Finland, Europe

The SAK trade union confederation has decided to suspend the industrial action taken by a number of its member organisations in order to engage with the government over its programme of welfare cuts and anti-union measures. The actions began on 11 March and were suspended on 8 April. The unions involved were in both public and private sectors – the industrial union, the AKT transport workers' union, service union PAM, the construction union, the JHL public and welfare sector union and the electricity union. SAK wants the government to make clear that it won’t bring forward measures to restrict

The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) has highlighted that the combination of inflation and pay trends means that the living standards of European workers have still not recovered from the cost-of-living crisis. Data from the European Trade Union Institute’s Benchmarking Working Europe 2024 shows that pay, after inflation is taken into account, fell by 0.7% in 2023. Workers in Hungary (-3.8%), Czechia (-3.8%), and Italy (-2.6%) faced the biggest falls in purchasing power last year. Germany (-0.9%) and France (-0.6%) were also among the 10 member states where wages failed to catch up

New research from the European Trade Union Institute looks at the role that institutional and economic factors play in shaping wage floors and protecting workers at the low end of the wage distribution. Using data for the period 2007 to 2021, it shows that wage inequality has on average declined across the EU, primarily due to convergence between countries. In line with expectations, strong institutional support, such as statutory minimum wages with greater bite and a higher collective bargaining coverage rate, are associated with lower inequality and a better position for vulnerable workers

Following the article on Iceland, the latest in the series of articles on working time commissioned by EPSU from the Labour Research Department focuses on developments in the other Nordic countries. While several unions in Sweden have put shorter working time on the bargaining agenda (see also article on Sweden in this newsletter), there are only a few cases in social care where a shorter working week has been implemented. In Norway and Denmark the priority has been more to ensure that workers in health and care and other services have the right to full-time working although there are some

The JHL public service unions, AKT transport union and other members of the SAK trade unio confederation are involved in two weeks of strike action against the government programme of welfare cuts and attacks on workers’ and trade union rights. The unions are frustrated that the government is not responding to their calls to negotiate. Alongside JHL and AKT, the strikes involve unions in industry, electricity, construction and services. The measures target exports and imports in ports and on rails. Large industrial plants and distribution terminals are also involved. Around 7,000 workers are

In its latest briefing on the Adequate Minimum Wage Directive, the European Trade Union Institute (ETUI) finds that the legislation is already having an impact even before it is fully transposed in all member states. According to the ETUI, the Directive’s double decency threshold for adequate minimum wages of 60% of the gross median wage and 50% of the gross average wage has already influenced developments at national level. The briefing cites examples from Bulgaria, Croatia, Germany, Hungary, Romania and the Netherlands where the double threshold or at least one element of it is being taken

Labour movement lobbying helped secure a platform work directive that should provide new rights for millions of workers across Europe. The ETUC and EPSU welcomed the outcome of lengthy negotiations and in particular the inclusion of the presumption of employment in the legislation. This means that Instead of individuals going through lengthy court action to prove they are workers, it will be up to the platforms to prove they are not employees. The directive also recognises the role of trade unions in all aspects of the platform economy, including on issues such as algorithm management. Workers

The JHL trade union and others in the SAK confederation organised a week of strike action between 12 and 16 February in their continuing campaign to oppose the government’s attacks on the welfare state and trade union and workers’ rights. The actions follow the major national protest organised by the SAK and STTK confederations on 1 February. A range of JHL’s membership will be involved in the week of action including workers in early childhood education and care, municipalities, local public transport, energy and rail services.

The European Union’s industrial relations research body, Eurofound, has published a report analysing hundreds of collective agreements across 24 low-paying sectors to try to determine the role of collectively-bargained minimum wage rates in protecting the low paid. The 24 sectors include residential and non-residential social care. The analysis of all the sectors found that agreements in central and eastern European Member States refer relatively frequently and explicitly to statutory minimum wages as the minimum payable rates, rather than including higher collectively agreed rates. The report

The European Trade Union Institute (ETUI) has published research covering all EU member states which warns of the impact of computerised systems on work. Potential negative effects include more unpredictable, hectic and intense work rhythms, the encroachment of paid work beyond its boundaries, longer working hours and a poorer work-life balance. The report also explores the differences in terms of job demands and resources between digitalised and non-digitalised work environments in similar jobs. The ETUI says that while the digital revolution tends to be associated with various positive

A policy brief published by the European Trade Union Institute (ETUI) looks at the role of collective bargaining in providing protection for the low-paid and the important role of government in setting a framework that protects and promotes collective bargaining. The authors found that over time, statutory minimum wages have become increasingly important, while state support for collective bargaining has declined. This is despite the fact that the report finds that state support for collective bargaining appears most successful in containing low-wage employment. The policy brief highlights

EPSU has commissioned the UK-based Labour Research Department to produce a series of articles analysing recent examples of working time reduction. The first article looks at Austria where public service unions in both private and public sectors have taken action to cut weekly working time, particularly in the large private sector agreement covering health and social care workers. The next article, to be published in February, will provide an update on the situation in Iceland and in March the focus will be on other Nordic countries. IndustriAll Europe has also produced a series of briefings

The SAK and STTK trade union confederations are continuing their campaign against government proposals that attack the welfare state, employment and trade union rights. The next step will be a national demonstration in Helsinki on 1 February. They are also calling for support from civil society organisations. The confederations have been participating in tripartite working groups, discussions set up by the government and in parliamentary hearings, emphasising how badly workers will be affected by the government’s policies. The first reductions affecting the unemployed have already entered into

The ETUCLEX newsletter, produced by the ETUC’s legal team, provides a regular update on key legal developments across Europe and in the latest issue includes reports on the right to strike. In a long-running case involving the right to strike of civil servants in Germany, the European Court of Human Rights recently ruled that disciplinary action taken against teachers who took industrial action in 2009 and 2010 did not involve a breach of their human right to freedom of association. The Court found that the particular circumstances of civil servants in Germany in relation to their pay and