Collective Bargaining

The trade union confederation has urged the government to find solutions to the wave of redundancies that has recently hit the North East Estonian Ida-Virumaa county. Making thousands of people redundant is today not just a temporary economic setback of individual sectors but a major social security risk to the country as a whole. The unions are in fever of serious talks with all stakeholders.
English: http://www.baltic-course.com/eng/markets_and_companies ...

In a recommendation over a row concerning a €25m completion bonus payment for work being carried out at an Intel construction site in Co Kildare, the Labour Court urged one of the country's largest unions, the Technical, Engineering, and Electrical Union (TEEU) and the Construction Industry Federation (CIF) to make `a sustained and final effort' to reach a deal over the union's €25m claim for bonus payments for members' work. The project was one of the largest construction sites in the country that employed, at its peak, up to 5,000 people. In May 2014, TEEU, which represents around 10 building contractors on the Intel site, wrote to CIF seeking payment in lieu of notice for all workers who were continuously employed on the site since April 7, 2014. The payments being sought ranged from €3,200 for those who had been working on the site for three to six months to €8,000 for those employed for more than 12 months. Talks failed at the Labour Relations Commission in 2014, with the dispute going before the Labour Court.
English: http://www.irishexaminer.com/business/labour-court-urges-deal-on-bonuses ...

In September 2014 a major conference was held under the joint auspices of the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) and the European Trade Union Institute (ETUI) under the heading Europe at a crossroads. Which way to quality jobs and prosperity? An important part of the final conference report is dedicated to the perspectives of social dialogue and collective bargaining. Several speakers noted that the actual reform agenda limits the scope of collective bargaining and forms a real threat for existing labour standards.
English: http://www.etui.org/Events/Europe-at-a-crossroads ...

According to the Council of Europe the actual monthly minimum wage of €648.60 is not sufficient to ensure a decent standard of living. Around 200,000 workers earn the country's minimum wage which is said by trade unions falling down in terms of its obligations in terms of the European Social Charter, which recommends a minimum wage of 60% of the average wage.
English: http://www.thelocal.es/20150123/spains-minimum-wage-inadequate-europe

The trade union confederation TUC has produced an online guide to help combat the exploitation of migrant workers. The guide, `Working in the UK', available in Polish, Romanian, Bulgarian, Hungarian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Slovakian, Russian, Portuguese, Spanish, Italian, French and English provides workers with information and guidance on crucial issues such as pay, employment contracts, working hours, sick pay, and health and safety. It also explains how trade unions help workers deal with mistreatment, such as bogus self-employment or non-payment of the minimum wage, and bargain for better pay and conditions.
English: http://www.tuc.org.uk/workingintheuk

Deutsche Post is expanding its DHL parcel business, but new workers will have to accept lower wages than the group's other employees as the postal and logistics group tries to compete in a rapidly growing industry. Trade union Verdi criticised the plans as being designed to side-step existing pay agreements. Deutsche Post intends to apply collective agreements for the logistics sector, rather than its own more generous in-house agreement.
English: http://in.reuters.com/article/2015/01/22/deutsche-post-workers ...

In an interview the president of the school teachers union explains what austerity has meant for the education sector. The reduction of the education budget to less than 2% of GDP has brought the country in the ranks of the worst countries in the world. The total workforce in education has been reduced with 27% and 2000 schools were closed. Wage cuts went up to 45%, bringing down the monthly wage to 640 euro. The level of education has decreased with a generation that will never have the opportunity to attend school.
English: http://www.equaltimes.org/greel-schoolteachers-denounce ...

As part of an agreement with the global trade union IndustriALL, Total, which employs 100,000 workers in more than 130 countries guarantees employee rights across the company's international operations. Included rights are the rights of workers to form trade unions, the exclusion of any form of discrimination against employees based on union activity and the initiative to take all necessary measures to encourage social dialogue with workers.
English: http://www.industriall-union.org/industriall-signs-global-union-agreement ...

Tesco, one of the largest employers in retail, announced that a new law stripping loss-making grocery stores of their operating permits after two consecutive years of trading in the red may result in an additional 33 store closures. The company stated that it would provide the workers it is laying off with higher severance pay than required by the law. The Association of Entrepreneurs and Employers, and trade union Liga have warned that the legislation could result in as many as 30,000 job losses.
English: http://budapestbeacon.com/economics/hungarys-illiberal-democracy-may-result ...

Trade union UHM has expressed concern over recent internal movement of workers within energy company Enemalta that are occurring without any consultation. The union has written to the executive chair of the company and asked several questions regarding uncertainties concerning employees as a result of an outsourcing process. The questions deal with income guarantees, allowances related to shifts and the transfer of workers to other entities and government departments.
English: http://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2015-01-22/local-news/UHM-express ...