Collective Bargaining

The Work and Pensions Committee and the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee of the House of Commons published a report that deals with the workers’ status and the wage development. The report reflects on court cases that have exposed a pattern of companies using ‘gig workers’ with a bogus self-employed status as a route to cheap labour. Achieving ‘worker’ status, however, is not enough to alleviate insecurity at work. The volatile availability of paid work is a pressing concern for many workers. The employer has no obligation to provide work and the risk of low demand is borne by the worker. The report suggests that a wage premium above the National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage on non-guaranteed hours could potentially help rebalance the benefits, and might prompt employers to consider offering more stable work: for example, by providing shift details and staff rotas in advance. The report proposes to pilot such an approach to tackle the abuses perpetrated by some companies.

Read on: in English … The report, in English (2) …

Trade union IG Metal has created a webpage with detailed information on the ongoing negotiations. The union is demanding a 6% pay increase and reduction of working time. IG Metall’s strategy reflects changing working preferences of workers. It is campaigning for a right to reduce weekly hours to a temporary 28-hour week when work-life balance makes it desirable, with a right to return to full-time work after 2 years, for shift workers and those caring for children or other relatives.

Read on: in German … The dossier, in German …

Trade union younion-Die Daseinsgewerkschaft could come to an agreement that will lead to a pay increase of 3.3% for local community workers. After a first overall agreement was reached, one region (Oberösterreich) refused to accept the deal. Union pressure, with a petition and the announcement of a large demonstration, against the region that wanted to break out the deal resulted in a settlement. The pay increase of 3.3% applies to wages up to 3,400 euro. Allowances and supplementary payments will increase with 2.33%.

Read on: in German …

The workforce at a Recticel plant in Wetteren went on strike as the company was not willing to come up with a substantial pay proposal. A majority of the workers had rejected the proposals for the collective agreement. The management refused to go beyond the sectoral norm of 1.1%. Workers were of the opinion that they had contributed in the last year with an increase of productivity (of around 6%) to a remarkable recovery. The trade unions backed up the workers and signed, later on, an agreement in principle that received an 83% yes in a ballot. In the deal, the management promises a pay increase and more respect for workers’ rights.

Read on: in Dutch (1) … in Dutch (2) … in French …

Services at the Athens metro halted, as workers held a 24-hour strike in opposition to the government’s privatisation plans. ‘We will not allow urban transport to be put on the selling block of profit,’ said the metro workers’ union, SELMA. The union has also called for a meeting with the Finance Minister so it can present its demands, warning of more strike action if these are not met. The all-day strike is an escalation from the three- and four-hour stoppages that have been taking place over the past couple of weeks.

Read on: in English …

The announcement of a planned closure of a Siemens plant in Hengelo will threaten 600 jobs. The unions said they were completely taken by surprise as the news came out. Workers at the Hengelo branch were informed about what is happening at a meeting at stadium Grolsche Veste, with the CEO of the division explaining the closure via a video link. The unions want to know why Hengelo has to close, as they had the impression that after a difficult period, the company was running smoothly again.

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The collective bargaining round in recent years in the metal sector has been framed by the decision of the employers to split the industry-wide negotiations into six subsectoral negotiations (see our CBN archive). The unions have always seen this as a strategy to weaken and separate workers. However, the trade unions PRO-GE und GPA-djp reached for the 5th consecutive time a coordinated agreement with the employers in 6 branches of the metal sector that will lead to similar pay increases and the improvement of other working conditions for in total 186,000 workers. The minimum wage will increase with 3% to 1,848 euro.

Read on: in German …

The publications from the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), known as the Paradise Papers, highlight the failure of governments to stop the scourge of tax dodging and financial crime facilitated by offshore financial centres. For decades, wages have stagnated, public services have been squeezed and inequality has risen as workers have struggled to understand why globalisation’s riches seemed to pass them by. The Paradise Papers help to show where a lot of that wealth was siphoned off. Workers pay twice: first through income tax and VAT to make up for the tax gap, and then again through wage cuts because of austerity. The European trade union federation EPSU has been calling for years to end austerity-led cuts in staff resources in tax administrations and enforcement units. The fight against white-collar crimes must be as tough as the fight against terrorism that breeds on global inequalities.

Read on: in English (1) … in English (2) … Website Paradise Papers: in English …

Disruption to planes, trains, public transport services - and even national radio programmes - have been reported around the country as workers joined a fourth protest against President Macron's labour reforms. A total 170 demonstrations were to take place. Mr Macron used executive powers to sign the reforms into law at the end of September and published in the Journal Officiel. This latest round of protests took place ahead of a debate in Parliament on a bill to ratify those laws, which was to begin on Monday, November 20.

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It took more than 25 years after the unification, but a long-term aim of the trade unions and workers in the cleaning sector has almost been achieved. For the more than 100,000 workers in the cleaning industry in Eastern Germany, the roadmap is equal pay. After five rounds of tough negotiations, trade union IG BAU reached an agreement with the employer’s federation for the coming 2 years. The wage wall will finally fall in 2020. The collective agreement provides for an adjustment in 4 steps with a term until 31 December 2020.

Read on: in English …