Collective Bargaining

The government has submitted a proposal to the social partners, containing plans for the minimum wage to become between 35% and 55% of the average wage. The minimum wage has been an ongoing debate in the country, which currently has an administratively defined minimum wage. The minimum wage, however, is regularly raised, including twice in the current year, springing heated political debates every time. The new plan, which employers' Bulgarian Industrial Capital Association (BICA) has already objected to, would index the wage and thus curb the ongoing debate.
English: http://www.novinite.com/view .

Newspaper Népszabadság has researched the effects of the obligatory Sunday closure imposed by the government on employment levels in the retail sector. Using date from the Central Statistical Office, the paper reports that 2600 fewer people were employed in retails now than before the Sunday closure. The newspaper also found out that a stunning 2300 of the job losses affected people who had previously been employed on a part-time basis.
English: http://budapestbeacon.com/public-policy/part-time-employees-bear-brunt .

The government has indicated that it will back a recommendation by the Low Pay Commission. This commission has stated that there would be little to no effects on job numbers if the minimum wages were increased from €8.65 to €9.15. The commission's report concludes that the economy is recovering but that it is a two-tier recovery. Some 4.4% of employees are on the minimum wage (70,400 people), two thirds of whom are women. Nearly 40% are under the age of 30. Three of the nine members of the commission wanted higher increases for minimum wage workers. Two wanted wages increased to €10 an hour, while a third wanted the hourly rate increased to €9.65.
English: http://www.lowpaycommission.ie/publications/national-minimum-wage .

A conflict between PostNL and independent delivery drivers was resolved, putting all parcel deliverers back to work. The conflict emerged over the low remuneration of the self-employed independent parcel deliverers, who were backed by trade union FNV. On 13 July, PostNL invited all independent deliverers to either become direct employees or accept a 10% increase in remuneration as independents. Most, but not all drivers accepted the offer immediately. By 20 July, all parcel deliverers were back to work.
English: http://postandparcel.info/66363/news/postnls-independent-parcel-delivery .

The European Trade Union Institute (ETUI) has published a report analysing employment relations in firms who contract out part of their value chain, looking at out/insourcing and off/in shoring. The report studies workers' participation in outsourcing decisions as well as its impact on working conditions and employment relations in the parent company. The researchers found both sector level collective bargaining institutions and supportive national institutions are essential to upholding decent working conditions. The report also recommends more policy measures aimed at addressing chain liability provisions.
English: http://www.etui.org/Publications2/Books/The-outsourcing-challenge .

The health ministry is looking into options to replace nurses who resigned after an industrial dispute with foreign nurses. As reported in last month's newsletter, an ongoing wage conflict was halted by political players who ordered all striking nurses back to work and forced the conflict into arbitration. After the Icelandic Association of Nurses (FIH) and the State mediator signed an agreement as an outcome of that arbitration process, nurses' resignations started flowing in. As the resignations have topped 300, the health ministry says it is considering recruiting nurses from abroad. In the meantime, the members of the nurses association have rejected a wage agreement that was finally made on 23 June between representatives of the association and the state negotiator after almost thirteen hours of negotiations with 1677 votes against 219.
English: http://grapevine.is/news/2015/07/16/health-minister-looking-into-hiring-foreign .
http://icelandmonitor.mbl.is/news/politics_and_society/2015/07/15/nurses_reject .

After a failed mediation process, reported in the June and January newsletters, the ministry of education has prepared new proposals to be presented to teachers' unions. The dispute between the teachers and the ministry is about an educational reform, which would cut costs by reducing teachers' pay during exam times and abolishing the shorter working hours older teachers enjoy. After a medication attempt failed last month and teachers' unions announced strike actions for September, the ministry of education has now tabled new proposals. Trade unions have reacted disappointed that the proposals reached the press before the negotiators, but have agreed to consider them.
English: http://www.wort.lu/en/politics/following-teacher-strike-threat-education-minister .

Trade unions have welcomed the new Industrial Relations Bill as strengthening workers and their representatives. Under the amended bill, trade unions will be allowed to represent workers at the Labour Court, even in cases where employers refuse to recognise them, in order to reach legally binding solutions. The bill also contains guidelines for the Labour Court to determine whether representative bodies are sufficiently independent of the employer.
English: http://www.impact.ie/new-collective-bargaining-legislation-vitally-important .
http://www.siptu.ie/media/pressreleases2015/othernews/fullstory .

The Union of Tourism and Catering of Croatia (STUH) has started a Fair Hotels initiative. The Fair Hotels website provides a list of all hotels where workers' rights are respected and employees are covered by collective bargaining. The site, available in English and Croatian, follows the example of earlier initiatives in Ireland, North America and Sweden.
English: http://www.iuf.org/w .

After a massive clash with trade unions over the right to negotiate a local collective agreement, Ryanair has announced it will be leaving Denmark. The dispute between the trade unions and the Irish airline started over Ryanair's claim that it could employ local employees on Irish contracts; a dispute that resembles a previous clash with French unions reported in this newsletter in October 2013. Danish unions attempted to open collective negotiations, took the airline to court and now announced a strike in an attempt to be able to defend local employees' labour rights. Ryanair challenged the legality of the strike, but was overruled by the Labour Court, which recognised the union's right to strike and blockade Ryanair aircraft in case the airline refuses to negotiate a collective agreement. Ryanair has now said it will end operations at Copenhagen airport and will leave Billund airport too, unless the strike is called off. The city council of Copenhagen voted later on to stop all present and future investments in Ryanair because the working conditions offered by Ryanair are inconsistent with the values that the city adheres to.
English: http://www.irishtimes.com/business/transport-and-tourism/ryanair-quits .
https://www.etuc.org/press/danish-court-backs-trade-union .