Water, Restructuring
Health federations will mobilise to block outsourcing
The three health federations - FP CGIL, CISL FP and UIL FPL - have said they will mobilise workers and the community to prevent the threatened outsourcing of nursing and auxiliary jobs at the Umberto I university hospital in Rome. The federations have strongly condemned the proposal that could affect 700 workers, including nurses who work in intensive care and specialist departments most of whom have been at the hospital for many years. The federations also attacked the complete failure of the hospital to consult or negotiate with the trade unions and warned that workers' pay could fall by up
EPSU’s Utilities Committee promotes just transition while condemning liberalisation
The concept of Just Transition was at the heart of the discussion at the EPSU’s Utilities Standing Committee where decarbonisation and digitalisation of the European economy were deeply debated amongst members.
EPSU joins global coalition in support of unique Global Water Operators Partnership Alliance
Faced with an attempt to reduce the role and unique charter of the Global Water Operators Partnership Alliance, EPSU, many affiliates, water movement groups and activists have addressed an Open letter to UN Habitat.
Unions strike over Veolia's plans for job cuts
Trade unions at the Veolia water company are taking strike action over the company's plans for restructuring - the fourth in only three years. These will impact on over 1500 posts with 572 specified as job cuts. The unions are particularly angry that the company is talking about compulsory redundancies. This would be a first for the sector. The unions want the company to withdraw this threat and to properly negotiate over the changes with a view to providing workers with training and retraining opportunities.
Strike action against Veolia's plans for job cuts
Unions at the Veolia water company have announced strike action in protest at the company's latest plans for restructuring, the fourth in three years. The unions are angry that a further 572 jobs are due to go by 2019 after 2000 have already been cut since 2014. They are particularly concerned that this time the company has not ruled out compulsory redundancies which the unions say would be the first for the sector. The unions say the cuts aren't justified in terms of the company's economic performance and they want the company to withdraw the threat of compulsory redundancies and begin a
Union secures wide-ranging agreement with energy company
After lengthy negotations, services union ver.di has endorsed a new agreement with the Uniper energy company that it will put to its members over the coming weeks. Key elements of the deal are commitments to no compulsory redundancies and to an early retirement scheme, seen by ver.di as important for the company's coal-powered operations that will face restructuring. This part of the agreement will run to 2022 while the long-term pay deal will run to 2024. The union prevented the company from cutting bonuses like Christmas pay but performance pay will be ended. In 2018 workers will get a lump
Unions celebrate two more victories in the courts
After the recent success of public service union UNISON in getting the courts to end the government's policy to charge workers for the right to take employment tribunal cases, UNISON and the PCS civil service union have celebrated two further court victories. UNISON's second success came in another landmark case that will effectively require employers to consult over workplace restructuring such as redundancies. The PCS victory was in a judicial review of government cuts to the civil service pension scheme which the government now has to withdraw.
EPSU supports global campaign to stop privatisation Lagos water services
The Lagos State Water Company is pursuing various public private partnerships. The union and Nigerian civil society’s Our Water Our Right coalition, supported by a large group of organisations including PSI are opposing this due to the expected negative impact of PPPs on workers and the people of Lagos.
Unions strike over job cuts
(July 2017) Four unions at the Veolia water company took strike action on 3 July in a protest at the company's announcement of a plan for job cuts. The unions have called for negotiation of a proper plan for training and retraining and have rejected compulory redundancies with a call to defend local jobs. The unions involved in include the CGT, FO, CFE-CGC, CFTC and UNSA.
Federations mobilise over employment centres
(July 2017) The three public service federations - FP CGIL, CISL FP and UIL FPL - organised a joint mobilisation on 3rd July outside the offices of the Ministry of Labour to call for action over the future of employment centres across the country. The unions are calling for guarantees for the workers in these centres in terms of jobs and wages as well as proper investment in the provision of employment services to citizens. Around 8000 permanent staff and 2000 temporary workers are affected by the uncertainty facing the centres.
Urgent to make progress to implement Right2Water in EU says EPSU to Commission
The European Citizens’ Initiative Right2Water was the first ever ECI to collect nearly 2 million signatures. Its key demand to implement the human right to water and sanitation of the UN nto EU legislation has not moved forward though.
Rolling strikes over job cuts and dismissals at equality body
(June 2017) Employees of the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) have been taking strike action as part of a rolling campaign that has covered offices in Glasgow, Cardiff and, in the latest stage, Manchester. The strikes are in protest at budget and job cuts in the organisation as well as staff dismissals. The main union involved, PCS, has said that it is astonishing that the EHRC hasn't even carried out an equality impact assessment of the job cuts. Film director Ken Loach has sent his solidarity greetings to the strikers.