Collective Bargaining

The CGT called for "great day of action" to demand an immediate increase in wages, pensions and social protection. In a statement the CGT declares that current social movements raise the issues of wages and pensions, social protection, environment and public service. The CGT also specifically called on workers in the energy sector to go on strike. The union believes that the government’s long-term energy-transition plan would hurt jobs and increase France’s energy dependency on neighbouring countries.

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Trade unions organised a protest to demand higher wages in the private sector and urge employers to take part in social dialog. The protesters demanded higher wages in the private sector and the readiness of employers to take part in social dialog before the signing of collective bargaining agreements. The protest came in response to the employer organisation’s threatening to withdraw from social dialogue if proposed changes that will increase the minimum wage go through. At the protest that was held in front of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, unions warned employers that if they withdraw from collective bargaining agreements workers will go on strike.

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A new CESIFO working paper examines the involvement in decision making of works councils and unions, the quality of the information provided to them by management, the preparedness of the representation body and the role of the work climate and trust. Cross-country data are used to establish perceived shortfalls in employee involvement based on the responses of employee representatives in EU establishments with formal workplace employee representation. Findings include that the desire for greater involvement is smaller where workplace representation is organised via works councils instead of union bodies, a finding that also obtains across country clusters. However, the favourable influence of the works council institution, if not information provision, does not carry over to situations in which management is adjudged uncooperative and untrustworthy.

Read on: in English … The report: in English …

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) is getting ready to restructure the Mirafiori plant in Turin, at the temporary expense of approximately 3,245 blue- and white-collar workers. More than half of their current staff will temporary lose their jobs during the restructuring of the plant. During restructuring that will last until 31 December 2019, the workers will receive reduced salaries, coming from a program funded by FCA and the government.

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After unions and management failed to reach an agreement on a new collective agreement because of a dispute over wage increases subway workers engaged in a two-hour strike last month and threatened with more industrial action (see our November newsletter). While the unions wanted a 42% salary hike management had only offered 18%. Some 700,000 people use the subway on a daily base and many are affected by the industrial actions. The general strike the unions threatened with was prevented with a deal on a 20% wage increase to be inked in the 2018-2019 collective agreement.

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According to the national employers’ association labour shortages in the country are so severe that around 30.000 current job vacancies cannot be filled. A lot of these jobs are in the tourism sector that over the years has become one of the most important pillars of the economy, accounting for almost 20% of the GDP. One of the problems is the so-called brain drain, with a lot of young and qualified workers leaving the country to work and live elsewhere. The other side of the story is a mismatch between the skills of the labour force and the demands of the labour market. This mismatch is clearly visible when looking at the 9.1 percent unemployment rate in relation to the thousands of jobs that cannot be filled.

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According to the Union of Professional Educators (UPE) Stella Maris College has issued various teachers with a working load that is well beyond the agreed maximum of 25 lessons. UPE wants to sort out the issue with the school management and in the meantime has advised its members not to perform any additional tasks that makes them exceed their maximum working load. Management states that the school is dealing with some human resource issues but is not forcing their teachers to exceed maximum working load as teachers are always free to refuse these additional lessons.

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The Independent Workers Union of Great Britain (IWGB) lost a case in high court with which they wanted to overturn an earlier court ruling that stated Deliveroo riders were not in an “employment relationship” in the context of European human rights law but self-employed. The union, on the contrary, believes that Deliveroo is an employer and that company had to fulfil the responsibilities that comes with being an employer. According to the union, that is going to appeal the ruling of the high council, the Deliveroo workers should be entitled to basic worker rights, as well as to the ability to be represented by trade unions to negotiate pay and terms and conditions.

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According to a new report by the Joseph Rowntree foundation, in-work poverty is on the rise and even rising faster than employment. At this moment 4 million workers, equalling one in eight workers, have an income below the poverty line. The number of children from a working family that live in poverty rose more steeply than at any time for 20 years and has now reached a total number of 4.1 million children living in poverty. The Joseph Rowntree foundation defines the poverty line as being 60% of the median income, adjusted for size and type of household. The government does not agree with the outcomes of the report and, on the contrary, claims that poverty has been reduced with 1 million fewer people living in absolute poverty than in 2010.

Read on: in English … The report: in English …

The country ranks among the weakest of OECD countries on all three indicators of job quantity, reflecting persistently low employment rates, especially among women concludes the new OECD jobs strategy. The gradual economic recovery after the long crisis has lifted employment rates, but they nonetheless remain well below the OECD average. Italy performs better on earnings quality, with earnings adjusted for inequality above the OECD average. Labour market insecurity is high due to a high risk of unemployment and low unemployment benefits. Labour market inclusiveness in the country is weak. Following the long recession, relative poverty has increased: 15% of working-age people live in poor households, well above the OECD average.

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