According to recent figures, 54% of university staff are employed on some form of insecure contract, most of them women, making them cheaper and more easily sacked. In many universities, up to a third of the teaching is provided by such staff, and 46% of universities use zero-hour contracts to deliver teaching.
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[close]Employment figures fell by 285,600 between January and March, according to the EPA active workforce survey released by the National Statistics Institute (INE). This is the greatest drop since the recession of 2012. The number of people claiming jobless benefits grew by 121,000 during this period, pushing the unemployment rate up to 14.4%, more than twice the EU27 average of around 6.5%.
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[close]On 28 April 2020, the Emergency Powers Decree No. 14 was published in the Belgian Official Journal in order to guarantee an adequate work organisation during the COVID-19 crisis. In particular, the Decree adopts several employment law-related measures in order to address staff shortages in certain vital sectors. This newsflash provides an overview of the most important measures which may be relevant for certain employers.
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[close]The purchasing power of wages in Poland could reach the EU average level in 2037, according to a report of the Polish Economic Institute (PIE). As emphasised, the report was written before the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, but many of the scenarios described are still likely to be implemented.
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[close]The European Commission has approved a €215 million wage subsidies scheme to support companies operating in the sectors affected by the coronavirus outbreak. The scheme was approved under the State Aid Temporary Framework adopted by the Commission. The scheme will be accessible to companies of all sizes and also self-employed individuals operating in sectors that are strongly affected by the current health crisis and the containment measures adopted by national authorities.
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[close]On 27 April, the employers’ organisation Feique presented a joint document with the Fica UGT and CCOO Industria trade unions containing recommendations for protecting chemical sector workers’ health and preventing the spread of COVID-19, while still allowing production to resume.
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[close]The government is considering different schemes to tackle reduced employment that would see it subsidising part of lost salaries or social security contributions, once the country enters the stage of a gradual return to ‘normality’. The main tool that will be employed by the Finance Ministry will be the European Union’s SURE program, which is aimed at bolstering employment and reducing unemployment risks during emergencies.
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[close]The government is to expand the financial help offered to businesses and self-employed workers to help them cope with the economic downturn caused by the coronavirus lockdown. The government has put in place schemes to help them stay afloat during the lockdown as part of a €110 billion emergency plan.
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[close]The Ministry of Economics has submitted to the cabinet a proposal to take a more flexible approach towards using the Labour Law in relation to the wages of employed persons during periods of ‘downtime’. The proposals addresses the use of the Labour Law in certain COVID-19 crisis measures intended to preserve employment levels.
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[close]Unions have filed strike notices demanding the government increase security measures to protect workers against the coronavirus before reopening schools and businesses in May. The teacher’s union Fnec FP-FO – the country's third largest union representing the education sector – filed an official strike notice until 30 May, listing demands that the government must comply with before opening schools in May.
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