Energy unions signs sector agreement

Around 6,700 workers employed by the EDP are now covered by a new collective agreement which covers a range of issues such as ensuring the financial sustainability of social provisions to employees and retired workers, career development, work organisation and health and safety. For the main union, SINDEL, some of the key provisions include: extending the 38-hour work week to all workers; keeping compensatory rest for overtime; payment for night work continues with the addition of 25%; and retaining 24 days' annual leave plus municipal and other holidays. [Read more at > SINDEL (PT)->www

The Independent Union of Energy Workers has signed the first ever collective agreement covering companies in the private sector. The union and employers agreed that the purpose of the agreement was to apply international labour standards, to equalize working conditions at sector level and to establish a framework of rights that the employees should be entitled to, which will maintain fair competition between employers.

The industrial relations observatory EIRO reports that a new public sector agreement should be in place by the beginning of 2008 after five years of negotiations between the government and trade unions. The public sector will be covered by this general collective agreement and then specific agreements will be negotiated in different sectors. The main provisions of the agreement allow for four pay increases between 1 January 2008 and 31 March 2010 with one official estimate forecasting real increases in pay of 4.2% in 2008, 3.3% in 2009 and 4.8% in 2010. The agreement will also bring pay rates