Collective Bargaining

The great influx of foreign workers makes it difficult for the unions to protect workers’ rights. According to a new report from the labour union Efling, 60% violations of workers’ rights last year have involved foreign workers. These foreign workers often are not familiar with their rights and don’t know that they have to register with a union. Violations include wage and taxes, illegal work and spurious rental contracts. The Icelandic Confederation of Labour has produced several websites that informs foreign workers and warns against abuses, such as social dumping or the use of volunteer work in economically active firms.

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The Chamber of Labour and the trade union confederation ÖGB currently campaign on the future of labour in an online dialogue initiative. The part dedicated to the consequences of an hourly working time of 12-hours led to massive responses, with an online participation of some 18,000 people. Many workers indicated that they already worked long hours and referred to fatigue and increasing work-related stress. The result confirms the expected negative effects. An overwhelming majority of the replies was very critical about the impact of a prolonged working day on the work-life balance, on children care and on the own leisure time.

Read on: in German … The online survey: in German … Facebook: in German …

Trade union confederation TUC published a report that investigates the functioning of agency work. According to the TUC, agency work no longer appears to be a stepping stone into direct employment in many sectors and workplaces. Instead, agency workers remain trapped in low paid, insecure work, with few rights in the workplace. Younger agency workers are particularly missing out on career progression. And while some have claimed that the workers have a choice about the form of agency contract they accept, at best this is a 'Hobson's Choice', with workers told they can either sign the contract, or miss out on the chance to work.

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The government and representatives of employees and employers have agreed on a new system of ‘entry agreements’ that is based on an earlier deal between the social partners. The deal was signed on 5 March 2018. The talks led to the conclusion of a tripartite agreement that will introduce a new employment model for labour market entrants. The ‘entry agreement’ (‘etableringsjobb’) aims to help newly arrived immigrants and long-term unemployed to become established in the labour market, and to facilitate future skills provision for employers. In the letter of intent of the negotiation partners, it is said that the basic premise is that entry agreements should make it possible for newly arrived immigrants and long -term unemployed people to get a job with an employer covered by a collective agreement on entry agreements.

Read on: in English … The letter of intent: in English …

The current labour code provides a maximum weekly working time for an employee of 48 hours, including overtime. This limit may be occasionally exceeded but an employee should not work more than 48 hours per week, on average, over a period of four months. Moreover, young people under 18 are not allowed to work overtime. A new draft bill may change the rules and introduce higher fines for breaches. The draft bill was inspired by a European survey that showed that 35% of the Romanian employees work more than 40 hours a week, against a EU average of 23%. Moreover, 15% of the employees said work negatively affected their health and 11% said that the job prevented them from spending enough time with their families.

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After weeks of negotiating the retail companies of the Finnish Commerce Federation and the Service Union United (PAM) reached a collective labour agreement that ends the overtime ban. The sector had negotiated a new agreement since January and the new agreement is valid for two years. The agreement extends to shop staff, office administrators, and warehouse and transport personnel that work in the commercial sector. A similar agreement was reached for the hospitality and leisure sector. It was approved by PAM and the respective employer federations. In the agreement, personal remuneration will increase by 1.8% at the start of May 2018 and then again by 1.7% at the start of May 2019, among other things. The collective agreement in the hotel, restaurant and leisure sector covers around 85,000 workers and supervisors.

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In several countries, analytical systems of the wage structure are discussed. The trade union LANV has taken the initiative to start with such analyses and controls on a voluntary basis. Out of a sample of 50 companies, five reactions were received. The government has stated that it is not in favour of mandatory wage analyses.

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Results from an ethnicity audit show that public workers in London face an ethnicity pay gap of up to 37%. The study found varying pay gaps, ranging from none at all in the London fire brigade to 9.8% at TfL, 16.7% at the Metropolitan police and 37.5% at the Old Oak and Park Royal development corporation, which runs a major redevelopment project in the north-west of the city. The major of London is deeply troubled by the results of the audit and vows for action.

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Union LCGB describes potential job losses at automotive parts manufacturer Mahle-Behr as 'shameful'. The union stated that two-thirds of the staff could face losing their jobs, with a total of 63 jobs at risk, after the management announced a restructuring at the company. The trade unions and the management will soon start talks about a social plan.

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The WSI 2018 report on minimum wages aims to contribute to the debate on ‘adequate minimum wages’ and the key role of minimum wages for the European Social Model by offering a comprehensive analysis of current minimum wage developments in Europe and beyond. One significant finding is that it confirms the scope for more ambitious increases in minimum wages, in particular in Germany, where the minimum wage is currently at a relatively low level in European comparison.

The report: in English …