The Employers' Association has stated that it will not accept any definition of precarious employment which is not internationally recognised. The organisation does not want to be drawn into discussions about any labour market issue which is not measured or properly defined. Whilst condemning abuses at the workplace, whether they are committed by employers, unions or employees, the Association reiterated its position that a number of practices which are being labelled as being precarious by some unions are, in reality, illegal practices which can be stopped through better law enforcement, self-regulation efforts and ethical public procurement processes which allow tendering companies (in particular in the sectors of security, caring and cleaning) to be able to offer decent conditions of employment to their employees.
English: http://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2013-06-05/news/employers-warn ...
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Trade unions GMB, UCATT, and Unite have closed two agreements with EDF Energy and its principal contractors, who will be building a nuclear power station at Hinkley Point. The Hinkley Point construction site will be the largest in the country, employing over 5000 workers. One agreement outlines how industrial relations will be handled and workers' rights protected for all workers on the site. The second agreement governs the pay structure at the site, which at a 13 craft rate will be well above the sector wide minimum. The agreement also includes a clause about making traineeships and apprenticeships a priority.
English: http://www.gmb.org.uk/newsroom/gmb-hinkley-point-agreement
The drugstore chain dayli, the successor of the company Schlecker, will close around 180 of the 885 Austrian shops. 560 employees will lose their jobs and have to register at the labour market service. The owner Rudolf Haberleitner accused the trade unions of being responsible for a negative campaign in regards to the Sunday opening hours that led to turbulences and `unplanned losses' of over 20 million Euros. The trade union GPA-djp asked Mr Haberleitner to take on responsibility for the employees and said the management's consultation of the works council came too late. The union is ready to ensure full support for all measures such as a redundancy plan and a work fund.
English: http://www.austria.com/dayli-closes-180-shops/3590375
German: http://www.ots.at/presseaussendung ...
The labour and social policy minister announced that the country could be confronted with a wave of unemployment in fall, as the EU funded programs for temporary employment is going to terminate. The partakers in the programs will not be re-employed, because the funds in the national strategy for encouragement of employment will not suffice. The peak of the EU funded Human Resources Development program fell on 2012. 80,000 young Bulgarians found a job at that time. As of June 2013 the labour contract of the persons involved will be terminated, and they will have to register at the employment agencies again.
English: http://www.friedlnews.com/article/bulgaria-wave-of-unemployment-expected-this-fall
The World Bank published the study Latvia: Who Is Unemployed, Inactive or Needy? According to this study social protection is still comparatively low when compared to the other EU member states, and the system of benefits is not favourable enough for low-income residents. The average spending on social protection in 2009 was 13% of gross domestic product, while the EU's average figure was 21%.
English: http://www.baltic-course.com/eng/analytics/?doc=75751
http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2013/05/17/latvia-who-is-unemployed ...
Changes in the Criminal Code and in the law on health-care providers might, among other things, impose stricter penalties on medical workers who refuse to come to work during a state of emergency. While the Health Ministry defended the change by referring to patient protection and the need to have special legislation for extraordinary situations, doctors' representatives branded the move an attempt to criminalise their profession and said they were considering steps to prevent the new rules from coming into force. Trade unions representing health-care workers are considering several steps in order to prevent the amendments from coming into force.
English: http://spectator.sme.sk/articles/view/50234/2/medical_workers_may_be_forced ...
Around 135,000 workers from the two largest government departments are holding joint rolling strikes over imposed cuts. Jobcentre and benefit office staff from the Department for Work and Pensions will join tax workers from HM Revenue and Customs in a series of regional walkouts. The strikes form part of trade union PCS's three-month civil service-wide campaign against imposed cuts to pay, pensions, jobs and working conditions, which has involved weeks of industrial action among the union's 250,000 public sector members since a national walkout on budget day on 20 March 2013. The union says the two departments are at the heart of the political debate about public spending and the workers involved provide invaluable public services - with HMRC collecting and administering the taxes that fund all other public services and the welfare state that are currently being undermined by the Tory-led government.
English: http://union-news.co.uk/2013/06/135000-government-workers-take-strike-action ...
http://union-news.co.uk/2013/06/pcs-strike-campaign-rolls-into-court/
A 24-hour national public transport strike caused major inconvenience for Rome commuters, although it had a more limited impact in other major cities. The strike called by the autonomous Fast Confsal union completely shuttered the Metro A line in Rome, while runs were reduced for the capital's buses, trains and trams.
English: http://www.gazzettadelsud.it/news/english/48892/National-public-transport-strike ...
Demonstrators from teachers' union PDSZ that were joined by student and parent organisations as well as the Liga unions association protested perceived shortfalls with the restructuring of the public education system. The unions fear that the government's restructuring of the public schools and higher education system, such as the establishment of a `Teachers' Faculty' headed by the minister in charge of education, will limit the room for professional negotiation.
English: http://www.politics.hu/20130603/demonstrators-protest ...
As reported in our April newsletter the textile firm Triumph plans redundancies in Burgenland (Eastern Austria). Women are affected in particular. A redundancy plan is currently being established. The total number of dismissals is 160. A redundancy plan shall ensure that the redundancies are as bearable as possible for the affected employees. Those who have to leave can get training. Elfriede Pomper, the chairperson of the works council in Oberwart, said that nobody has been fired yet.
English: http://austriantimes.at/news/Business/2013-05-30 ...