Collective Bargaining

Digitalisation in relation to developments of work is a much debated topic. Statistics show that there are already job cuts taking place, primarily in low skilled jobs, as result of the digital transformation. However, digitalisation may also create new forms of work and workers might benefit from digital change as some of the most standardised and repetitive elements of their jobs can be taken over by machines. This summer EPSU organised a seminar that focussed on the question how trade unions can use collective bargaining to uphold and improve working conditions in the context of the digital transformation of public services. The report of this seminar is now available.

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

Trade unions representing hotel workers have threatened to take measures unless a voting in parliament on a bill for the operation of hotels is postponed because they were not consulted. The trade unions Sek and Peo said that the trade union movement was not informed of proposed legal changes that affect the work and life of thousands of hotel workers. The planned bill gives the right to hoteliers to outsource the operation of some activities to third parties. Thousands of hotel workers will be faced with uncertainty as to their future and were being left to the mercy of ‘the whims of hoteliers’.

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In an interview with Reuters Ryanair stated that it will press ahead with plans to move their staff on to self-employed contracts (see our September newsletter). The cabin crew trade union refuses to sign the new contracts that Ryanair wants to introduce and warns that the introduction of self-employed contracts means that workers will lose important rights such as maternity leave and sick pay. Many local Ryanair workers are currently on contracts provided by the parent company. They are being summoned to transfer to the self-employed contracts because Ryanair's main operation in Poland is handed to Ryanair Sun, a local subsidiary. Meanwhile Ryanair is still refusing to recognise the new union for cabin.

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Dentists employed in the public sector were on strike for the past two months. Trade union UĦM Voice of the Workers had called for the industrial actions that backed up its bargaining. The protest by the dentists were suspended following talks between the Ministry of Health and the Union. The Ministry said that both parties decided to move forward with their discussion on the sectoral agreement for the dentists in a structured manner with the aim to finalise an agreement.

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Jaguar Land Rover and Modern Trade Union Aios Jaguar Land Rover Slovakia agreed on a new collective agreement for workers at the Nitra plant that includes a relatively big wage hike. Wages will rise between 5.43% and 10%. More than 1,300 people are currently working at the plant. Jaguar Land Rover aims to produce 150000 vehicles per year at the Nitra plant.

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Nurses started a second batch of a six-day strike, which began on 10 and 11 October. Round two of the action is a strike action for four days. According to the trade unions, between 70 and 75% of nurses are adhering to the action. The action aims to press the government to table a new negotiating proposal, in line with professionals’ expectations and commitments that were already made. The demands are a review of nursing careers, the definition of conditions of access to employment categories, the salary scale, the principles of the system for performance assessment, the rules for and organisation of working time, and the conditions and criteria applicable to employment. Other claims are that the specialist nursing career is applicable to all public and National Health Service (SNS) institutions and to all nurses who work in them, independent of the type of employment contract they have.

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The Estonian Transport and Road Workers Trade Union (ETTA) and the Union of Estonian Automobile Enterprises started talks on a new collective agreement. ETTA wants the minimum wage for drivers, which in nearly half of the companies is currently 620 euro a month, to be risen to 1000 euro a month. During the negotiations both parties will invite non-member employers and drivers that to present their opinions and add proposals to the agreement to be signed.

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The minimum wage in the country that currently is 12200 CZK (473 euro) per month, is expected to increase with an additional monthly 1200 CZK (45 euro). Unions initially demanded a 1500 CZK pay rise but agreed on the negotiated 1200 CZK. The proposed increase in minimum wage still has to be officially approved by the two biggest political parties. Last year the minimum wage was approximately 37.3% of the average salary in the country, minimum wages have been increasing since 2007.

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The government's macroeconomic forecaster, IMAD, presented a study on pay differentials between the public and the private sector during a wage conference. Public sector wages are roughly a quarter above private sector wages on average, which is no surprise given that about 60% of public sector employees have higher education versus 35% in the private sector. However, the authors see significant differences in terms of education: while those with higher education are paid 5-15% less than in the private sector, those with lower education are paid up to 20% more in the public sector.

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NGO Caritas has published an alarming report on poverty. According to the charity organisation the country has an ‘army of poor’ who do not seem to find responses to their needs from the State. The report, which was released on the international day for the eradication of poverty, says that the number of people in absolute poverty is over five million, following a 182% increase since the start of the economic crisis.

Read on: in English … A summary in Italian: …