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Aug. 27, 2020
2020 EPSU Collective Bargaining News August no.16

Tripartite agreement includes measures on pay in health and care

Bulgaria Bulgaria

Trade unions, employers and the government have signed a major agreement which sets out a range of measures for the coming two years. These cover green and energy issues as well as plans to increase unemployment benefit and pensions. Health workers dealing with COVID-19 will see a 30% increase on pay for the period August-December this year, around 6000 employees will benefit. There is also additional funding for municipalities to ensure that the collective agreement covering childcare nurses is fully implemented. This will particularly affect workers in small towns guaranteeing that they receive the minimum rate. The tripartite agreement also sees moves towards ratification of ILO Convention 154 on promoting collective bargaining and initial steps to ratify Convention 151 on labour relations in public services. This could be an important development as currently civil servants don't have the right to collective bargaining.
Aug. 27, 2020
2020 EPSU Collective Bargaining News August no.16

Week of action in health and social care and push for higher minimum wage

Netherlands Netherlands

The FNV trade union is involved in two major campaigns. The first, running from 1-5 September, is a nationwide action across health and social care in response to COVID-19. The union wants to see proper recognition of the role played by health and social care workers and is calling for better pay and working conditions, reduced workloads and more autonomy for workers. The FNV is underlining the importance of preparing for a second wave of the pandemic and argues that action is needed to make the health and care sectors more attractive to increase recruitment. Meanwhile, the union is running a campaign and petition across local government to establish a EUR 14 an hour minimum wage. Six local authorities have already signed up and the plan is to develop the campaign over the next six months in the lead up to the general election in March next year.
Aug. 27, 2020
2020 EPSU Collective Bargaining News August no.16

Union sets out main demands for federal and municipal bargaining

Germany Germany

The collective bargaining committee of the ver.di public services union has agreed on a claim for a 4.8% pay increase (minimum EUR 150 a month) for the upcoming negotiations covering 2.3 million workers employed by the federal government and municipalities. The union is calling for appropriate recognition of the key role that many public service workers have played in response to COVID-19. Ver.di wants a 12-month agreement and demands also include a EUR 100 increase for apprentices/trainees. There are several other elements to the claim covering extension and improvement in the part-time work scheme for older workers, equalisation of working time between East and West, additional holidays and some specific issues related to the health sector, including shift work and Sunday work allowances. The first negotiations take place on 1 September.
Aug. 26, 2020
2020 EPSU Collective Bargaining News August no.16

Unions work with employers on joint emergency plan for care sector

Spain Spain

The FeSP-UGT public service federations and two federations from the CCOO confederation have joined with the Aeste and Asade employer organisations to draft an emergency plan for residential and home care services. The objective is to prevent any recurrence of the massive impact of COVID-19 on the sector both in terms of service users and workers. The unions and employers underline the role of government and the importance of increased funding, noting that the sector has seen EUR 5.9 billion worth of cuts since 2012. The joint plan emphasises the importance of applying collective agreements and securing better pay and working conditions for the 500000+ mainly women workers in the sector.
Aug. 26, 2020
2020 EPSU Collective Bargaining News August no.16

Confederation calls for new approach to public sector pay

Poland Poland

In response to a new government development strategy, the OPZZ trade union confederation has emphasised the need to ensure decent pay in the public services and has expressed concern about government proposals to freeze public sector pay in 2021. OPZZ argues that current levels of pay fail to make the public sector attractive to new recruits and there are problems with fluctuating employment levels while workers face increasing responsibilities and workloads. The confederation underlines the link between quality services and quality employment and the important of effective tax, legal, health and other services as a basis for an innovative and competitive economy. It is calling for a new approach to determining public sector pay with a possible link to economic growth.
Aug. 26, 2020
2020 EPSU Collective Bargaining News August no.16

Unions protest over treatment of care home staff

Ireland Ireland

Public service unions SIPTU, Forsa and INMO have been involved in protests and are calling for action to support 200 workers who have lost their jobs following the closure of three care facilities run by the Dublin Sisters of Charity. Although independent the charity received significant public funding by the Health Service Executive (HSE) and the unions want the HSE to be involved in negotiations over a fair redundancy package for the workers.
Aug. 26, 2020
2020 EPSU Collective Bargaining News August no.16

Unions maintain their campaign over private health agreement

Italy Italy

The Fp Cgil, Cisl Fp and Uil Fpl public service federations are continuing their actions in protest at the failure of the Aiop and Aris employer organisations to ratify the agreement covering 100000 workers in private healthcare. After lengthy negotiations the agreement - the first for 14 years - was finalised in June but then the employers refused to ratify it. A national demonstration on 5 August was followed on 24 August by protests across the country in front of regional authorities that provide some of the funding for private care and on 31 August there will be demonstrations in front of the offices of the employer organisation. Strike action is likely to follow.