across the country to support its campaign for a pay increase and to highlighting the extent to which culture workers have been undervalued. The union has been trying all kinds of actions to raise the profile of its campaign and in Budapest it was joined by Eddy Stam of the FNV who is currently working with EPSU to support organising initiatives across Central and Eastern Europe. The KKDSZ website contains many photos of the Budapest protest and the other actions around the country. [Read more at > KKDSZ (HU)-

The vida and GPA-djp service unions have negotiated a new collective agreement covering 100000 workers in the private health and social care. The deal includes a 1.35% increase on all pay rates including for apprentices. The agreement also includes specific improvements for childminders, a 5.6% increase on standby rates, harmonisation upwards of allowances for dirty, arduous or dangerous work and other improvements covering childcare institutions and school assistants. The agreement runs from 1 February 2016. [Read more at > vida (DE)->http://www.vida.at/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=S03/Page

After more than a year of campaigning the FNV has agreed a new deal covering social work which is now out to members for consultation. The union is pleased that the agreement covers two important demands - job security and purchasing power. The agreement puts on obligation on municipalities to find alternative work if employees are made redundant. There is a commitment from the government to provide local authorities with funding to cover pay increases in the social work sector. The exact increases are not yet known but should maintain purchasing power over the course of the agreement. The

Labour market researchers have criticised the European Commission's narrow focus on competitiveness when analysing wage developments. Guy van Gyes from Leuven University in Belgium and Thorsten Schulten from the WSI trade union research institute in Germany argue that the Commission tends to ignore the structure of the real economy, the non-price factors and the loose relationship between wages and exports. They say that wage developments have the potential to counter deflationary price trends, stabilise and increase private demand, counter income inequality and push for inclusive productivity

Public services union IMPACT has launched a campaign to restore pay and conditions for workers in the community and voluntary sectors. Many of these workers suffered the same kinds of pay cuts imposed on public sector workers during the crisis while their organisations were supposed to take up any slack created by cuts in the public sector. With pay restoration now on the bargaining agenda in public sector, the union wants to make sure that voluntary and community sector workers are not left behind. [Read more at > IMPACT->http://www.impact.ie/impact-launches-campaign-to-restore-pay-in

Public services union ver.di will put temporary contracts on the bargaining agenda this year. This follows the publication of new research showing not only an increase in temporary contracts across the public sector but also evidence that they increasingly being used without the main justification of replacing absent staff. The proportion of temporary contracts is higher in the public services than in the economy as a whole and younger workers are particularly affected with over a fifth of workers under 35 on temporary contracts. [Read more at > ver.di (DE)->http://www.verdi.de/themen

The FSC-CCOO and FSP-UGT public service federations have seen some progress in restoring cuts in pay and conditions for workers in the justice sector. Recent changes have been implemented in relation to additional time off, filling vacancies, recruiting temporary workers on to the workforce, negotiating the use of temporary workers and union involvement in the introduction of new technology. However, the unions are determined to continue their campaign for full restoration of the other pay and conditions that were unilaterally cut by the justice ministry as a result of the crisis. These