UNICEF published the Innocenti Report Card 13. The card presents an overview of inequalities in child well-being in 41 countries of the European Union and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). It focuses on `bottom-end inequality' - the gap between children at the bottom and those in the middle - and addresses the question `how far behind are children being allowed to fall?' in income, education, health and life satisfaction. Across the OECD, the risks of poverty have been shifting from the elderly towards youth since the 1980s. The Scandinavian countries, with the exception of (mid-ranking) Sweden, have the smallest relative youth income gaps. Income gaps in excess of 60% are found in Bulgaria and Romania and in the larger southern European countries (Greece, Italy, Portugal and Spain).
English: https://www.unicef-irc.org/publications .
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At least 415 workers died in the first three months of 2016, according to a monthly report released by a non-governmental organisation dealing with worker health and safety issues, with at least 157 worker deaths in March 2016 alone. The Worker Health and Work Safety Assembly (ISIGM) report, compiled with data in print and online media, labour unions and organisations notes that the sectors where the most worker deaths occur are agriculture, construction and transportation. ISIGM is an NGO comprised of workers, worker relatives, doctors, engineers, academics, journalists, and lawyers who deal with labour issues. The number of worker deaths in March has increased year-on-year by 9% compared to the same month of 2015.
English: http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/at-least-415-turks-died-in-work-accidents .
The Polish Social Council presented a report at a meeting of NGO Solidar on social dumping practices. The report describes how in both investigated sectors (construction and meat processing) employers broadly use subcontracting as a strategy to reduce wage costs. Both sectors apply lower labour and social standards for migrant workers in comparison with a regular part of the workforce, thus circumventing labour provisions intended to level the rights of domestic and foreign workers from other EU countries.
English: http://www.migrationonline.cz/germany_country_report.pdf
A brochure, published by Conect Association, reports on an investigation of migrant labour exploitation among workers that go abroad. The report focuses on two sectors in which severe labour exploitation continues to occur: construction and domestic work. Although many migrants have qualifications and skills, they are willing to accept low skilled or unskilled jobs, precarious working conditions and lower wages, thus being more vulnerable to exploitation and rights violations.
English: http://www.migrationonline.cz/romania_country_report.pdf
The Foundation for European Progressive Studies (FEPS) published a first Volume of the work of its Young Academics Network. The paper is dedicated to the distributional, institutional and political dimensions of the capital-labour relation in Europe. Declining or stagnant wages, the attitude of the European Commission and beneficial tax systems for capital lead on several levels to a weakening position not only of middle and lower class interests but also their institutionalised representatives, i.e. trade unions and progressive parties. The authors have calculated the changing wage shares across selected European countries over the `pre' and `post' crisis periods between 2008 and 2016. A second paper is on strengthening labour rights.
English: http://www.feps-europe.eu/assets .
http://www.feps-europe.eu/assets/b .
A report in the frame of the so-called LABCIT-project documents how labour recruitment and migration function. Based on interviews the authors found that, even though many different institutions are involved in the monitoring and regulation of recruitment agencies, the number of exploitation cases, with non-respect of workers' rights and labour standards, is relatively high. Victims of labour rights violations emphasised that the relevant institutions which should act in the cases of workers exploitation are too passive and the victims feel too vulnerable to look for help.
English: http://www.migrationonline.cz/lithuania_country_report.pdf
The workers at Audi Hungária in Gyor (northwest Hungary) cancelled their strike after the negotiations on a collective agreement ended successfully. Trade union AHFSZ had established a strike committee as the negotiations on the wage increase of employees failed. The AHFSZ asked for at least a HUF 15,000 uniform raise to basic wages, retroactive to January. Furthermore, the union asked for a revision to the current salary system, and called for the creation of a `working group' to decide on a new wage system.
English: http://bbj.hu/business/audi-hungary-to-raise-pay-strike-canceled .
The Padua University published a report on exploitation in the logistics and tourism sectors in different regions (Padua and Rimini). In the tourism sector in Rimini, there has been a gradual worsening of working conditions and a strong compression of wages since the 2000s. The logistics sector in Padua is characterized by high fragmentation: warehousing and other operations are outsourced by firms to a wide number of small companies and cooperatives. Based on field work and several interviews, both in the logistics and in the tourism sectors, the authors found recurrent patterns of serious labour exploitation. In particular, workers are confronted with non-application of collective agreements, long and irregular working hours, pressures and threats by the management, withholding of wages and benefits.
English: http://www.migrationonline.cz/italy_country_report.pdf
A settlement has been reached in the forthcoming court case which was set to start on 18 April on the issue of Secondment Agreements in the rig company Rowan Norway. Global offshore contract driller Rowan has agreed with Industri Energi to not use the so-called Secondment Agreements in the company. Norwegian law does not address Secondment and people who are employed on such agreements are allegedly not covered by the Working Environment Act. The deal means that those currently employed on Secondment Agreements and continue to work on the Norwegian Continental Shelf will be offered a Norwegian standard contract and employment in Rowan Norway Ltd.
English: http://www.thedailystar.net/business/global-business/norway-union-and-employers .
Food workers trade union Livs is fighting plans to shut down the Findus frozen food factory in Bjuv, which would throw 450 workers out of a job. On 31 March, the CEO of Nomad Foods, an investment vehicle registered in the British Virgin Islands, came to the factory, called all staff to a meeting, announced that the factory would close at the end of 2016. Nomad was founded in 2014 as an investment vehicle in search of brands to devour and assets to strip. It became Nomad Foods - dedicated to assembling 'a global portfolio of best-in-class food companies and brands' - with the purchase last year of frozen food manufacturers Iglo Group and Findus, European food companies that have gone through successive rounds of financial vandalism at the hands of their previous private equity owners. Pressure to deliver immediate returns threatens jobs and livelihoods throughout the company. Now the axe threatens to fall on Sweden.
English: http://www.iuf.org/cgi-bin/campaigns/show .