The Parliament approved amendments to the Committee on Labour and Social Affairs’ Employment Act (AUG), which covers regulation of temporary employment and work contracts. The Committee on Labour and Social Affairs stated that the proposed changes to the Employee Leasing Act will come into effect on 1 April 2017. The draft Act, which was finally approved by the Bundesrat (the Federal Council), stipulates that temporary workers may only be used for 18 months at a client company in the future (unless a collective agreement governs a longer duration of use). They should also receive the same wages as the permanent staff after nine months. Previous demands by the trade unions for more regulation of contracted work were not met, as employers' representatives succeeded in keeping this subject off the agenda.
English: https://www.eurofound.europa.eu/observatories/eurwork/articles/working-conditions …
German: http://www.handelsblatt.com/politik/deutschland/leiharbeit-bundesrat-billigt …
http://www.bundesrat.de/SharedDocs/drucksachen …
Complete file Parliament (in German): https://www.bundestag.de …
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The number of workers declaring an interest in working abroad is the lowest in years. This was the outcome of research carried out by a recruitment agency, dedicated to the economic migration. 12 percent of Poles are thinking about leaving to work abroad, this is the smallest percentage in years. Last year it was 15 percent, and even early this year it was 19 percent. The conclusion is that a good economic situation and improvement on the labour market is bringing results.
English: http://www.thenews.pl/1/6/Artykul/281658,Are-Poles-losing-interest-in-emigration
Report (in Polish): http://www.workservice.pl/Centrum-prasowe/Informacje-prasowe/Ekspert …
The main trade union confederations CC OO and UGT have announced a call for mobilisations throughout the country for 15 December 2016 and a large trade union demonstration on 18 December 2016 in Madrid. They aim to encourage the process on social dialogue to address the problems of unemployment, in-work poverty and pensions. For the unions it is crucial that the government and the employers’ associations will agree on an increase of the statutory minimum wage for next year and the adoption a minimum subsistence income. Besides, they also want measures to prevent employment precariousness and abusive practices at the workplace, especially by multi-services undertakings.
Spanish: http://www.abc.es/economia/abci-sindicatos-anuncian-movilizaciones …
Overview of mass demonstrations since the start of the crisis (in Spanish):
http://economia.elpais.com/economia/2016/11/25/actualidad …
Labour laws were violated in the construction of the new United States embassy in Wassenaar, a newspaper reports. Employees structurally had to work overtime and foreign workers did not have the right papers. The Social Affairs and Employment Inspectorate is investigating the case. People who worked on the embassy told the newspaper that they worked up to 60 hours a week, including Saturday. Workers who protested were sent away. Trade union FNV's safety hotline also received several complaints about safety at the site. Workers were hired as highly skilled migrants - a system that makes it easier to get work permits for highly qualified foreign personnel - while most of them aren't highly skilled workers.
English: http://nltimes.nl/2016/11/25/labour-violations-alleged-new-us-embassy-site …
The State Secretariat for Economic Affairs has decided to increase the number of spot checks from 27.ooo to 35.000 per year, falling short of the 50.000 demanded by trade unions. These checks aim to prevent that the wages of overseas employees undercut those of the domestic workforce. The trade unions fear that cheaper workers will drive down wages for Swiss workers, especially in the construction and hospitality sectors.
English: http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/business/level-playing-field_more-wage-checks …
Miners’ unions at the coal mining company OKD have given notice of the possibility of strike action. The unions allege that the company management is undermining existing collective agreements and social plan, under which miners leaving work at the Paskov mine would be entitled to 12 months’ pay. The hard coal mining company OKD will terminate mining at its Paskov mine by the end of March 2017. Around 700 miners are set to lose their jobs as a result of the closure. The rest of the employees will be moved to other mines that are still in operation.
English: http://radio.cz/en/section/news/okd-mining-unions-threaten-to-take-strike-action
Pay gaps between men and women are steadily shrinking. However, for the self-employed, income disparities remain extremely high, according to the figures from the National Institute for the Self-employed Social Security (INASTI). The data show that self-employed men earn an average 50% more than their female colleagues. Part of the gap between the two groups is explained by the pay differences in the sectors in which men and women choose to work. However, there are also differences within the same sector. In retail, for example, a man earns an average of 11,000 euro per year more than a woman.
English: http://www.brusselstimes.com/belgium/7009/self-employed-men-earn-50-more …
According to Statistics Estonia, monthly gross wages and salaries averaged 1,119 euro in the third quarter of 2016, marking a 7.1 increase compared to the same period in 2015 but a decline of 3.8 percent against the second quarter of 2016. The slowdown of the rise in average wages was mainly due to a decrease in irregular bonuses and premiums and an increase in the number of paid leave days. Irregular bonuses and premiums excluded, the average monthly gross wages and salaries fell 2.6 percent compared to the previous quarter.
English: http://news.err.ee/v/business …
Workers at the property management division of the company Vonovia are prepared to strike before the end of 2016 to protest over wage negotiations and worsening conditions at the real estate group. According to a representative of the union Ver.di, a substantial number of Vonovia property management's employees are ready for industrial action. The management is very negative about any trade union involvement and not willing to negotiate a new collective agreement. A first warn strike was already held.
English: http://www.reuters.com/article/vonovia-strike …
German: http://www.handelsblatt.com/unternehmen/dienstleister/streik-vonovia …
https://www.verdi.de/themen/nachrichten …
The trade union of civil servants (ADEDY) has organised a 24-hour nationwide strike to complain on the dramatic growth of part-time employment and demand the annulment of laws leading to drastic cuts in wages. The action is followed by ferryboats and cargo ships staff, sailors and government offices workers. Hospitals admit only emergency cases and medical staff protested against the shortage of doctors and insufficient resources for healthcare. During the action, demonstrations are being held in Athens and Thessaloniki. Students, pensioners, farmers and teachers also joined the protests in support of civil servants.
English: http://www.novinite.com/articles/177626/Greek+Union+of+Civil+Servants …