Collective Bargaining

Workers at the Lodz Tesco store have staged new protests to speak out against union bashing. As reported in previous newsletters, the union's lead organising at the store was fired in March 2014 while attempting to negotiate collective agreement. The workers continue to stage protests to show they won't give in to union bashing strategies.
English: http://www.uniglobalunion.org/news/protest-front-tesco-hypermarket-lodz-poland

Car manufacturer Dacia, owned by French manufacturer Renault, has said it will have to moderate wages, shed jobs and increase automation in order to remain competitive. The car manufacturer, which recently opened a factory in Egypt, said that Romanian wages are too high, ignoring that labour costs are amongst the lowest in the EU. Dacia has been one of Renault's bestselling brands, driving much of the company's growth in recent years.
English: http://uatoday.tv/business/romania-s-dacia-to-shed-jobs-to-increase-competitiveness .

Unions at the Italian branches of French owned retailer Auchan have called a nationwide strike. The workers are protesting against management's unilateral decision to withdraw the collective agreement and implement large scale layoffs. Unions are demanding a social dialogue, as well as a halt on the layoffs. Union representatives said the company's current financial difficulties are not the result of the crisis but of risky investment strategies that should not be passed on to the workers.
English: http://www.uniglobalunion.org/news/italian-unions-unite-call-a-national-day .

The bargaining partners in hospitality have concluded a new collective agreement (for around 200000 workers in the sector). Trade union vida and the sections gastronomy and hotels of the Chamber of Commerce agreed (as from 1 May 2015) a minimum wage of 1,400 euro and an overall increase of the wages with 2.35%. The apprentices' fees will increase with 3.48%: during the first year to the amount of 625 euro, during the second 695 euro, the third 830 euro and the last year of training 910 euro.
German: http://www.oegb.at/cms .

Pilots and deck crew of TAP Portugal and Portugalia went on strike from 1 to 10 May. The strike was called after the pilots' union said that the government and TAP management had broken promises that were made at the start of the ongoing process of privatisation. In 1999 and December 2014, a general agreement was signed which gave pilots the right to shares of up to 20 percent in the capital in case the airline was privatised. When the privatisation process was started in the middle of the economic crisis, however, the clause was initially ignored, prompting large scale protests reported in this newsletter. An agreement in December 2014 appeased the row, but pilots now claim that management has disrespected the guarantees from both agreements. The ten day strike action affected an estimated 300,000 passengers on 300 flights and took place in the week ahead of the deadline for investors' bids to buy a majority share in TAP.
English: http://www.theportugalnews.com/news/tap-estimates-majority-of-flights .
http://www.theportugalnews.com/news/portugal-braces-for-air-travel-chaos .

In a change of policy the government has re-hired thousands of workers. The public sector workers were fired as a part of the austerity programmes. The new government is now making use of all of the limited flexibility in the agreements to re-hire some 4,000 school guards, cleaning ladies and civil servants. The move is expected to put the government at odds with money lenders, who have refused to pay the next tranche of loans until new reforms have been agreed upon.
English: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe .

Day care workers voted in favour of extending the strike reported in last month's newsletter to an indefinite strike. The day care workers are asking for higher pay in the underpaid sector. The day care teachers are placed in a relatively low pay grade, which is associated with a lower pay rate.
English: http://www.csee-etuce.org/en/news/archive/912-indefinite-strikes .

The economic perspective of the country is depending to a large extend on the exchange rate between the Swiss franc and the euro. Especially the export decreased substantially (-9% in the first quarter of 2015). By the end of 2014 employment in construction and (parts of) manufacturing reduced whilst the services sector showed a growth of jobs. Notwithstanding this the overall employment outlook is still positive, with unemployment staying stable at 2.4% of the workforce.
German: http://www.llv.li/files/as/konjunkturbericht .

Health care staff has rallied outside of the Department of Health to demand fair pay. Both frontline and support workers have accepted wage freezes for years under an agreement to save jobs. Trade unions have said that health care workers have done everything they promised under the agreement and expect the government to honour its obligations by raising the wage after the years of saving.
English: http://www.uniglobalunion.org/news/siptu-health-members-rally-fair-pay

Postal workers, employed by the publicly owned Correos service, staged a strike on 4 May to defend their right to collective bargaining. Trade unions CCOO and UGT have been attempting to enter collective agreement negotiations for months, but found progress impeded by government and Correos representatives. Since the start of the economic crisis, Correos has frozen wages and eliminated over 15,000 jobs. In a large scale protest, 85% of Correos staff, equalling tens of thousands of workers, turned out for the strike. The workers are demanding real collective bargaining, a pay rise and an end to the layoffs.
English: http://www.uniglobalunion.org/news/spanish-postal-unions-strike .