Collective Bargaining

After a first warning last month, trade union SEPLA is taking legal action against Ryanair over the lack of contract compliance. Last December Ryanair declared for the first time to recognise unions. However, the company is still struggling to come to agreements with its employees. SEPLA doesn’t have faith in further negotiations claiming that Ryanair will only listen to the representatives when they are forced to do so. SEPLA is planning to submit two lawsuits to the High Court regarding Ryanair’s contracts. In a letter sent to members, SEPLA accused Ryanair management of failing to negotiate in good faith since Europe’s largest budget airline opened the recognition talks.

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Lufthansa and trade union Ver.di have concluded a long-term collective agreement for the approximately 28,000 ground workers of Lufthansa, Lufthansa Cargo, Lufthansa Technik and LSG Sky Chefs in Germany. The collective agreement provides for a total increase in remuneration of up to 6%. It has a term of 33 months from 1 January 2018 to 30 September 2020. The agreement is subject to approval by the relevant bargaining committees. The remuneration increase is carried out in two steps: By 3% on 1 February 2018 and by a further 3% on 1 May 2019. A second increase depends on the adjusted EBIT margin specific to the business segment, whereby an increase of at least 1.8% is guaranteed, irrespective of the margin achieved.

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Trade union OGBL stated that a social plan was agreed for 15 employees laid off by DAS Luxembourg. The employees of the insurance company, specialised in legal protection, receive financial compensation for their job loss and support to re-enter the labour market. On 10 January 2018, the Allianz Group announced plans to acquire the assets of DAS Luxembourg from German insurance group Ergo. The deal saw 15 workers lose their jobs, as Allianz agreed to take on 10 people from the legal and claims department only.

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Retailer Tesco will be confronted with the largest ever £4bn equal pay claim. This was announced by Leigh Day solicitors, a firm that has been contacted by more than 1,000 Tesco staff. The solicitors will take the initial legal steps for 100 of them. The most common rate for women is £8 an hour whereas for men the hourly rate can be as high as £11 an hour, according to the solicitors. If the legal challenge demanding parity with men who work in the company's warehouses is successful, thousands of women who work in the stores could receive back pay totalling £20,000. The company commented that it is working hard to ensure all workers are paid fairly and equally.

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A report with first findings, published by Eurofound, focuses on generally applicable statutory minimum wages. 22 out of the 28 EU Member States apply a binding statutory minimum wage. The authors conclude that there is a huge variation in the statutory minimum wage rates valid at 1 January 2018 across EU Member States. The full report will be available soon.

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On 5 March, an innovative tripartite initiative will be introduced in Oslo aimed at increasing worker involvement and social dialogue in public sector digitalisation. In September 2017, the trade union of Municipal and General Employees Fagforbundet, the Ministry of Local Government and Modernisation, the national association of municipal and local government employers signed a local tripartite cooperation and dialogue agreement to shape an inclusive strategy for the digitalisation of the public sector.

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During a seminar The World of Work: A Shifting Landscape the Workplace Relations Commission launched a provisional report of research into current and prospective changes that affect or will shortly affect a very large proportion of the workforce. Questions treated were whether and how temporary work contracts more and more have become a feature of working life; what are the implications of an aging workforce on employment relations and what broader policy questions need to be considered. It was reported that temporary employees earn approximately 20% less than those in permanent jobs doing similar work.

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As meetings between the minister failed to break the impasse, the MAM union of doctors, backed up by the UĦM Voice of the Workers called out a one-day strike on 6 February. The doctors are protesting over the way St Luke's, Karin Grech and Gozo hospitals are being transferred to Steward Global Healthcare. MAM says this is a breach of the doctors' collective agreement. Approximately 3.000 patients are expected to have been impacted by the strike. MAM doctor’s union declares in a statement that the actions could count on an overwhelmingly support from doctors’ and claims it as a success.

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Following a go-slow protest, the trade union of crane operators and the management of Luka Koper, the operator of the country’s only sea port, came to an agreement on the case of a shop steward's employment contract. Koper wanted to fire the trade unionist, but this was seen as an attempt to undermine the trade union. Under the agreement, the management will withdraw the lawsuit against worker and the company will revise its work safety rules.

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In an opinion poll, investment in teachers and education came on top of the ranking. Making the teaching profession prestigious by 2025 was one of the three top priorities that were unveiled as part of a national initiative that was led by the media and the state's leaders and lasted for almost half a year. The government reacted by stating that the country’s future depends on how politicians, society and the state invest in, regard and treat teachers. The position the teacher has in society is like a litmus test.

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