Collective Bargaining

The statistical office INE published final data on the country's wage structure over the whole year 2014. The average gross wage in 2014 slightly increased with 0.7% to 22,858 euro. The data reveal large differences in the average annual wage of workers per occupation and sector, type of contract, regions and nationality. The poorest paid jobs can be found in hospitality, administrative work and cultural activities, the best paid jobs are in financial services and energy. Jobs in the property sector recovered most in 2014 in pay terms.
The data (Spanish): http://www.ine.es/en/prensa .

The gender pay gap report 2016, produced by the Institute for equality between women and men and the Federal Department for employment, labour and social dialogue, reveals that in 2013 a woman earned on average 8% less (gross hourly wage) than a man. Annually, taking into account part-time work, the pay gap mounted up to 21%. The data show an improvement of 1 percent point compared to the preceding report. Thus, only a slow evolution in the improvement of women wages takes place.
French: http://igvm-iefh.belgium.be/fr/actualite/lecart_salarial_diminue_mais .
Dutch: http://igvm-iefh.belgium.be./sites/default/files/downloads/pb_loonkloofrapport .

The trade unions and the employers' organisations agreed on the increase of the statutory minimum wage. The proposal is to lift the gross hourly minimum wage up to 8.84 euro. The agreement will lead to the first adaptation, after the introduction of the legal minimum wage that was introduced in January 2015. At the introduction of the statutory minimum wage the government had commissioned the task to review and update the level of the paid wage to a paritarian committee, with representatives of the central employers and trade union organisations. The calculations method is based on the development of the wage development in collective bargaining. The average wage increase in around 500 agreements in one and a half year was calculated at 3.2%. In a preparatory report, it was revealed that the introduction of the legal wage had had no negative consequences on employment. One remarkable effect is that the total size of so-called mini-jobs reduced, with mini-jobs being modified in more traditional contracts.
English: http://www.dw.com/en/german-minimum-wage-set-to-rise-in-2017 .
German: http://www.dgb.de/presse/++co++3d1eae2e-3d25-11e6-8be9-525400e5a74a
Report of the Minimum Wage Committee (German): http://www.mindestlohn-kommission.de .

In an interesting assessment of the country's 25th anniversary of Independence, a comparison is made between the economic policy in countries like Poland and the gradual approach in Slovenia. Thanks to a solid and traditional economic backbone, with an excellent infrastructure, a well-educated workforce and a strategic location between the Balkans and Western Europe, the country has one of the highest per capita GDP's and is one of the wealthiest countries in Central Europe.
English: http://www.sloveniatimes.com/slovenia-25-years-of-independence .

In a country update on the latest developments in working life in the first quarter of 2016 it is reported that medical doctors and their co-workers, and policemen and prison guards organised national protests against proposed reforms in their sector, though they are not permitted to strike. General practitioners, medical employees and doctors from private and state-owned hospitals organised protests against reforms proposed by the Ministry of Health. Their protest was supported by the Bulgarian Medical Association. The Constitutional Court has also rejected the Ministry's reforms.
English: http://www.eurofound.europa.eu/observatories/eurwork/articles/working-conditions .

The State Employment Agency estimates that unemployment may rise again towards the end of the year, and will be approximately 8 percent then. Although the number of unemployed people is dropping, the unemployment level is near to the respective period last year, showing that improvement of the labour market situation has slowed. Central Statistical Bureau data indicates that the number of employed people has risen since the beginning of 2016. The same positive trends can be seen in the data of the State Employment Agency, suggesting a slow decline in unemployment, mainly due to seasonal jobs.
English: http://www.baltictimes.com/unemployment_might_grow_by_year_end .

Employers and trade unions signed a landmark agreement to provide minimum standards for trainees in the European electricity sector. According to the European Federation of Public Service Unions, one of the European trade union organisations that negotiated the agreement, the deal makes it clear that trainees aren't a source of cheap labour. The Quality Framework for Traineeships in the European Electricity Sector stipulates that trainees will benefit from collective agreements already in place. It recognises the key role of trade unions in ensuring quality traineeships and strengthens protection for young people starting out in the sector. European trade union IndustriAll added that the deal brings the Sector Social Dialogue Committee to another level of maturity. The unions are determined to promote good working conditions and opportunities for young people in Europe to start a career in the sector.
English: http://www.epsu.org/article/electricity-sector-trade-unions-and-employers-sign .
The agreement: http://www.epsu.org/sites/default/files .

A former leader of trade union confederation CNV published a feature on the socio-economic situation in the country. The gap between the employed and the unemployed is growing, the economy is recovering, but the total unemployment is still twice as high as before the eve of the crisis and the dream of an inclusive society (the `participation society') is more elusive than ever. The author recommends a new social contract, based on more responsibility for regions to create their own inclusive labour market. He wants to encourage self-employment but combat excesses in low paid work and limiting the social security risks. Another idea is to put the basic income on the agenda, or some form of negative income tax so that those who are structurally and long-term unable to participate still have a viable financial basis.
English: http://www.dutchnews.nl/features/2016/06/its-time-for-a-new-social-contract/

The ongoing dispute between air traffic controllers and the airport management has entered a new stage as the parliament passed a bill forcing a resolution to the ongoing pay dispute. On several occasions, an inability to sufficiently man air traffic control had led to night-time airport closures and significant travel disruption for thousands of passengers. The law included an immediate halt will to the ongoing work-to-rule strike. If no agreement can be reached, the matter will be sent to a court of arbitration for a final resolution.
English: http://icelandmonitor.mbl.is/news/nature_and_travel/2016/06/20/more_iceland .

The president of the republic has signed a bill introducing earlier retirement of miners into law, along with several other government-sponsored bills. The earlier age at retirement concerns miners who have worked 3300 shifts in an underground coal mine or 2200 shifts in a uranium mine. At present, men retire at about 63 years, while the age limit is postponed by two months each year. The miners will retire seven years sooner than the rest.
English: http://praguemonitor.com/2016/06/24/zeman-signs-earlier-retirement-miners-law