Collective Bargaining

A planned strike at Marks & Spencer stores has been averted after the union representing workers reached an agreement with store bosses. Trade union Mandate and Marks & Spencer negotiated a settlement which was balloted on and accepted by the members in the four stores.
English: http://www.independent.ie/business/irish/marks-spencer-strike-averted ...

Ambulance workers in Catalonia went on a four-day strike against wage cuts of 9.2%. The wage cuts are a consequence of the budget cuts, but are considered by unions to be illegal because the public framework contracts under which the ambulance companies operate do not provide for wage reductions. Disagreement exists over the level of mobilisation in the strike; government spokespersons said that only 7.74% of the staff joined the strike, whereas trade unions stressed that 90% of the staff that was scheduled and not obliged to maintain essential services participated in the action.
English: http://www.catalannewsagency.com/society-science/item/ambulance-workers ...
Spanish: http://ccaa.elpais.com/ccaa/2013/09/06/catalunya/1378462210_028252.html

The ministry of Social Affairs and Employment is setting up a research project to look at claims that people are being squeezed out of jobs by cheaper workers from eastern Europe. At the same time, the ministry is pressing ahead with controversial plans to force EU `labour migrants' to sign `participation contracts' pledging to obey the existing laws when they arrive. The ministry also made agreements with supermarkets and the agricultural sector to ensure workers are not exploited. This means making sure they are paid in line with sector-wide collective agreements, do not work longer than allowed by law and are not employed via dummy jobs agencies.
English: http://www.dutchnews.nl/news/archives/2013/09/eu_labour_migration_in_spot ...

The tripartite council of the National Health System (LNSS) agreed to prepare a sectoral collective agreement in the nearest future. It will regulate core obligations of the LNSS employers and employees, labour relations, holidays, payment, working conditions and other matters. A working group has been formed to draft the LNSS collective agreement. Trade unions of medics, employers and governmental representatives will delegate three persons each to the working group.
English: http://www.baltic-course.com/eng/markets_and_companies ...

According to data presented by Statistics Lithuania, average monthly gross salary increased in companies, institutions and organisations (sole proprietorships excluded) in all districts in the second quarter of 2013 compared to the first quarter. In the second quarter of 2013 highest average monthly gross salary was in Vilnius district (LTL 2,515 or € 728). Among other factors, the increase of salaries in the second quarter was influenced by seasonal fluctuations and greater volume of work.
English: http://www.lithuaniatribune.com/50016/average-monthly-salary-rises-in-lithuanian ...

Reacting on a report on part-time work, the affiliates of the trade union confederation ™GB have stated that the payment gap between fulltime and part-time workers needs to be challenged. The report indicates that part-time workers earn up to 25% less, a fact that strongly influences the pensions of these workers. With 84% women presented in the figures old age poverty becomes a serious threat for large parts of the population.
German: http://zfzsalzburg.wordpress.com/2013/08/28/unfreiwillige-teilzeitbeschaftigung/
http://www.oegb.at/servlet/ContentServer ...

The tourism and travel company TUI announced a restructuring of its activities (the travel agencies and tour operators Nouvelles FrontiŠres and Marmara, the airline company Corsair) with over 300 job losses. According to the management, 306 jobs will be cut, however data are disputed between unions and management. A voluntary departure plan affecting 247 employees with the closure of about 26 agencies (129 employees) and job cuts in headquarter (118) was confirmed by both unions and employers during an extra-ordinary works council meeting. The trade unions have planned a mobilisation against the overall restructuring plan and ask for meetings with the main shareholders in London and Hannover.
English: http://www.eurofound.europa.eu/emcc/erm/factsheets/25161
French: http://www.lesechos.fr/entreprises-secteurs/service-distribution/actu ...
http://www.liberation.fr/societe/2013/09/06/le-voyagiste-tui-france-supprime ...

Management and the trades unions at Brussels Airlines reached a compromise that should help ease the workload on cabin crew. The unions representing the cabin crew announced in a joint statement that a strike has probably been averted. The agreement contains two elements. In the short term, pressure of work on cabin crew will be addressed by a number of concrete measures that will be taken over the coming months. In the longer term, a framework will be drawn up to spread the workload more equitably.
English: http://www.deredactie.be/cm/vrtnieuws.english/Economy/130906_No_Strike

An alternative to existing Saturday work rules was agreed by the social partners, the commerce section of the Federal Economic Chamber (WKO) and the Union of Salaried Employees, Graphical Workers and Journalists (GPA-djp). The new model allows for regular work on Saturdays, but changes the emphasis for employees. It gives workers an entitlement to five prolonged bonus `super weekends' in a 26-week reference period. These long weekends will last from Friday to Sunday or from Saturday to Monday, and must be set out either in works agreements or in individual agreements in companies with no works council.
English: http://www.eurofound.europa.eu/eiro/2013/08/articles/at1308011i.htm

Trade union OGBL and workers representatives at the bankrupt FCPE group, which ran shops that suddenly closed their doors, have started to untie the puzzle of the complex web of management structures of the group. Seventeen companies running around 20 stores are tied to FCPE. The OGBL was not able to give an exact number of employees affected by the closures, though reports indicate that at least 70 members of staff are affected. Employees had not been paid their wages for August and the group had not paid social contributions for its employees for some time.
English: http://www.wort.lu/en/view/efforts-to-help-sales-staff-underway ...