The threat of an all-out transport strike looms as trade unions warn that bus and rail workers will join forces to bring the country to a complete standstill. The possibility of this combined action has been publicised after the largest union at Bus Éireann announced a ballot over plans to turn Expressway into a `low-wage bus service'. The company revealed plans to implement new terms and conditions for Expressway workers, separate the business from the rest of Bus Éireann and sub-contract some routes. An all-out strike would be most likely if Bus Éireann and Irish Rail staff joined the picket lines in support of members of their unions at Dublin Bus. The result could ultimately be a crippling series of rolling strikes or an all-out strike among workers at CIÉ companies. Exploratory talks between unions representing transport workers (SIPTU and the National Bus and Rail Union, NBRU) and management at Dublin Bus aimed at averting further strikes has started on 26 September 2016. This meeting follows the intervention of the Workplace Relations Commission inviting the parties to engage in this talks without preconditions to try to find a joint resolution.
English: http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/triple-strike-threat-to-bring-public-transport .
http://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/dublin-bus-strike-unions-to-meet .
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Indian steel giant Tata Steel is set for talks with trade union representatives of its UK steelworks to settle the deadlock over a 15-billion-pound pension scheme for its workers, the main obstacle in its merger with German rival ThyssenKrupp. The company called two days of pension talks to try to secure a merger of its European operations with those of ThyssenKrupp. The aim on the meetings will be on breaking a deadlock over a 15-billion-pound pension scheme, which is the main obstacle to a rescue of the company's Port Talbot unit in Wales.
English: http://www.firstpost.com/business/tata-steel-set-for-pension-talks .
Statistics Netherlands (CBS) has published detailed figures on the total number of hours worked in temporary jobs and on-call work. Temporary jobs increased by 2.9 percent in the second quarter of 2016 compared to the first quarter. Both the number of hours worked in short-term and long-term temporary contracts increased. More alarming is the increase of on-call work. Between 2010 and 2015, the number of workers on-call increased with 143,000 workers (+36%). Notably in hospitality, the size of on-call work has grown to a substantial proportion (26% of the workforce in the sector), with kitchen aid on top (44%), followed by bartenders and waiters. At the same time, the hospitality sector pays the lowest hourly wage (less than 10 euro). Many on-call workers are youngsters that earn the (reduced) youth minimum wage.
English: https://www.cbs.nl/en-gb/news/2016/35/number-of-hours-worked .
On-call work data (in Dutch): https://www.cbs.nl/nl-nl/nieuws/2016/39/aantal-oproepbanen .
An omnibus draft law containing a second list of state-run utilities and enterprises whose publicly-owned shares will be transferred to a new holding company -- essentially a 'super privatisation fund' -- will be tabled in the Parliament. The development is one of more than a dozen `prior actions' currently demanded by creditors. Besides the ambitious privatisation fund, the draft legislation includes EU-enforced reforms in the domestic electricity market, changes in the social security regime for self-employed professionals, merchants and craftsmen, and even hoteliers. Trade unions fear that this could lead to further watering of labour rights at the state-run companies.
English: http://www.dw.com/en/greece-approves-plan-to-transfer-state-utilities .
http://www.tornosnews.gr/en/tourism-businesses/new-investments .
A proposed pay deal has been concluded between the Department of Justice and the Garda Representative Association following months of negotiations. The deal, if backed by members, could see the threat of industrial action by the union averted. Talks between the Department and the largest Garda union on pay had been on-going since June.
English: http://www.rte.ie/news .
Negotiations have not yet started, but it is clear that an announced restructuring at Commerzbank will lead to massive job losses. The country's second-largest lender would need to shed some extra 5,000 positions, a 10-percent reduction in the lender's overall workforce of roughly 50,000. It said the proposed cuts would mainly hit administrative and managerial workers. Earlier this month a trade union representative in the bank's board had qualified the idea that Commerzbank and Deutsche Bank better could merge `absurd'.
English: http://www.dw.com/en/germanys-commerzbank-facing-massive-job-cuts .
The trade union confederations UGT and CCOO say that it is necessary to adopt legislative measures amending the Workers' Statute, the legislation applicable to public employees and to employees of the public health services, as provided in the recent ECJ rulings dated September 14, 2016 (handed down in cases C-16/15 and C-184/15 - C-197/15) The general secretaries of the unions have sent a letter to the Ministry of Employment and Social Security, demanding that the Government will take the necessary legislative measures to comply with clause 4.1 of Directive 199/70/EC on the Framework Agreement signed by the European Trade Union Confederation and the employers' organisations UNICE and CEEP on fixed-term work that prohibits less favourably treatment to workers with temporary contracts in relations with permanent workers.
Spanish: http://www.ugt.es/SitePages/NoticiaDetalle .
According to a study carried out by the consultation company Fontes, the wage gap between women and men has increased this year by 1 percentage point compared with 2015. The total wage gap between men and women was 8% in 2015 and 9% in 2016. The methodology used somewhat differs from the methodologies used by previously introduced studies carried out by Eurostat since it compares wage differences inside job families, offering a more detailed overview.
English: http://news.err.ee/v/business .
The economic growth has left many companies short-staffed and desperately seeking employees in order to be able to meet demand. Although labour offices currently register 390 thousand unemployed, companies are increasingly dependent on foreign labour. Construction company Abydos based in Cheb, has more orders than it can take. With 200 employees, it employs 40 Romanian workers. The company operates its own Romania HR office. Many others, such as pencil maker Koh-i-noor, and underwear company Triola are in a similar position. The companies claim that the government should be more efficient in promoting matching of labour demand and supply. The policy to open the market to more foreign workers has centred mainly around highly-skilled staff, not the manual workers that many companies require. So companies seek workers abroad themselves, using various means to do so, setting up recruitment offices, holding recruitment days in selected countries and Skyping with potential candidates. A chief economist said that the companies in question face genuine problems, which could be solved with a simple solution to attract employees, namely to increase wages. Between 2014 and 2015 companies brought an additional 49 thousand foreign workers to the country and, while the economic boom lasts, the trend is expected to continue.
English: http://radio.cz/en/section/business/czech-companies-increasingly-relying .
A protocol, signed by the government and backed up by the trade unions and NGO's, that calls for coordination of the local police, the labour inspectorate and other officials to trace and root out workers' exploitation, to protect workers and punish exploiters has led to the discovery of severe exploitation. A gang master that acted as a broker for day labourers in the grape harvest was identified. Labourers were confronted with illegally demanded rent, withholding money from their hourly pay and degrading living conditions. A government bill to fight gang masters is still on its way to parliament.
English: http://www.gazzettadelsud.it/news/english/213677/gangmaster-busted .