Teachers, childcare workers and school administrative and other staff began an all-out strike on 8 April following three weeks of negotiations with the government over pay. The negotiations also came after a three-year campaign of demonstrations and protests over low pay in the sector affecting both teachers and other school staff. With the government refusing to come up with a decent pay offer, support for strike action was very high, registering 80%-90% in some areas. The action comes at a time when other groups of public service workers are either taking strike action or pushing for higher pay. EPSU sent a message of support.
School staff go for all-out strike
More like this
Social care workers go for all-out strike
Members of the ver.di services union at the Pflegen und Wohnen social care company in Hamburg have voted 98% in favour of all-out strike action. Over 200 employees had already been involved in five warning strikes in an attempt to get the company to negotiate a new collective agreement covering all employees.. Those employed by the company before 30 June 2011 are still covered by an old collective agreement but there has been no pay increase since 2009. Workers taken on since 30 June 2011 are not covered by any collective agreement. [Read more at > ver.di (DE)->http://www.verdi.de/themen
Pay rise for childcare staff as culture workers continue strike over pensions
The Fagforbundet and Delta trade unions have negotiated pay increases for workers in early years education in the private sector. The pay rise is around 4% varying according to skill level with the minimum annual salary for assistants rising by NOK 13000 (€1325) to NOK 325800 (€33265). The trade unions and the PBL employers’ organisation also agreed to continue negotiations over pensions. In contrast, pensions are at the heart of a dispute in the culture sector with theatre, opera, ballet and orchestral workers on strike since 3 September. Temporary pension arrangements were agreed in 2016 but
Union says childcare staffing crisis driven by low pay not lack of qualified staff
The SIPTU trade union says that figures released by the Department of Further and Higher Education confirm that the staffing crisis in childcare in not driven by a lack of qualified educators but by pay levels that are so low that many workers have to leave their chosen profession. Around 6000 workers get childcare qualifications each year and the union argues that this should be enough to provide suitable staff for the 26000 posts that require a qualification. However, SIPTU highlights the fact that early years educators earn on average just €11.91 per hour, 99 cents below the living wage of