Health unions plans protests over cuts and working time

The STAL local government union is urging its members to join a demonstration in Lisbon on 31 October called by the Frente Comum, the common front of public administration unions. One of the main aims of the protest is to secure official publication and recognition of the 500 agreements on working time negotiated across the public sector that retain the 35-hour week/seven-hour day. The unions argue that the government is infringing both rights to collective bargaining and rights to local autonomy in the public sector. The government has tried to impose a five-hour increase in working time

EPSU has published the second in a series of articles on working time reduction, focusing this time on Iceland. Ten years ago the country had some of the longest weekly working hours in Europe and then trade unions began to address the issue through a series of pilot projects and negotiations in both municipalities and central administration. Trade unions worked closely with management to ensure services were maintained and the results of the pilot projects showed that working time could be reduced without loss of pay with surveys showing increased well-being among workers. Many local and

The IMPACT public sector union has attacked the Health Services Executive over plans to cut 14,000 temporary jobs, freeze recruitment for all but the most essential jobs and stop allowances for workers who have taken on extra responsibilities. The union says this will be a further pay cut on top of the pensions levy imposed by the government on all public sector workers. The HSE plans are set out in a circular that the union believes will be sent out shortly. IMPACT is asking members not to take on any extra duties that might arise from the recruitment freeze or generally co-operate with any