Collective Bargaining

Negotiations between Kia and trade union Kovo that started in November 2017 resulted in an agreement. The agreement covers 2018 and 2019, over which period the employees will see their monthly salaries increased with around 220 euro. Employees in production see their salaries increase by 75 euro on average in 2018, and by a further 80 euro in 2019. The hourly wage benefit for night shifts will increase to 1.30 euro this year and 1.50 euro in 2019. The salaries of the administrative employees will grow by 7% on average, in both 2018 and 2019. Moreover, both this and next year all employees will receive a 100-euro Christmas voucher from the social fund. According to the agreement, employees who have worked for the company for more than five years are entitled to one extra day off.

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Trade union confederation SGB/USS produced a dossier that documents the importance of the work of the ILO for the workers in the country. According to the union, ILO labour standards and conventions are of the utmost importance for the workers’ protection. The paper explains the functioning of the compliance mechanisms. The country relies on these standards, partly because parts of the EU-legislation do not apply.

Read on: in German … in French …

The longest strike in the country’s history over wages at meatpacking plant Rakvere (see our February and March newsletters) ended with an agreement meeting the demands of the strikers. The workers asked a 16% wage increase from 1 February 2018 and an additional 16% increase in basic wage from 1 July 2018. They also demanded that HKScan would sign a contract recognising their trade union. While no agreement on the latter demand has been reached yet, both the striking employees as well as their union IMTAL agreed to the proposed salary increase of the slaughterhouse unit workers. The strike ended on 16 April 2018.

Read on: in English (1) … in English (2) …

In its annual report 2017, the Labour Chamber (AK) reports on the activities that the AK performs on behalf of the workers. AK could resolve, through labour court interventions and through direct mediation, disputes related to labour law issues, insolvencies and consumer protection amounting to in total 231.9 million euro. In the area of social rights/protection a total sum of compensation of around 229 million euro was reached.

Read on: in German (1) … in German (2) …

The chamber of employees (chambre des salariés) held a press conference to present its 2018 social panorama. The president of the chamber argued that social inequality has increased significantly over the last 20 years and stressed that the equality gap is likely to widen in the future. The groups that are most drastically affected include the unemployed, young people as well as single-parent families. The chamber of employees emphasised that the inequalities become even more shocking when we look beyond the mere differences in income, and also consider differences in wealth. Poverty is a real threat in today's society.

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

Workers at international airport Schiphol’s’ handling firms demand a pay increase of 3% or at least 75 euro a month, less work pressure by hiring additional staff and healthier work rosters. After collective bargaining negotiations between the three handling companies, Aviapartner, Menzies Aviation and Swissport, stranded on pay, stress and working hours the union will resort to work stoppages.

Read on: in English (1) … in English (2) …

Security staff at the Eiffel tower held a two-days strike, protesting after three of their former colleagues had been fired, allegedly for distributing a petition asking for better working conditions. Workers complained about a deterioration of their working conditions, their remuneration as well as intimidation of their employer, the security agency, Byblos Group. The Eiffel management stated that an agreement was found.

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Negotiations between BouwendNederland and other employers’ organisations in construction and the trade unions have led to an agreement. The collective agreement came into effect on 1 April 2018 and expires on 31 December 2019. The deal includes a pay increase per 1 August 2018 of 2.35% and another increase per 1 July 2019 of 3%. Bonuses and other allowances will increase with the same percentage. Extra attention will be paid to vocational training and a return to the industry of workers that left during the crisis. Social partners will jointly address the government to create a flexible retirement for workers in demanding jobs.

Read on: in Dutch … On labour shortages: in English … The deal: in Dutch …

The delegates at two Congresses of the trade union confederations LO and FTF voted in favour of a merger creating a new central organisation with 1.5 million members. Both extraordinary congresses required a two-thirds majority to go forward with a joint central organisation. In FTF, 71.4% of the delegates voted in favour of the merger. In LO, 389 out of 400 delegates voted for the merger while 11 votes were void or against. With currently 2.7 million persons engaged in active employment on the labour market, the organisation will be representing more than half of the active workforce. The founding of the joint central organisation will come into effect as of 1 January 2019. Until then, LO and FTF will continue to operate separately.

Read on: in English … The LO merger files: in Danish …

An assessment of the effects of the apprenticeship levy that was introduced a year ago comes with dramatic results. In the six months after the levy was introduced (April – October 2017), the number of people starting an apprenticeship fell by 40% compared to the same period in 2016. A similar downward trend was evident across November and December. In addition, more experienced and older workers are increasingly becoming the focus of the apprenticeship programme, at the expense of less experienced and younger employees. Moreover, employers are using the levy to rebadge existing training courses as apprenticeships to shift the costs of training onto the Government.

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