12 epsucob@NEWS 16 June 2006
Latest collective bargaining trends
The latest ETUC analysis of collective bargaining across countries in the Eurozone finds little evidence of any upward trend in pay increases, suggesting only a modest rise to 2.5% from 2.3% last year. The ETUC argues that wage moderation has failed to make any significant contribution to employment growth and that the European Central Bank is wrong to use pay trends to justify an increase in interest rates. The ETUC round-up also indicates a recent increase in working hours in Germany, France, Italy and Austria, ending a long downward trend in hours worked. [Read more at > ETUC (EN)->http:/
Collective bargaining conference 30 November-1 December
This year's EPSU collective bargaining conference will take place in Brussels on 30 November and 1 December. There will be a general review of social dialogue and collective bargaining across Europe as well as a detailed discussion about developments in the public services. There will also be specific debates on young and older workers, migrant workers, pensions and equality. Read more at > EPSU
Parliament rejects pensions change
The lower house of the Swiss parliament has rejected plans by the Publica public service pension scheme to change its pension arrangements from defined benefit to defined contribution. The scheme has 40,000 federal state employees as active members. The proposal will now go to the upper house which could reject the plan or send it back to the lower house to be voted on again. Read more at > IPE news service
Pay inequality in the public services
The VPOD/SSP public service federation is supporting the campaign for gender pay equality organised by the SGB/USS union confederation. In the latest issue of its magazine VPOD highlights the gender pay gap across the public services. A relatively small gap of 9.6% at federal level rises to 12.3% in health and social services at the cantonal level and to 18.8% among administrative workers in the cantons. The union argues that the reasons behind the pay gap include the undervaluing of typically female occupations and the fact that men are often more likely to benefit from bonuses and other
Doctors continue strike action as dispute moves into fourth month
The Marburger Bund doctors' union has taken up the offer of the regional government employers to restart talks over a new collective agreement for doctors on 16 June. However, doctors went head with strike action on 12 June with the union claiming that this marked a high point in strike action with 13,800 doctors involved in 43 towns and cities (25 university clinics and 18 regional hospitals) across Germany. Read more at > Marburger Bund (DE)
Local government fares badly in holiday pay comparison
The trade union linked research organisation, WSI (part of the Hans Boeckler Foundation) has surveyed collective agreements on holiday pay. It found a wide variation on the level of holiday pay - that is payments over and above the normal pay received while on annual leave. Local authorities come close to the bottom of the league table with €332 a month, ahead of agricultural workers on €184. Wood and plastic industries are on top with €1,831 followed by the print industry with €1,586. Read more at > Hans Boeckler Foundation (DE)
Tax workers strike over failure to renew agreement
Around 60,000 tax workers will take a day's strike action on 19 June in protest at the failure to sign a new collective agreement 30 months after the previous agreement expired. In calling the action the union pointed out the vital job that these workers were doing for the country in tackling tax evasion. Read more at > FP-CGIL (IT)
Unions push for higher health spending
Three trade unions organising health workers are pushing the government to agree higher healthcare spending and pay increases in 2006. They also want to see improved working conditions based on legal regulations. The unions have given the government until 16 June to respond to their demands and promised further and more radical protest action if there is no progress. Read more at > Solidarnosc (EN)
Powergen energy company to end Indian outsourcing
Powergen, owned by the German utility company E.ON, has decided to increase staffing at its five UK call centres by 980 following a decision to end its call centre operations in India. The company has been using call centres in India since 2001 but decided to increase jobs and staff training in the UK when complaints about its call centre services rose to twice the industry average. Read more at > Guardian newspaper (EN)
Health union organises series of strikes
Public hospital workers organised by the POEDIN trade union, part of the ADEDY federation, have been involved in a series of stoppages during June in protest at health service funding and job classification. A 24-hour strike on 13 June was followed by shorter strikes action on 14, 15 and 16 and will be followed by further stoppages on 20 and 22 June. Read more at > POEDIN (GR) And at > the ERT news service (EN)
Older workers fill health jobs gap
Temporary jobs in health and social services are increasingly being filled by pensioners with the percentage set to rise from 10% to 15% this summer. The TEHY union which organises health workers is not so concerned about the numbers of pensioners taking up these posts but would prefer to see them taking up more permanent positions. Read more at > the YLE news agency (EN)
Health technicians strike over recognition of qualifications
Following demonstrations in May, technicians in the health sector are planning a day's national strike action on 27 June in protest at the failure of the ministries of health and education to agree to their demands on a right to university-level training and recognition of their qualifications in line with similar workers in the rest of the European Union. Read more at > FSP-UGT (ES)
New 23-month agreement for social workers
The ABVAKABO and CNV unions have negotiated a new collective agreement covering social workers with the local authority employers' organisation. The agreement runs from 1 January 2006 to 1 November 2007. Pay increases during this period will be 1.1% (backdated to 1.1.06), 1.1% from 1 January 2007 and 0.6% from 1 July 2007. Inflation was 1.3% in the year to May 2006. Read more at > ABVAKABO (NE)
Intensification of work and outsourcing undermine policies for working parents
A seven-country study of public and private sector organisations concludes that the pressures of globalisation and the resulting intensification of work prevent many working parents from benefiting fully from parental leave policies. The study also found that the increase in outsourcing means that many workers lose out because the parental leave policies that apply to them are worse than those available to workers in the organisation that has outsourced the service. Read more at > eubusiness.com (EN)
Budget for 2007 will mean 15,000 fewer public service jobs
French public service jobs have attacked the government's proposed budget for 2007 and the planned reduction of the public service workforce by 15,000. The unions argue that the workforce should not be regarded as just another factor to be used to balance the books and warn of the impact on the quality of services if the job cuts are implemented. Read more at > FO (FR) Read more at > CGT (FR)