U.K., Europe, Belgium

The EIRO industrial relations observatory has produced a review of the public utilities with a particular focus on electricity. The report looks at how the sector has been affected by privatisation, liberalisation and restructuring. Based on reports from 20 European countries it highlights the impact on collective bargaining, noting that restructuring has usually proceeded by negotiation and in many cases levels of unionisation have been maintained. [Read more at > EIRO->http://www.eiro.eurofound.ie/2005/02/study/tn0502101s.html] [And find the individual company reports at > EIRO->http://www

The long-running dispute over pay, hours and employment in the health and social service sector in Belgium could be nearing its end as the government in the French-speaking area of the country, Wallonia, has agreed further funding. This ensures pay increases for many workers in the sector as were agreed as far back as 2000 but other workers may have to wait longer for their increases. [Read more at > SETCA-.http://www.setca.org/code/fr/newspage.cfm?id_news=542&tors=]

An annual review of collective bargaining and social dialogue will take place at the annual conference in December. In order that the annual report on collective bargaining has as broad as possible information on pay and conditions in the public services across Europe we need you to send in your completed questionnaires. The questionnaires are available in English, French, German, Spanish and Swedish. Please contact [email protected] for copies.

Low pay and minimum wages will be a key debate at this year's EPSU collective bargaining conference. A draft document on this subject has just been circulated to members of EPSU's collective bargaining network, epsucob@. This first draft is only in English but after initial comments a second draft will be translated into several languages and will be circulated to conference participants in November. If you would like to see a copy of the first draft please contact: [email protected]

The EIRO industrial relations observatory has just published a detailed survey of minimum wages around Europe. This includes an overview of the current situation as well as individual country reports. The study covers countries, such as Italy, Germany and the Nordic countries that do not have statutory minimum wages but implement minimum rates through collective agreements. The report looks at current rates, and recent developments; beneficiaries; the existence of differentiated rates (eg for young workers); adjustment mechanisms; enforcement; the role and positions of governments and social

The PCS civil service union has successfully pursued equal pay cases on behalf of over 2,500 administrative and managerial workers in the Prison Service. The union proved that a range of administrative and managerial jobs were of equal value to those of prison officers and prison governors but that in some cases the salaries of the mainly women administrative workers were up to £5,000 less than the mainly male prison officers. The case has been running since 1999 and this is the latest failed attempt by the Prison Service to stop the claim. [Read more at > PCS-> http://www.pcs.org.uk/Templates

The annual review of collective bargaining across Europe has just been published by the WSI trade union institute in Germany. The assesses trends in pay increases against inflation and productivity growth in each country, following the ETUC's collective bargaining guideline that pay increases should compensate for rising prices and a share of the increase in productivity. WSI says that pay increases have so far failed to keep up with rising productivity in 2005. It also notes that Germany is the only country experiencing a fall in real wages and suggests that this is having an impact on pay on

Public services union UNISON is calling on the government to recognise the skills and potential skills of thousands of healthcare assistants across the UK. The union argues that many healthcare assistants are on the lowest pay rate because the health service is trying to cut costs rather than pay proper salaries. UNISON also says that healthcare assistants' desire for training should be recognised as a way of boosting nursing numbers rather than relying on recruitment from many countries than cannot afford to lose trained healthworkers. [Read more at > UNISON-> http://www.unison.org.uk/news

Don't forget that EPSU is carrying out its annual survey of pay and conditions in the public services. Information from the survey will be included in an annual report on collective bargaining and social dialogue that will be presented to the Collective Bargaining conference in Brussels in December. The report has to be finished in time for translation and so responses to the survey are needed by the end of September. All contacts in EPSU's epsucob@ collective bargaining network should have received a copy of the questionnaire. It is available in English, French, German, Spanish and Swedish