Late December 2014 prison officers from all correctional facilities staged protests in front of their workplaces in expression of their discontent with the non-observation of the Ministry of the Interior Act. The demonstrations concerned the bad labour conditions and the unfulfilled engagements of the Ministry of Justice. The protest was under the motto of `Until when? Law and lawlessness!' The protesters expressed worries about both layoffs and a lack of increase in salaries. A meeting between the trade unions and the Minister of Justice on the problems connected with the non-implementation of the engagements and violation of the rights of the workers in the sector was organised on 28 January.
English: http://www.focus-fen.net/news/2015/01/28/361508/trade-union-of-prison-workers ...
http://www.focus-fen.net/news/2015/01/12/359826/bulgaria-prison-officers ...
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The world's biggest producer of ball bearings SKF announced massive job cuts even though its net profits soared fivefold in 2014. The Gothenburg-based company - which employs worldwide 48,600 people - believes the cost-cutting measures will yield a 7.5% productivity improvement over the coming two years.
English: http://www.thelocal.se/20150128/huge-cuts-at-sfk-gothenburg
The main trade unions organised a widespread political strike, to demonstrate their unhappiness over the government's proposed changes in work rules. The union action disrupted public transport and daily life nationwide. The protest against the government's proposed changes to the law called arbeidsmiljoloven, which regulates working conditions, will continue. Trade union leaders claim the changes will raise the risk of more forced overtime and more weekend work, and allow employers to hire more temporary workers instead of offering them full-time jobs. They fear a decline in job protection and claim the changes will shift more power to employers at the expense of employees.
English: http://www.tnp.no/norway/panorama/4795-political-strike-in-norway-continues ...
http://www.newsinenglish.no/2015/01/23/political-strike-to-hit-next-week/
A trade union survey among 2.500 nursing workers has revealed that health care workers are increasingly dissatisfied with their working conditions. Respondents say they simply need more hands, along with better recognition for the important work they do. It was the third time that the nursing union carried out a working life barometer survey, assessing such things are best practices, participative management, the rewards associated with the work, and high quality care.
English: http://yle.fi/uutiset/feeling_of_not_being_enough ...
A report with key data on industries and construction published by Statistik Austria provides a retrospective overview relating to the development of these core sectors of the economy in 2013. Enterprises, establishments, employees, turnover, earnings, volumes of work and orders, production and indices are shown. The full report (in German) comes with details on brut and net wages and illustrates the impact of collective bargaining on wages, working time and other working conditions.
English: http://www.statistik.at/web_en/publications_services ...
The trade unions Unison, Unite, GMB and the Royal College of Midwives suspended strike action for the National Health Service members in England and Northern Ireland that was scheduled for 29 January. Suspension followed several meetings with Health Secretary Hunt to resolve disputes over pay. The unions will consult the members over a proposal put forward by the Department of Health. Several NHS walkouts were staged across the country last year after the government's decision not to implement a recommended 1% pay rise. The new proposal is said to include an extra £200 a year for lower paid staff and an increase of the bottom level of annual pay to £15,100.
English: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/nhs/11372710/NHS-strike-halted-amid-more-talks ...
90% of unionised employees in the banking sector participated in a nationwide strike after the Italian Banking Association (ABI) refused to conclude a national collective agreement. The trade unions have the impression that the ABI aims to dismantle the national collective agreement and its safeguards and to replace it with company based negotiations. This will produce huge disparities in wages and in the treatment of workers, paving the way for savage job cuts.
English: http://www.gazzettadelsud.it/news/english/126725/90--of-bank-employees-on-strike ...
A legal dispute with low cost carrier Ryanair has entered into a new phase (see our May 2014 Newsletter). The company will be forced to hand over a series of documents, including the labour contracts of pilots that fly from and to Brussels airport. Ryanair applies Irish's working conditions on board. The association of Belgian carriers BATA has initiated legal action at the Brussel's court, stating that the refusal to comply with Belgian working conditions leads to the distortion of competition.
French: http://www.lesoir.be/768961/article/actualite ...
Dutch: http://www.luchtvaartnieuws.nl/nieuws/categorie/2/airlines/ryanair-moet-inzage ...
The management of V&D, a large retailer owned by private equity company Sun Capital, has asked all staff to accept pay cuts of 6%, but without a job guarantee. Backed up by the trade unions the workers are planning either a joint action or a number of test cases in their legal fight. V&D has a workforce of 5,000 employees. The company was bought in 2004 by the notorious private equity company KKR. Under that regime large parts of the company's subsidiaries and premises were sold with substantial profit. The remaining part was loaded with debt, a situation that continued after the entrance of Sun Capital in 2010.
English: http://www.dutchnews.nl/news/archives/2015/01/vd-workers-go-to-court ...
The government considers legislation to reform rules on worker representation after talks between trade unions and employers ended without agreement. Companies say red tape connected with worker representation is a brake on hiring and investment. They see the threshold of 50 workers as a real obstacle; some smaller businesses limit the size of their workforce, keeping it at 49 employees, to avoid the requirement that they have to install works councils and health and safety committees. For the trade unions the representation right is a fundamental right independent from the company size.
English: http://af.reuters.com/article/worldNews ...