Strike
Strikes and industrial action
The right to strike is fundamental for trade unions. Although strikes and industrial action are the weapons of last resort, it is crucial that trade unions can use them in the fight to defend workers' rights and get a fair deal from employers. The challenge for many unions, particularly those in the public sector, is that the right to strike is restricted or even completely denied. Information on the right to strike in the public sector is available in 48 country factsheets that cover the main rules and include information on cases that trade unions have taken to the International Labour Organisation and Council of Europe.
Justice workers on strike for higher pay
Around 5000 workers in justice authorities and the state attorney’s office are on strike for higher pay. The action, organised by the SDLSN trade union, is in support of a long-standing demand for a €400 pay increase. The union says that the workers have considerable responsibilities and skills but many are salaries of only €600 a month. Rather than negotiate the government took legal action to try to block the strike, however, the attempt was rejected and the Zagreb court confirmed the legality of the action. EPSU sent a message of solidarity.
Strike continues as justice minister refuses to negotiate
Unions representing workers in the Ministry of Justice, including FSC-CCOO and FeSP-UGT, are continuing their all-out strike action while the minister refuses to negotiate. The strike committee entered the ministry’s head office determined to demand that negotiations begin and remained there, waiting for a negotiator to arrive. But 24 hours later there had been no progress and the only steps taken by the Ministry was to try to restrict the movements of the committee and confined it to the meeting room with no access to food or drink. The all-out strike began on 30 May following two three-day
Mediation in private social services while personal assistants strike
Members of the JHL trade union who work as personal assistants are continuing their strike action in support of better pay and conditions, following the failure of the employers' organisation to come up with an improved pay offer after mediation. The union is pushing for improved pay as a key measure in tackling the high turnover in the sector. Meanwhile, mediation is continuing in the private social services sector following strike action by the TEHY trade union. The union reported that the mediation, begun on 5 June and continuing into 8 June, was making some progress.
Water workers win pay guarantee while health unions want COVID scheme maintained
A nationwide strike on 7 June by SIPTU members in local authority water services was averted following the decision by the government to guarantee that any workers who do not want to transfer to the new public water company, Uisce Éireann, will have all their earnings protected. The key issue for the union was to secure the guarantee in relation to workers’ allowances and overtime payments they accrue currently as part of their work. Meanwhile, INMO and other health unions have called for the extension of the temporary special leave with pay scheme for workers with COVID to be extended. The
Major strike campaign forces government concessions on pay
The biggest campaign of industrial action in the history of the PCS trade union has won an improved pay offer from the government and concessions on redundancy and job security. After more than 300 days of targeted action and three national strikes, the union is now consulting over the government’s proposal and how it will be implemented at local level. The key elements include: a lump sum of £1500 in recognition of cost of living pressures in 2022-23, an increase in the scope for local bargaining from 2% to 4.5%, with an extra 0.5% for the lowest paid for 2023-24, and a commitment to further
Workers take to the streets to defend the right to strike and to support Delhaize strikers
A massive demonstration with over 25,000 people was organised by the three Belgian trade union confederations (ACV-CSC, FGTB-ABVV and CGSLB-ACVLV) to protest attacks on the rights to strike, demonstrate and picket.
Unions take industrial action in private social care
Nursing and care unions Tehy and SuPer, along with ERTO, are running a campaign of industrial action to put pressure on private sector employers in the social care sector to deliver an improved pay offer. The unions have imposed bans on overtime and shift changes as well as organising strike action with a key aim to reduce the gap between private and public sector pay levels. Tehy and SuPer say that workers in elderly, child and disability care are on pay levels €150-€400 a month less than their public sector counterparts. They say that in the current negotiations the employers’ pay offer
Strong support for all-out strike in Ministry of Justice
The FSC-CCOO and FeSP-UGT trade unions report continuing high levels of support for the all-out strike in the Ministry of Justice. The unions are calling for negotiations with the Minister of Justice over pay levels and implementation of the law on organisational efficiency which has serious implications for workers’ pay and career development. So far the Minister has refused to negotiate and the unions launched the all-out action following two three-day strikes earlier this month. Meanwhile, both FSC-CCOO and FeSP-UGT, are continuing their action in the Labour and Social Security Inspectorate
Unions build for 6 June ahead of vote on pensions
The trade union movement, including the CGT, CFDT, FO, UNSA and CGC-CFE, are maintaining their unified opposition to the government’s pensions reforms. They are now building for protest and strike action on 6 June ahead of 8 June when a draft bill to abolish the reforms will be voted on in the National Assembly. The unions reaffirmed their determination to get the reforms withdrawn following bilateral meetings with the government. They have also set up a website to make it easier for people to write to their MPs to get them to support the vote on the 8th.
Water workers and firefighters set strike dates
The SIPTU trade union has announced dates for industrial action by water workers and retained (part-time) firefighters in June. Water workers currently employed by local authorities face restructuring as a new national water company is established. The dispute is over the failure of local authorities to guarantee the protection of all pay and conditions if the workers choose to remain with their local authority. The firefighters’ action is over pay and the serious staff shortages in the sector which are putting extra pressure on existing staff who often forego holidays in order to ensure cover
Unions reject local government pay offer as other disputes continue
Strike action could be on the cards across local government in England and Wales as members of the main trade unions – UNISON, GMB and Unite – have rejected the £1925 (€2215) flat-rate pay offer. Meanwhile, action over pay is continuing in the National Health Service in England where Unite is continuing its campaign to get pay negotiations re-opened with targeted strike action in hospitals and the ambulance service. The RCN nursing union is balloting its members in England over further action while RCN members in Wales have also rejected the separate pay offer there. In central government, PCS
Strong support for strikes in ministry of justice
The FSC-CCOO, FeSP-UGT and other trade unions in the ministry of justice have been maintaining their campaign of strike action with high levels of support for the strike that took place on 4 May and with further action set for 9-11 and 16-18 May. The main demands focus on the need to negotiate implementation of the law on organizational efficiency and to deliver salary improvements that recognise the functions workers perform and ensure the development of the professional careers. The ministry has so far rejected any salary increase for most staff – around 90% - despite agreeing to an increase
6 June for next anti-pension reform mobilisation
The trade union and student-led campaign against the government’s pension reforms and increase in pension age from 62 to 64 is building up for the next protest on 6 June. The main unions, including the CGT, CFDT, FO, UNSA and CFE-CGC, coordinated demonstrations across the country on 1 May – the 13th national day of action – with an estimated 2.3 million taking part. The 6 June action is timed just before a vote in the national assembly on 8 June on a proposed law that would repeal the pensions legislation. This will effectively be the first time that MPs will be able to vote on the issue as
High levels of support for further industrial action across central government
The campaign of industrial action over pay, jobs and pensions by the PCS trade union is set to continue following a new strike ballot. The union managed to secure reach the threshold required for public sector strike action in 106 government departments and agencies. In Scotland, with separate negotiations on pay, PCS members have accepted an increased pay offer delivering a total increase of at least £2200 (€2535) for all staff earning £36000 (€41455) or less. The guarantee of no compulsory redundancy for all staff is extended to 31 March 2025 and there is a commitment to review the lowest