Culture, Restructuring, Pensions/retirement

EPSU and PSI have sent solidarity greetings to the three union federations – Filctem-Cgil, Flaei- Cisl and Uiltec – in their dispute with the ENEL energy company. The three unions are planning national strike action on 8 March and began a month-long period of industrial action affecting overtime, travel and changes to working hours on 24 February. The unions are angry about the company’s unilateral plans to change working hours arrangements, to outsource operations on the electricity grid, and its refusal to renew the remote work agreement. The three federations argue that the measures will

Eight trade union organisations, including the five main confederations – CGT, CFDT, FO, UNSA and CFE-CGC – have come together to organise a national demonstration on 13 October over the cost-of-living and the threat of austerity. The key demands will be around increases to the national minimum wage and pay rises in collective agreements and the unions will continue their protests against the pension reforms which came into effect on 1 September. The unions are also looking at measures to reduce the gender pay gap and increased funding for public services.

The LO and other confederations have negotiated special age limits and pension additions for public sector workers in difficult and arduous jobs. When a new public service pension was negotiated in 2018, it was clear that separate pension solutions had to be agreed for over 200,000 with special age limits. After two failed negotiations, bargaining resumed on 30 May this year, and an agreement was reached on 25 August. The new model will mean that with full earnings, a special age premium of 5.8% will apply to those with a special age limit of 65 years, 6.5% for those with 63 years and 7.7% for

On 6 June trade union organisations, including CGT, CFDT, FO, UNSA and CFE-CGC, along with student groups, again mobilised significant numbers in protests and strikes around the country to try to block the government’s pension reforms. An estimated 900000 people took part in demonstrations in what was the 14th national day of action and marking six months of protests. The focus of the action on 6 June was to put pressure on MPs to vote for a resolution in the national assembly that would revoke the proposal to increase the pension age from 62 to 64. The joint trade union committee is due to

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.

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

In three separate disputes, members of the Fórsa and SIPTU trade unions have voted in favour of industrial action. In the ambulance service, SIPTU members voted with a 95% majority to back industrial action following the refusal of management to implement a restructuring plan that had been negotiated with and was fully supported by the union. Meanwhile, SIPTU members in the water sector will take strike action on 7 June unless there is a guarantee that their local authority pay and conditions will be protected when they transfer to a new employer, Uisce Éireann, a new standalone public utility

After three months of protests and 12 days of national demonstrations, strikes and other actions, trade unions are maintaining their campaign against the pension changes that have now become law. The trade unions, including CGT, CFDT, FO, UNSA and CFE-CGC, want the annual 1 May demonstrations to show the continuing high level of opposition among workers, students and other groups against the increase of the pension age from 62 to 64 and other changes.

The main trade union confederations – CGT, CFDT, FO, UNSA and CFE-CGC – supported by a range of youth, student and other groups, organised the 11th day of action against the government’s pension reform legislation on 6 April. The draft legislation is currently being considered by the Constitutional Court and trade unions have submitted arguments challenging the validity of the text. The Court is set to publish its findings on 14 April. The unions met briefly with prime minister Elisabeth Borne on 5 April but withdrew from the meeting when it was clear that she was not willing to consider

On 29 March, EPSU affiliates, including the OSZSP health union, joined the national demonstration against an increase in the pension age that was called by OS KOVO, the largest trade union in the country. Trade unions are concerned about rumours that the government might increase the retirement age from 65 to 68. They are not only demanding that there should be no increase but that there should be measures to allow for earlier retirement, particularly in arduous and dangerous occupations. The CMKOS trade union confederation has launched a petition against any pension age increase.

The Publisind federation organised a national protest on 24 March over a range of issues related to pay, allowances and pensions. It argues that the government should address aspects of pay that haven’t been revised for 13 years, deliver on salary arrears and ensure the updating and indexation of pensions for police and prison staff. The union says urgent action is needed to support workers who are attempting to maintain services despite the risks they face and the staff shortages reaching 25%, leading to high levels of overtime and burnout.

The main trade union organisations – CGT, CFDT, FO, UNSA and CFE-CGC – have maintained their determined campaign of protest and strike action against the pension reforms put forward by the government. The government chose to use a constitutional mechanism to avoid a vote in parliament and so the legislation is now at the Constitutional Court for assessment. The 10th day of action took place on 28 March with the next date set as 6 April.

Following a successful strike over pensions at the PBL employers’ organisation, the Fagforbundet trade union has managed to secure improved occupational pensions for employees in kindergartens covered by the NHO Confederation of Norwegian Enterprise. The four-week strike in NHO companies ended on 17 March with negotiations guaranteeing that the portion of public subsidies intended for pension purposes will be fully applied and that savings rates for pensions will also be guaranteed rather than varying from one kindergarten to another. The deal also means that employers are not tempted to