Digitalisation, Social Dialogue, Slovenia, Italy
Union raises concerns over digital monitoring of waste workers
The FP-CGIL public service union has raised serious concerns about the introduction of Amazon-style electronic bracelets for waste collection workers by a private company in Livorno. The bracelets communicate with waste containers to check they are empty. Union says that this degree of surveillance is excessive considering that there are already supervisors who monitor the work along with GPS systems in trucks. FP-CGIL says that employers should be concentrating more on dealing with the serious health and safety issues in the sector.
Capacity building project for the hospital sector in Central, East and Southern Europe started
On 28 March 2019 EPSU participated, together with its representatives of the two national affiliates from Romania, Sanitas, and Croatia, HSSMS-MT, in the kick-off meeting of the joint HOSPEEM-EPSU project focusing on strengthening social dialogue in the hospital sector that will run in 2019 and 2020.
Platform work: making workers’ rights matter
In February this year, the Supreme Court in the UK ruled that Uber, the driving, and delivery platform, should treat its drivers as workers and not as self-employed. This follows a trend across Europe where courts in several countries have forced digital platforms to revise the employment relationship with the workers providing their services. Platform work is changing the economic and social landscape, revolutionising the way services are delivered while raising major questions about social and labour rights.
Trade unions back major protest over government policy
The main trade union confederations are taking part in the major national demonstration on 28 May. The unions are particularly concerned about the government’s refusal to engage in meaningful social dialogue and to consult trade unions over key pieces of legislation. The unions are also raising concerns about government plans on tax and other measures that mainly benefit the rich and risk undermining the welfare state. EPSU sent messages of solidarity.
Health unions criticise lack of social dialogue and block on unions
Health unions came together with representatives of trade union confederations to criticise a proposed amendment to the Health Care and Insurance Act. The unions argue that the amendment is effectively revenge for recent trade union protests against government policy and that it will deny trade unions and workers representation on health institution management bodies. Trade unions and confederations across all sectors have been engaged in protests over the refusal of the government to engage in social dialogue. This is just the latest example of the government failing to consult and putting
Discussing building power for European public service workers with Slovenian unions
The Slovenian Confederation KSJS organised a meeting between its affiliates and several European trade union organisations like EPSU. We discussed the work of the European Federation and the challenges for the future.
Federations look for guarantees for smart workers
The public service federations – Fp Cgil, Cisl Fp, Uilpa and Uil Fpl – want to ensure that as the move from obligatory to voluntary remote working takes place, all workers are provided with the appropriate protection so that they can enjoy the potential benefits and flexibility of remote working while helping to improve service delivery. The unions argue that workers should be guaranteed the same pay as those in the workplace, along with normal working hours and the right to disconnect. The federations acknowledge that the situation may vary across the public services and so negotiations may
Mediterranean trade unions on public services, European parliament elections and the extreme-right
The recent elections in several European countries that resulted in gains for extreme-right parties and even brought them into government were discussed at the constituency of the Mediterranean unions.