Federations attack block on local government law

A ballot for strike action carried out by civil service union PCS has produced a massive majority (86%) in favour of strike action over pay. However, the vote is invalid because of restrictions on public sector strike action introduced two years ago by the Conservative, centre-right government. Under the rules public service unions need to achieve a 50% turnout in the ballot and on this occasion it was 41.6%. This was the highest majority and highest turnout for a strike ballot in the union's history. PCS will use the high majority for action to strengthen its pay campaign. It is also

The Constitutional Court has blocked government legislation that would have made it easier to dismiss civil servants. The law is part of a range of austerity measures that the government has planned to introduce as part of the bail out arrangements required by the European Commission, European Central Bank and International Monetary Fund. Opposition parties also plan to challenge recent legislation that imposes a 40-hour week across the public sector - five hours longer than the current norm. [Read more at > euractiv->http://www.euractiv.com/euro-finance/portugal-top-court-rejects-labou-news

The three health federations - FP CGIL, CISL FP and UIL FPL - have said they will mobilise workers and the community to prevent the threatened outsourcing of nursing and auxiliary jobs at the Umberto I university hospital in Rome. The federations have strongly condemned the proposal that could affect 700 workers, including nurses who work in intensive care and specialist departments most of whom have been at the hospital for many years. The federations also attacked the complete failure of the hospital to consult or negotiate with the trade unions and warned that workers' pay could fall by up