Union agrees energy deal and splitting of agreement

The are now two collective agreements in the energy sector – one for production and supply companies (PLB) and the other for network companies (NWB). There are similarities between these new agreements that both run for 24 months from 1 May 2011 to 1 May 2013. Both apply a 1.5% overall pay increase in both 2011 and 2012. Both also have contributions into a so-called benefit budget which workers can apply depending on their personal preference for particular benefits such as more leave. In the PLB agreement the benefit budget payments are 0.5% of salary in 2012 and 0.75% in 2012. The NWB

The Kommunal municipal union will be aiming for a reduction in the use of split shifts in the care sector as part of its main bargaining demands this year. The union estimates that around 100,000 workers effectively have unpaid and involuntary break periods because they work split shifts but don't have enough time to go home and return to work. A 13-hour day with a four-hour break in the middle is not uncommon. The problem is particularly acute in elder care where employers exploit this system and where workers find themselves continually rushing around to get things done with little