Collective Bargaining

One quarter of all workers feel stressed and exhausted at work, leading to more serious health problems and lower productivity, a survey has found. The ‘Job Stress Index’, carried out by Health Promotion Switzerland together with the University of Bern and the Zurich University of Applied Sciences, showed stress levels at work rising from 24.8% in 2014 to 25.4% in 2016. The authors conclude that one quarter of staff were in a ‘critical’ situation, while stress problems were ‘significant’ for half of those interviewed. A better balance between incentives (pay, career perspectives, job security and positive evaluations) and significant job efforts can contribute to less stress, although compensation in pay is a limited remedy.

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A strategic review of Nordea's Private Banking International activities as part of the company's transformation led to the decision to concentrate Nordea's private banking activities on the Nordics. Following an announced takeover by UBS of its activities, the consequences for workers at Nordea's private banking unit become clear. Around 200 jobs are at risk at Nordea. Workers have been told 50% or more of the bank's 350 employees face redundancy, as only around 150 workers will be transferred to UBS. The banking and insurance trade union within the OGBL trade union confederation has requested an interview with bank officials to discuss the situation and preserve as many jobs as possible.

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Trade unions vida announced that a collective agreement is within reach at Eurowings Europe. The union expects to conclude the agreement early February. It would bring better pay and an improvement of the working conditions. The union also thinks that the result will be important for workers that are coming over from the insolvent NIKI company. In a press statement, the union’s negotiator said that the main aim for the future is a national sectoral collective agreement for all workers that work as crew members in the country.

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In a summarising blog, published by Eurofound, it is said that the growth in average (nominal) pay of employees has accelerated in recent years in EU countries after the slump following the economic crisis. Similar developments show up in data on collectively agreed wages. However, higher wage growth figures do not automatically mean that all employees benefit equally. The data illustrate the vast differences across Europe of the minimum wage rates and an included graph shows the nominal growth in statutory minimum wages. At EU-level, the discussion about the necessity of a minimum wage intensified in 2017. A second blog looks after the income inequalities and disparities in Europe. EU-wide income inequality declined notably prior to 2008, driven by a strong process of income convergence. The Great Recession broke this trend. After 2008, income convergence has been sluggish, while inequality within many countries increased significantly.

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Alitalia entered into bankruptcy proceedings in May 2017 after workers rejected a deal brokered by unions and management that would have seen job and pay cuts. Alitalia is currently losing up to a monthly 100 million euro and is continuing to operate thanks to a government bridging loan. Meanwhile, administrators are accepting bids to take over the business from around 20 airlines, including from low-cost airlines such as Ryanair and EasyJet, whose emergence has presented such a challenge to national airlines. The government has stated that the airline will continue to operate, although state aid restrictions will make it difficult to continue state support, and nationalisation has been ruled out.

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Trade unionists from several larger automotive plants have decided to join forces. The unionists from the KOVO trade unions organisation operating in automotive companies agreed to proceed jointly in collective bargaining. Representatives of basic organisations in the PSA Groupe in Trnava, Kia Motors Slovakia in Teplička nad Váhom near Žilina, and Volkswagen Slovakia in Bratislava signed a memorandum of mutual cooperation and promotion on 25 January 2018. They plan to invite other basic organisations in automotive factories all over the country to form closer cooperation of their unions. The unionists plan to cooperate not only on the issue of higher wages and surcharges for night shifts but also with regard to the growing demand for skilled labourers and the current shortage, high employee turnover, and the issue of foreign employees.

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Baggage handlers that work for Aviapartners at Zaventem Airport, near Brussels have down tools. Aviapartners provides baggage handling services and other services to a number of airlines that operate from the country’s busiest airport. The strike action has come about as a result of pressure of issues, like work stress, felt among the baggage handling staff. There are also staff shortages and issues with the management not having honoured previous agreements made with the unions.

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The report, Thriving, Striving, or just about Surviving?, published by the Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA), describes in seven portraits how workers are faring both in terms of their experiences of economic security and the quality of work. Employment may have reached a record high in 2017, but workers aren’t necessarily more secure. Wider economic trends suggest that workers are worse off as real wages fall, income inequality persists and in-work poverty rises. Growth forecasts have been revised down, and productivity remains low. The pay of black and minority ethnic workers and women still lags behind that of their white, male counterparts. Many of the jobs that have been created are atypical in nature, meaning that workers have been shifting from full-time, permanent employment to zero-hour or temporary contracts, or are increasingly taking up self-employment or gig work.

Read on: in English … Report of the RSA (with seven portraits): in English …

Unions at the Republic’s biggest car maker, Škoda Auto, are demanding a pay rise of 18 percent. They have asked for a 14 percent increase in the basic wage and a further 4 percent rise related to personal evaluations. Unions are also seeking to repeat last year’s practice where two special one-off payments totalling around 90,000 crowns. The monthly average wage for an automotive worker in 2017 was around 40,000 crowns (1580 euro). A new deal should be in place by 1 April 2018 to cover the following 12 months.

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Workers at the Uljanik shipyard had announced they would go on strike because of unpaid salaries. With the loan issue cleared, after the European Commission agreed with rescue aid for the shipbuilder in the form of the grant of a state guarantee, they were expected to call off the strike, but when the union leaders met they voted to put a 48-hour hold on the strike. The day after the atmosphere in the dock went back to normal, as the management promised to pay the unpaid December salary and Christmas bonuses.

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