Workers at Albert Heijn distribution centres went on strike for higher wages and more job security. The members of the FNV union refused the 1.76% pay offer, while trade union CNV had accepted. The FNV was demanding a wage increase of at least 2.5%, in line with inflation, as well as more job security and a regular contract as direct hires for temp agency workers who have been with Albert Heijn for at least 18 months. The company has now agreed that people who worked regularly for the company on agency contracts will be offered a formal job after three years. Also the redundancy packages for staff that lose their jobs up to 2016 will improve.
English: http://www.dutchnews.nl/news/archives/2013/03/albert_heijn_fnv ...
http://www.dutchnews.nl/news/archives/2013/03/union_steps_up_strikes_at_albe.php
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The Global Union Research Network (GURN) has published a report from Stefan Khn who uses the IILS Global Economic Linkages (GEL) model to have a closer look on the macroeconomic effects of a change in the labour share. Assuming that labour shares play a key role in economic growth, he finds that changes are the results of the dynamics of wages, employment and productivity growth. Vice versa they are affecting the dynamics by providing growth opportunities through higher domestic demand. Therefore, a change of current austerity policies imposed on Eurozone countries in favour of a wage-led approach is needed. This is what sustainable policies of releasing pressures on fiscal balances could look like as higher consumption, employment and real wages translate e.g. to higher tax revenues. An increase in labour shares would foster employment growth while avoiding a spiral of competitive wage reductions and slow demand.
English: http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public ...
Over 5000 workers walked off work at car manufacturer Dacia due to anger over a too low wage offer. Trade unions had demanded a 25% pay rise, but Dacia returned a 5% final offer. The new collective agreement is due to be signed on the 31 March and according to a Dacia spokesperson, negotiations are on-going.
English: http://www.romania-insider.com/workers-at-car-manufacturer-dacias ...
The ILVA steel mill in Taranto, the factory with the highest number work-related deaths in Europe (see also the February Newsletter), has registered the death of yet another worker, the third person to die at the factory in the space of a mere four months, while a colleague is in a serious condition. The future of the plant is uncertain and ILVA has ordered 6417 workers to be laid off and put on a reduced, public compensatory wage. In this way, ILVA forces the state to pay the workers' salaries, even though the production stoppage was directly caused by negligence of its board.
English: http://www.steelguru.com/international_news/Railway_workers_union_calls ...
http://strugglesinitaly.wordpress.com/2013/03/01/en-taranto-and-turin-the-war ...
A new report of the official statistical bureau comes up with graphs and figures over the period 2005-2012. Unemployment decreased in 2012 to 13.2% (from 15.3% in 2011). Compared to the situation in other EU countries the average wage is very low. Average wage decreased sharply in 2009 and remained relatively stable throughout 2010 and 2011. Gross wage growth in 2012 remained modest, and net real wage growth was still negative, although in absolute terms the 2008 level of the gross wages was almost reached.
English: http://www.stat.gov.lt/uploads/blog/1364550785.pdf
In the middle of an industrial dispute over patient safety, the Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust has de-recognised Unite. Paramedics have reacted to this de-recognition by voting to strike. The paramedics are instating an overtime ban and will strike on 2 April. The conflict originates from the trust's plans to replace some fully-trained paramedics by `emergency care assistants', who will have had only six week training. The ambulance service plans to cut costs by teaming up a fully trained paramedic and an emergency care assistant in each ambulance, rather than sending two paramedics.
English: http://union-news.co.uk/2013/03/paramedics-vote-for-strike-action-after ...
It may be no surprise, but in the slipstream of recent labour disputes it has become clear which side they are on. After several clashes that showed the resistance tire producers face from trade unions and workers in efforts to rein in losses in the region prominent US press agencies have started to defend the executives that came up with plans for closures. In some articles the blame is given to the unions that are said to have `rejected all labour offers made by executives'.
English: http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/344912
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/17/world/europe/fates-of-2-factories-show-social ...
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-03-04/labor-challenges-plant-closings ...
Technical support staff at Finnair went on strike in protest against the start of negotiations over job cuts. Finnair announced that as a part of its restructuring plans, it intends to lay off 300 of its 900 technical support staff.
English: http://yle.fi/uutiset/finnair_technical_staff_on_strike/6539862
A picket line announced by the joint trade unions at Luxair was cancelled after an agreement on the information policy of the company was reached. The aim of the protest was to criticize the non-respect of the information and consultation rights of the workers with regard to the planned decision-making over a new company strategy. Delegates had also asked that a March 18 board meeting should be postponed so that they could analyse the business model in full; however, this request was not granted.
English: http://www.aws-spnm.net/en/view/luxembourg-unions-to-protest-against ...
German: http://www.ogbl.lu/de/blog/piquet-de-protestation-du-18-mars-2013-annule/
As new troika-led legislation comes into force, banking trade union OTOE has found that its sectoral collective agreement might be automatically cancelled in May. In accordance with the new laws, any sectoral collective agreement will be automatically cancelled three months after its expiration if the parties concerned fail to reach a new agreement. If the banking sector collective agreement is cancelled, employees will have only the national minimum wage to fall back on.
English: http://www.uniglobalunion.org/Apps/uni.nsf/pages ...