The wage support scheme introduced by the government to cushion the impact of the coronavirus pandemic will most likely remain in force after June 30 for filing applications, the labour minister announced. Under the scheme, the government is financing 60% of wage costs, including employers' social security contributions, of undertakings that would otherwise lay off staff due to the coronavirus outbreak.
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[close]Following several weeks of negotiations, the governing coalition parties have agreed to introduce changes to employment permits for migrants. The four coalition parties hope the measures will benefit migrants as well as help sectors hit by the coronavirus.
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[close]Call centre workers forced to come to work during the pandemic demanded to switch to teleworking without loss of pay. Some workers refused to go to work, some took sick leave, some asked for vacation days, and others appeared at the call centres but refused to log in.
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[close]Swedish authorities and trade unions have agreed to permanently hire up to 10,000 nursing assistants and care workers to help plug gaps in elderly care exposed by the coronavirus outbreak. The boost in staff is the result of an agreement between the government, Sweden's largest union Kommunal, and the country's municipalities which are tasked with managing elderly care.
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[close]A study revealed the need for more space for women in the membership and leadership of unions. The IndustriALL Turkey Women’s Network agreed to conduct a study to better understand and articulate women’s representation in union structures to help determine strategies. The mapping study was finalised with inputs from women representatives and affiliates. It profiled the conditions of women in the unions and shared trade union success stories and achievements.
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[close]The Vereinte Dienstleistungsgewerkschaft (ver.di) and the employers’ federation for private banks (AGV Banken) have agreed on a sectoral collective agreement on short-time work for employees at private banking institutions. Depending on the employee’s income, the statutory short-time work allowance of 60% of the net wage will be increased to 75-95%.
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[close]Even outside of the difficult times caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, hospital work can be exhausting. The nurses’ association (Schweizer Berufsverband der Pflegefachfrauen und Pflegefachmänner - SBK) has has published a document on hundreds of cases where labour law has been neglected. One of the reasons for these problematic working conditions is the shortage of staff. To address this shortage, according to the SBK the profession should be made more attractive. This viewpoint is supported by an academic study that concludes that increasing the number of nurses in hospitals would prevent hundreds of deaths, apart from saving money.
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[close]Agreements for the digitisation of the Croatian Employment Service (HZZ), which should make the HZZ’s activities simpler and more efficient, were signed at the Ministry of Labour and Pension Systems. This project will upgrade existing applications, create new ones and ensure new processes and network channels as well as provide 10 new services. The system will monitor the development of competencies and skills so that Croatia’s labour market can be more competitive.
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[close]The strike of members of the trade union Efling at the municipalities of Seltjarnarnes, Kópavogur, Mosfellsbær, Hveragerði and Ölfus came to an end with the conclusion of a collective agreement. The workers, mostly women employed in a caregiver capacity, will, according to the agreement, receive wages on a par with their colleagues who work for the City of Reykjavík. This entails a 90,000 ISK (€596) pay rise over the duration of the contract, shorter working hours, and more.
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[close]The government plans to start the payment of three minimum monthly salaries to employees of micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises as part of its economic support package designed to cushion the impact of the coronavirus crisis. The government has received applications from about 237,000 employers.
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