Len McCluskey, the general secretary of trade union Unite, has warned that he would be prepared to hold unlawful strikes if the Conservatives change the law after the general election to enforce a higher threshold on strike ballots. The leadership of trade union Unite is openly questioning the Tory plans that could push the legitimate democratic work of trade unions outside of the law: it is a union's job to fight for working people's rights; if the government wants to challenge fundamental rights of the citizen, when the law is misguided, when it oppresses the people and removes their freedoms, can the unions respect it? Meanwhile the Liberal Democrat cabinet minister, who is responsible for union laws, has criticised the Conservatives for having an ideological aversion to trade unions.
English: http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/mar/20/len-mccluskey-issues-warning ...
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/vince-cable-draws-up-plans-to-let-unions ...
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/mar/19/unions-fight-workers-bad-law ...
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Management of the retail group Blokker and the trade unions have reached an agreement on the main components of a social plan to cover employees affected by a reorganisation. The deal outlines a compensation for those who are dismissed, employee training, as well as legal assistance and financial advisory for workers. The measures come into effect on April 1, 2015.
English: http://www.nltimes.nl/2015/03/19/blokker-unions-agree-on-buyouts-social-care ...
A recent report by the European Trade Union Institute has examined the European sectoral social dialogue, which has been characterised as more advanced than the intersectoral dialogue. The ETUI examined 730 joined texts from 43 sectors of the European economy. Researchers found widely diverging results, varying from dynamic bargaining in some sectors to the near absence of any social dialogue in others. The ETUI points out that there are far more joint lobbying texts to the European Institutions among the 730 joined texts than joint agreements on working conditions, training facilities or health and safety. Regarding the joint agreements, the researchers also note that member states have been reluctant to transpose the agreements, despite provisions in the EU Treaty to do so.
English: http://www.etui.org/Publications2/Working-Papers/The-European-sectoral ...
In its first ruling in a case regarding the Directive on Temporary Agency Work, the European Court of Justice decided member states must remove unjustified restrictions on the use of temporary agency work. The court stated that restrictions are only permitted on grounds of general interest; namely the protection of temporary agency workers, the requirements of health and safety at work, or the need to ensure that the labour market functions properly and abuses are prevented. While the wider repercussions of the ruling remain unclear, employers' organisation Eurociett has welcomed the ruling as a step towards a better functioning labour market; Eurociett president Muntz said the organisation expects a number of adjustments in laws and collective agreements to be set in motion by the court decision.
English: http://www.staffingindustry.com/eng/Research-Publications/Daily-News/Europe ...
Bus drivers who took part in a two-hour strike organised by trade union Haddiema Maghqudin (UHM) have received warning letters from Malta Public Transport management. The dispute is partly caused by a fight in union ranks, as both UHM and the General Workers Union (GWU) aim to represent the MPT workers. Despite a court ruling that workers have the right to choose to be represented by either, GWU is the only recognised union at MPT and therefore strikes called by UHM without GWU are technically illegal.
English: http://www.maltatoday.com.mt/news/national/50856/union_protests_warning_letters ...
Frontline workers employed by the Barking and Dagenham municipality are on strike against a major wage cut, which would leave them €1385 worse off per year. The cut follows years without pay rises, meaning that the workers have already suffered a loss of purchasing power. The strike action received widespread support from inhabitants. Bin lorry drivers taking strike action from 18 until 20 March and 7 and 8 April, however, may yet find their protests disturbed after learning that the city council has hired security guards and dogs to oversee the sites where actions are planned.
English: http://www.gmb.org.uk/newsroom/b-and-d-strikers-shocked
The DCT Gdansk container terminal, the largest and fastest growing port terminal in the country, has banned dock union organisers and terminated the employment contract of the union leader. The union, which is representing nearly half of the dock workers, has been organising protests demanding collective bargaining procedures to be set up in the company. The union wants to negotiate, amongst other things, on wages, contracts and holidays.
English: http://www.itfglobal.org/en/news-events/news/2015/march/polands-largest-container ...
Strikes at online retailer Amazon are going into their third year and continue to grow in intensity. Strikes that started in Bad Hersfeld and Leipzig have now spread to Graben, Rheinberg, Werne and Koblenz, covering six of the company's eight fulfilment centres. As reported repeatedly in this newsletter, Amazon has refused to apply to sector's collective agreement and has been unwilling to enter into negotiations with trade union representatives.
English: http://www.uniglobalunion.org/news/amazon-germany-workers-strike-again
The government has agreed on a plan for wide-ranging reforms of the tax system. People with lower earnings will pay less income tax, with the initial income tax rate reduced from 36.5 percent to 25 percent on yearly incomes under €18,000. The top tax bracket will increase to 55 percent, but only for those who earn more than €1 million a year. The reforms will come into force in 2016.
English: http://www.thelocal.at/20150317/austria-to-pass-tax-reforms-amid-protests
Trade unions FNV and CNV and the management of V&D had long discussions regarding the eventual wage moderation for the store's employees (see also our January Newsletter). According to the unions, the discussion started constructive. However, soon after the trade unions decided to freeze the negotiations with V&D, because V&D still intends to continue with the appeal against the recent ruling by the court that forbade a pay cut.
English: http://www.nltimes.nl/2015/03/17/vd-union-negotiations-increasingly-strained/