Trade unions reluctantly sign competitiveness pact

Employer and trade union organisations have agreed a competitiveness pact in order to avoid even tougher measures being imposed by the government. Some elements of the pact will impact on hours and leave and will be implemented through collective bargaining. The concessions on the trade union side should be reciprocated on the employer side with increased investment. If the government accepts the pact as an alternative to its proposals then it should abandon plans to cut public spending and raise taxes. [Read more at > Trade Union News (EN)->http://heikkijokinen.info/en/trade-union-news-from

The CCOO and UGT trade union confederations have signed a social pact with the government and employers that provides a broad framework of negotiating issues including pensions, energy and innovation policy, as well as collective bargaining reform. The UGT believes that bringing in questions of industrial policy and investment introduces an important element in the debate about pensions. The CCOO thinks that the pact is missing any consideration of fiscal policy and says it will continue to challenge the employment law reforms. The ELA confederation in the Basque region organized a general