Belgium
Belgian firefighters clashed with police on the streets of Brussels as they protested their demands for improved pay and conditions and proper recognition of their work as a dangerous profession.
Read more at > Euronews (EN)
October 19 saw hundreds of childcare workers march through the streets of Paris. The National Day of Action was called by several trade unions and other associations under the coalition 'pas de bébé à la consigne' (no toddler in a locker).
The ver.di services union and dbb civil service union are co-operating in a week of activities to highlight the work of regional government employees. In the week of 24-28 January there will be a series of events in major cities that will focus on different occupations – such as hospital and college employees, teachers and tax workers. The unions want to emphasise the important services provided by these works and the challenging working conditions they fact. The unions want a 3% pay increase plus a flat-rate rise of €50. [Read more at > ver.di (DE)->http://presse.verdi.de/pressemitteilungen
The CGIL, CSIL and UIL federations representing doctors, vets and hospital managers organised a national demonstration on 17 January to highlight the 10-year freeze on collective bargaining in the only public sector agreement that has not been renewed. The unions also complain of excessive working time and massive shortages of staff and now a change in the budget law that effectively blocks renegotiation of the collective agreement. The unions are planning a 24-hour strike on 25 January and further action in February.
