Collective Bargaining

Civil servants that work for the federal authorities staged a protest against proposals to, amongst other things, reform the rules governing their sick pay entitlement. The reform introduces rules that enable workers no longer to save 21 sick days and transfer them to their holiday and sick pay on full pay entitlement for the following year. The changes apply to federal civil servants and the ‘special corps’ that include the police, the fire service, military personnel and those working for courts of law. Members of the Civil Protection Agency and fire fighters marched in their uniforms.

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At the beginning of Uber’s Court of Appeal hearing, where the company was contesting the Employment Tribunal’s October 2016 ruling that the company’s drivers should be treated as workers rather than self-employed, workers held a protest outside court. Uber argues that its drivers are self-employed, meaning that they are not entitled to basic workers’ rights including holiday pay and the minimum wage. The protest in which hundreds of precarious workers participated was Britain’s biggest march to date by precarious workers. Earlier in October unions called a 24-hour Uber strike in London, Birmingham and Nottingham over an ongoing pay dispute (see our September newsletter). The unions asked the drivers not to sign into the app for 24 hours in a push for higher fares and more working rights.

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There are serious concerns about the future of the Dudelange site that currently employs 300 workers. While there are concrete plans for selling the steel plant, it is still uncertain who will buy the Dudelange site. And if the new owner will guaranty continuity in the sector. LCGB trade union quickly drew attention to the seriousness of the situation and risks associated with the sale.

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Around 13.000 post workers that work for the state-owned Romanian post will get a 15% pay hike, this means on average 72 euro a month extra. The Post is dealing with personnel shortages and with the increased wages the minister hopes to attract more workers.

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Primary schools may face strike actions after a government proposal to end two-tier pay in the public service was rejected by union INTO, accepted by union TUI and with union ASTI still to decide. Points of conflict were a qualification allowance worth €1,236 a year which was stopped and the fact that teachers no longer start at the third point of their pay scale. Public servants who joined after 2011 have been on lower pay rates due to cuts imposed during the austerity era. The Government’s new 190 million euro package deal has not settled all points of concern for the teachers.

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Brewery workers are negotiating new collective agreement, that covers around 3500 workers in the industry, and demand a 4% pay increase, paid breaks on working days with more than 10 hours and extra pay when working 11 or 12 hours a day. The fourth round of negotiations remained fruitless with breweries only offering 1% more wage and salary. Unions are now threatening with industrial actions that might lead to beer shortages in the country.

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Thousands of workers took part in strike actions to protest the new government bill that would make it easier for small firms with fewer than 10 employees to fire workers. Besides a 24 hour strike on 3 October a 48-hour strike was held that mostly affected the welfare sector. Industrial action is now suspended. The industrial actions were the result of an escalated conflict on the new dismissal bill that unions refuse to accept because it undermines the rights of workers and discriminates workers that work in smaller companies (see our September newsletter). As government proposed a set of measures to the trade unions on which to negotiate unions have suspended the industrial actions and say that they are ready to negotiate.

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Trade unions FNV and CNV have given Bovag, who represents the interests of garage owners, an ultimatum as current negotiations on a new collective agreement for motor vehicles and two-wheelers remain deadlocked. One of the main points of dispute is Bovag demanding its workers to work on Saturdays while that used to be a normal day off. While the company states that workers should adapt to the changing society and be more flexible, workers are strongly against involuntarily shifts on Saturday as they need this day to be able to spend time with their families and watch their children sport. The trade unions threaten with strike actions if Bovag doesn’t respond properly to the ultimatum. Besides the rejection of involuntary Saturday shifts the unions demand a 3.5% pay rise and options for elderly employees to reduce their working hours when they’re close to their retirement age.

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New research shows that there are now 2.9 million full time jobs and 3.37 million part-time jobs that pay less than the real living wage that is set at 10.20 pounds an hour for London an 8.75 pounds in the rest of the country. The real living wage is something different than the official minimum wage because it takes into account the real term costs. Over 4.000 companies voluntary pay according to the real living wage standards. The research also showed that women are overrepresented in low paid jobs. Currently 28% of all female employees are paid below the living wage.

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Warsaw-based LOT Polish Airlines was forced to cancel several flights as crew members were striking to demand better pay and better working conditions and to protest recent layoffs. 67 flight crew members, one of which was the leader of the workers actions, have been fired for participating in the strike that started this month. ETUC wrote a message to support the fired workers. Following seven hours of talks with management and new negotiations planned the union suspended its strike actions. As a result of the seven hour long talks LOT management agreed to reinstate two union leaders that were fired during the actions.

Read on: in English … ETUC statement: in English …