Collective Bargaining

Collective bargaining for workers in the small transport and delivery industry was completed successfully, resulting in higher wages. As part of the minimum wage agreement reached in 2017, workers in the carrying industry will see their incomes increase from 3% for the higher incomes to as much as 5% for the lower incomes. The wage increases apply with retroactive effect from 1 January 2018 with a term of 12 months. Next target of trade union Vida is a collective agreement covering the entire bicycle delivery industry.

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The Asociacion Baloncestistas Profesionales (ABP) basketball players’ union and representatives of the basketball club association (ACB) finally reached a deal on a new collective bargaining agreement. The agreement was reached just hours before the basketball players would begin their strike in the professional basketball league. ABP and ACB agreed on demands regarding a minimum wage increase and the social fund. The social fund, a fund that provides the financial basis for the services the ABP offers to its members, was an important matter in the negotiations as ACB league officials argued for a drastic reduction of the current amount contributed by the ACB.

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At 10 February, there has been a four-hour strike at Ryanair Italy. The pilots’ union ANPAC was not participating in the industrial action because their union is currently in talks with Ryanair. Ryanair confirmed in December that they recognise unions for all staff, but is focussing on making agreements with the pilots’ unions first. The unions representing cabin and ground crew that called out the strike, Cgil, Cisl and Uil, are angry that they weren’t included in contract negotiations with the Ireland-based budget airline.

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Unions are in dispute with Irish rail over mentoring of trainees and alleged breaches of procedures by management. According to the unions the rail company is forcing a change to drivers' terms and conditions by making the training of new recruits compulsory, when it had previously been done on a voluntary basis. After threatening with industrial action both parties re-entered negotiations and agreed to refer the issue to the Labour Court. Meanwhile the unions involved, the National Bus and Rail Union and SIPTU, will continue their ballots for strike action.

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The government has allocated 200 million euros to compensate workers that voluntarily continued during and after the financial crisis their contributions to the second level pension fund or paid higher second level pension fund contributions from 2014 to 2017. A law was implemented during the financial crises of 2007-2008 that allowed the government to temporarily stop contributions to the second level of pensions.

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Planned changes of the Labour Code will lead to a wage improvement for working during nights, weekends and holidays. The parliament passed a revision to the Labour Code on 13 February that increases existing work allowances and introduces new ones. The revision also introduces 13th and 14th salaries, i.e. benefits the employees receive before the summer, starting in June 2018, and Christmas holidays. The amendments aim to make it more attractive for workers to stay in the country. Another aim is the reduction of night work. The improved pay come into effect in two steps (as of 1 May 2018 and 1 May 2019).

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The working environment authority Arbejdstilsynet published a report that shows that last year 25 people died in work related accidents. This is the lowest number of fatal work-related accidents since the beginning of the registration of fatal work-related accidents in 1979. Despite fluctuations from year to year, the employment minister said that the development is going in the right direction with considerable declines of fatal work-related accidents in the last decade.

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After 100% of Omni-Serve workers that are organised in the union Unite voted in favour of strikes a pay deal was put on the table in order to mitigate strike action. The company employs bus drivers who ferry passengers to and from aircrafts at Gatwick airport. The proposed strike action was a response to a 0% pay offer for 2017, which followed a three-year pay freeze. Omni-Serv returned to the negotiating table and made a revised offer of a two year pay deal worth 5 per cent plus a £600 lump sum (non-consolidated payment).

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In a first Review of 2018, DG Employment assesses the socio-economic development with detailed charts on employment, labour market participation and labour costs. The review highlights the economic growth in the EU combined with a positive economic outlook and with general improvements in the labour market. Chapter 5 (on income) signals that financial distress for low-income (lowest quartile) households appears to have continued to ease since 2015, but remains high when considering a longer period. In Chapter 6 (on labour costs and productivity), it is revealed that nominal compensation per employee (as measured in national currency) continued to grow at a moderate rate in most EU Member States. Bulgaria, Lithuania and Romania recorded the highest growth (8 % or more), while it was negative in Croatia and Finland.

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Room cleaners and other outsourced workers at the Holiday Inn in Clichy ended their 111-day strike on 8 February by signing an agreement with the hotel's subcontractor Héméra. The agreement signed by the trade unions puts an end to piece rate payment of housekeepers, mandates strict control of agreed working hours, guarantees two consecutive days of rest per week, eliminates contracts of less than 130 hours monthly and stipulates payment for time changing in and out of work clothes, among other important gains.

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