The Council of Europe Group of experts against human trafficking (GRETA) has published a report on the implementation of the Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings by Italy. The report assesses the specific situation of forced returns of victims of trafficking and the identification of victims of trafficking among asylum seekers and migrants. GRETA acknowledges the extreme difficulties the country is experiencing due to the unprecedented increase in the arrival of migrants and refugees, and the significant efforts made by the country, with the assistance of international organisations and civil society, to cope with the challenges posed by it. The report, which was preceded by a visit in September 2016, reveals gaps in the detection of victims of trafficking among newly arriving migrants and unaccompanied children.
English: http://www.coe.int/en/web/anti-human-trafficking ...
The report: https://rm.coe.int/CoERMPublicCommonSearchServices …
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The government has been called on to enforce its minimum wage law, after a new study showed that millions of people with ‘mini-jobs’ were paid below the legal minimum wage in 2015, the year when Germany's 8.50 euro per hour rate was introduced (it has since been increased to 8.84 euro an hour). Trade unions say the authority for enforcing the 2015 law is chronically understaffed. The Institute of Economic and Social Research (WSI) found that around half of the 7.4 million people who work mini-jobs - that is, limited time or salaried work capped at 450 euro a month - received less than the hourly minimum wage in 2015.
English: http://www.dw.com/en/german-companies-flouting-minimum-wage ...
The report (in German): http://www.boeckler.de/pdf ...
A special event to commemorate the miners’ strike of 1948 took place in Lefka in the north as Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots got together to remember a watershed moment in history where the two communities worked together in a long and sustained fight for workers’ rights. Organisers hope that the event will serve as a unifying message that both communities need to work together to enact social change. The 1948 strike, a landmark in the history of workers’ rights in Cyprus, was jointly declared by PEO and the Turkish Cypriot miners’ union and lasted for more than three months from 13 January to 17 May 1948.
English: http://cyprus-mail.com/2017/01/29/lessons-strike-70-years-ago/
According to a report of the Flemish socio-economic council (SERV) around half of the labour force is confronted with work stress. The share of workers that have to deal with stress has increased substantially in the last three years. The labour ministry has already reacted with an announcement that a dialogue with the social partners will be opened. The report sees the economic growth as one of the main reasons, it has led to increased time pressure, whilst the job growth stayed relatively modest. Social partners agreed in 2000 to develop a policy that should lead to a decrease until 2020.
German: http://deredactie.be/cm/vrtnieuws.deutsch/nachrichten ...
The report (in Dutch): http://www.serv.be/sites …
The online service ‘Reforms Watch’ developed by the ETUI consists of informative dossiers for all EU Member States with fact-based information on the industrial relations system in each country (key facts, players and institutions), information on the latest developments in labour market and pension reform, as well as data and legislative information on the right to strike and strike activities. It monitors developments in labour market and pension reform, as well as strike activities, via regular short ‘Reforms Watch’ news items, in conjunction with the basic country dossiers.
English: http://www.etui.org/Reforms-watch
The union representing SEF immigration officers said that a rotating strike initiated earlier this month, which will last until the summer, has enjoyed strong participation. The industrial action has seen 86 percent of administration workers lay down their pens. The strikes will take place once a month at each centre across the country and are in protest against rights they enjoyed up until 2008 with regards to their status as non-law enforcement workers.
English: http://www.theportugalnews.com/news/immigration-office-strike ...
Audi workers at an engine plant stopped work for two hours on 26 January 2017 in a protest over pay. Earlier on the Audi's workers had set up a strike committee in the dispute. The AHFSZ union said in a statement that it continued to believe there could be a compromise wage deal reached with Audi but the company so far has not reacted on the union’s demands. The action by Audi workers follows a December agreement with unions at Daimler's factory that will see base salaries increase by 10% in 2017 and 2018.
English: http://europe.autonews.com/article ...
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-daimler-hungary ...
Unemployment diminished sharply in 2016, dropping by 9.5 percent. The labour ministry said 3.7 million people were registered as out of work in 2016, nearly 400,000 fewer than in 2015, the biggest-ever yearly reduction. However, trade union UGT revealed that many of those moving out of the jobless queue had only been able to find employment with precarious working conditions. In December 2016, just four out of every 100 contracts signed were long-term and full-time, it said in a statement. The conservative government has come under fire for the unstable and temporary nature of many new contracts and the increase of economic and social inequalities.
English: http://www.thelocal.es/jobs/article/spains-jobless-queue-shrinks-in-2016
Labour market data (in Spanish): http://www.ine.es/en/daco ...
Trade union GMB has taken the initiative for a legal claim from workers who believe they are wrongly classed as self-employed at Hermes, the courier company that delivers parcels. The possible legal proceedings come after a similar claim was brought successfully against app-based taxi company Uber. Employment judges ruled that self-employed drivers should be classed as workers and therefore have the right to the national living wage. Earlier this month a central London employment tribunal ruled that courier CitySprint wrongly classified a bicycle courier as a self-employed worker. The bicycle courier won the right to be classed as an employee rather than self-employed, which entitles her to employee rights such as holiday pay and minimum wage.
English: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2017/jan/26/hermes-facing-legal-challenge ...
http://www.bbc.com/news/business ...
Tube workers continued their strike action on two London Underground lines on 26 January 2017. Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union who work on the central line walked out in a dispute over the 'forced displacement' of staff. The strike affected more than 800,000 commuters. RMT Southern Rail drivers’ union also staged collective action on 24, 25 and 27 January 2017, with pickets planned at key locations. RMT has repeatedly requested access to the talks about working conditions of rail drivers involving the TUC, the employers, and other unions but they have been excluded for the negotiation talks so far. RMT considers that their continued exclusion from the negotiating table is unacceptable and will continue to press ahead with their industrial action.
English: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news ...
http://www.rmt.org.uk/news/rmt-southern-rail-drivers-action ...