018 epsucob@NEWS October 2008
ETUC wants action on child and dependent care
The ETUC has welcomed European Commission proposals to increase minimum maternity leave entitlement from 14 to 18 weeks. However, it is disappointed that the new work-life balance package does not include concrete measures to extend childcare provision and says nothing about caring for other dependents including the elderly. The ETUC also argues that a comprehensive approach to work-life balance would include working time flexibility while improved care provision should also tackle the issue of the pay and working conditions of care workers. [Read more at > ETUC (EN)->http://www.etuc.org/a
Social dialogue forum for local government
Local government trade unions and employers met on 1 October in a new social dialogue forum that unions believe will be important in ensuring that key public sector agreements are properly implemented at local level but taking account of local circumstances. Unions are particularly concerned about maintaining employment and quality of services and agreed with the employers to submit an amendment to the basic law on public employment to maintain staffing levels in local government. [Read more at > FSP-UGT (ES)->http://www.fspugt.es/index.php/mod.noticias/mem.detalle/idnoticia.5654/cat.1030]
Union attacks low pay in civil service
The PCS civil service reveals that six government departments have had to increase minimum rates in their collective agreements in order to comply with the national minimum wage. The UK statutory minimum wage increased to £5.73 (€7.37) an hour for all workers aged 22 and over as from 1 October. Among the departments need to adjust their lowest rates is the Maritime and Coastguard Agency where PCS members have been on strike for higher pay. Industrial action has been widespread across the civil service in recent months as the government’s policy of pay restraint has led to pay increases below
Survey reveals impact of outsourcing
A major survey of works council representatives by the Hans Böckler research organisation found 40% of reps reporting that pay and conditions in outsourced companies were worse than in the original employer. However, works council reps also reported that working conditions also deteriorated in the original employer with an increasing pressure of work. Read more at > Hans Böckler (DE)
Union calls for more funding for hospital sector
Services union ver.di has criticised the German government’s increased funding for the hospital sector as an inadequate reaction to the crisis that doesn’t provide a long-term solution. The union says that the creation of 21,000 jobs is an indication that the government admits to the seriousness of the situation but is little compensation for the 100,000 jobs that have been cut from the sector in recent years, the effect of which has been to place enormous pressure on the remaining health workers. [Read more at > ver.di (DE)->http://presse.verdi.de/pressemitteilungen/showNews?id=f942bc0a-8651
Survey finds slight increase in working time in civil service
The annual review of working time developments by the EIRO industrial relations observatory finds that overall average weekly working hours in the sector increased from 38.2 in 2006 to 38.3 a week in 2007. The overall average across all sectors in 2007 was 38.6. EIRO notes the most significant change in 2007 as the increase in agreed weekly hours from 36.3 to 36.6 in Finland. Read more at > EIRO (EN)
Call for strike action on 23 October
The FO civil service federation has called on its members to take strike action and join a national demonstration on 23 October in support of continuing union demands for pay increases to compensate for rising prices. The union is also campaigning against cuts in the public sector workforce, with over 30,000 job cuts in 2008, and the imposition of the new RGPP public sector policy that foresees significant budget cuts. Read more at > FO (FR)
Health care workers protest over pay
Thousands of health care workers protested outside Parliament to demand an increase in wages. Around 2,500 health workers from all over Latvia held posters with slogans like “Unfreeze the wages — freeze the ministers,” “Down with poverty.” Read more at > Baltic Times (EN)
Civil service union calls for 50% pay increase
The Sed Lex civil service union has said it will consider strike action unless the government responds to its demand for a 50% pay increase. The pay claims comes in the wake of a decision by the government to increase teachers’ pay by 50%. Read more at > Forbes news site (EN)
Progress in long-running health dispute
Members of the IMPACT union working in the health service have suspended their industrial action that began in May when they voted to refuse to cover vacant posts. The union action was prompted by the Health Services Executive (HSE) to impose a recruitment freeze. The union attacked not just the decision but the failure of the HSE to consult over the freeze. IMPACT members will now vote on a proposal to resolve the dispute negotiated by the Labour Relations Commission that includes provisions to ensure that consultation procedures will be followed in the future. [Read more at > IMPACT (EN)-
Study looks at flexicurity across Europe and contribution of collective bargaining
A new report from the EIRO industrial relations observatory examines the relevance and implementation of flexicurity in the European Union. It first reviews recent developments on the issue of flexicurity at EU level and then focuses on policies at national level. The study then considers the contribution of social dialogue and collective bargaining to the different approaches to flexicurity at national level and on the positions of the social partners. Read more at > EIRO (EN)
Strike action continues in prisons
Unions in the prison service have take strike action over pay, hours and working conditions. A number of prisons in the Flanders region began 24-hour strike action on 3 October but in some cases, such as Antwerp, longer action was planned. Read more at > Le Soir (FR) And at > VRT news (EN)
Survey indicates no progress on gender pay gap
A survey by the National Student Agency finds that the gender pay in Lithuania is 18% with no sign that it is closing. The survey also looked at the pay gap in different age groups, with women aged 50-59 earning on average 30% less than men. Read more at > LRT news (EN)
Local government unions consider revised pay offer
Scottish council employers have increased their pay offer for this year from 2.5% to 3.0% and UNISON and the GMB have suspended a planned third day of action so that it can consult with their members. Meanwhile there is no progress in the dispute over the agreement covering local government workers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Unions have called on the ACAS arbitration service to intervene to help secure a settlement. [Read more on Scotland at > UNISON (EN)->http://www.unison.org.uk/news/news_view.asp?did=4878] [And at > GMB (EN)->http://www.gmb.org.uk/Templates/PressItems.asp
Union claims widespread support for strike
Around three in four local government workers supported the national strike on 1 October according to the STAL union. The strike was the latest protest in the union’s long-running campaign to defend the pay of public service workers and the quality of services in the face of government cuts and policies promoting privatisation. Read more at > STAL (PT)
Workers close gap on professionals but not women on men
A review of wage statistics by the LO union confederation shows that blue-collar workers had higher increases than professionals in 2007 – at 3.8% compared to 3.6%. However, increases for women in both categories were slightly lower than men indicating that there had been no further progress in closing the gender pay gap. Read more at > LO (EN)