Collective Bargaining

Fashion brand Hugo Boss says it has implemented a number of changes in its factory in Izmir and is working to resolve remaining issues after an audit by the Fair Labor Association (FLA) identified numerous violations of labour standards. FLA described in its assessment report numerous violations of labour law, the FLA code of conduct and the company's own code of conduct. FLA found violations related to the freedom of association, collective bargaining and working conditions, but also to safety and health and working time.
English: http://www.just-style.com/news/hugo-boss-tackles-labour-violation .
FLA code of conduct: http://www.fairlabor.org/our-work/code-of-conduct

In a joint report of several NGO's it is revealed that, although the country is in a good economic shape, many people live in poverty. The average poverty rate is 15.4%. In nine of the federal states poverty decreased. But, the states with the largest population (Bavaria and Nord Rhine Westphalia) were confronted in 2014 with a poverty increase. Most at risk are singles with children, unemployed and pensioners. Observers call the inequality in wages one of the main causes: low wages are no longer connected to the general wage trend of the higher income group. Besides, capital income has become more important than wage labour.
English: http://www.dw.com/en/massive-rich-poor-gap-in-german-society .
German: http://www.zeit.de/wirtschaft/2016-02/armut-deutschland-2016-paritaetische .
The Poverty 2016 report (in German): http://www.der-paritaetische.de/index .

The Collectif des Modèles d'Art de Paris (Art Models Collective of Paris) and the cultural workers trade union Force Ouvrière`s section for art models organised a protest in front of the Hotel de Ville in Paris. The aim is the recognition of the profession of art models. For these models, attaining professional status would offer the right to negotiate working conditions and a raise in their minimum wage from an average of €17.40 per hour to €21.78 per hour.
English: http://hyperallergic.com/277487/pariss-art-models-protest .

The country's unemployed are facing more pressure to find work, as unemployment offices punish increasing numbers of jobless people by cutting off their benefits. Unemployment benefits are contribution-based and administered by unemployment offices, whereas the long-term unemployed (those out of work for longer than 500 days) receive social benefits from their local municipality. A harsher sanctions regime might simply end up shifting claimants from one form of support to another. According to the NGO TVY, this leads to more people ending up on social benefits, outside the unemployment office system, and to permanent social exclusion.
English: http://yle.fi/uutiset/sanctions_on_unemployed_up_four-fold_in_three_years .

Trade union GMB published data and tables that reveal that the real value of earnings has not recovered from recession since 2008. Overall in 2007 average earnings for all employees were £30,015. In 2015 average earnings have increased by 12.2% to £33,689. During this period inflation has been 25.6%. This still leaves average earnings for all employees 13.4% below 2007 level. The worst hit group has been workers in the caring, leisure and other service occupations group of jobs, which is still 15.4% below its value in 2007. Overall in 2007 earnings for this group were £16,455. In 2015 earnings increased by 10.2% to £18,130.
English: http://www.gmb.org.uk/newsroom/pay-down-since-2007

Based on updated statistics, the Tax Administration made public that a total of 7,413 employers with 25,845 workers on their payrolls, failed to pay salaries to their employees. The statistics were derived from forms handed to the Administration for the January-December 2015 period. The update showed that 6,164 legal entities with 22,198 employees failed to pay salaries and 1,249 physical persons with 3,656 workers.
English: http://en.dalje.com/2016/02/over-7400-employers-wage-defaulters/

The joint trade union confederations have decided to go to court in a dispute on the pension law. ACLVB/CGSLB, ACV-CSC and ABVV/FGTB ask the constitutional court to reject the planned augmentation of the pension age (from 65 to 67). The unions also protest against the tightening of the early retirement schemes. The protests concern the pensions of employees in both the private and the public sector. The unions say that the government measures are unconstitutional. Firstly, because the measures create a decline in the social security rights (article 23 of the Constitution). Secondly, because the measures are discriminatory (articles 10 and 11 of the Constitution). Women are more severely affected by the measures.
French: http://www.fgtb.be/web/guest/press-releases-fr .
Dutch: https://www.acv-online.be/Images/160222-Vakbonden-naar-grondwettelijk-hof .

State nurses agreed to a union-backed calling for industrial action. Nurses want new positions and promotions to be unfrozen and better conditions for temporary workers, who are currently paid 10% less even after being in a position for 24 months. The nurses say they are seriously understaffed and have accused the state of creating new departments at hospital without being able to adequately staff them. The nurses have been waiting for solutions for two years now and a promised change coming out of a meeting with personnel managers some months ago has never materialised. After a meeting of the unions with the health minister, the union cancelled the strike and said that the dialogue will continue.
English: http://in-cyprus.com/health-sector-woes-persist/
http://in-cyprus.com/state-nurses-call-off-mondays-strike/

A spokesperson of a platform of eight TAP unions said that the airline's workers are going to buy 5% of the capital that was reserved for them at the company's privatisation. Through the platform of unions, the airline workers could make history by being the only ones that influenced the privatisation specifications, which will happen again when the sale of the capital is launched for the workers.
English: http://www.theportugalnews.com/news/tap-unions-expect-workers-to-buy .

A representative of trade union GPA-dpj stated that the unions welcome every political backing of a minimum wage settled at 1,700 euro. However, a country that can guarantee a (almost industry-wide) coverage through collective bargaining doesn't need a statutory minimum wage. With a coverage rate of 97% the interests of workers in their sectors is guaranteed, without becoming a plaything of daily politics. The comparison with Germany falls because the German coverage rate is substantially lower.
German: http://www.oegb.at/cms/S06/S06_0.a/1342563224476/home/land-mit-97-prozent .