Collective Bargaining

After four rounds of negotiations, employees in the monument, façade and building cleaning sector and home care sector will receive a significant salary increase of 2.75%. Even apprentices will receive this raise. The minimum wage will be set at € 1,598.11. Holiday payments will be paid quarterly and in advance, thus making it easier for the cleaners to manage financially. Another important point reached is the transparency in the pay slips making it easier for employees to check the several surcharges for overtime and other extra services.

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On 22 November 2019, the Mining, Chemicals and Energy Union (IG BCE) and its counterpart on the employer side, the BAVC, concluded a new collective agreement covering 580,000 employees in the German chemical and pharmaceutical industry. The innovative agreement, which runs for 29 months, includes the following key elements: first, a staged pay increase varying over time from 1.5% to 1.3%; second, the creation of an ‘account for the future’ which provides employees with the choice between additional pay increases or more time off; third, the introduction of an employer-financed, long-term care insurance. According to the IG BCE, the value of the whole package equals a pay increase of 6%.

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In 2018, the expected duration of the working life of people in Cyprus  (i.e. the number of years that 15-year-olds are expected to work over their lifetime) was 37.1 years, above the EU 28 average of 36.2 years, according to figures published by Eurostat on Friday. For men it was 39.9 years and for women it was 34.1 years. In 2017, the expected working life was 36.3 years and in 2000 it was 36.8 years. Eurostat said that the EU average of 36.2 years is 0.3 years longer than in 2017 and 3.3 years longer than in 2000. Men are expected to work longer than women: on average, the expected working life for men in the EU is 38.6 years and for women 33.7.

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According to the results of the Cyprus Statistical Service’s Labour Force Survey, in the third quarter of 2019 the labour force amounted to 447,206 persons or 63% of the population, in comparison to 442,456 persons (63.1%) in the corresponding quarter of 2018. The number of employed persons was 417,118 and the employment rate 58.7%, in comparison to 407,728 persons (58.2%) in the corresponding quarter of 2018.

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The National Assembly endorsed legislation that curtails pay rises in the public sector but also brings an unscheduled increase in pensions in December 2020, assuming GDP growth exceeds 2.5%. Despite opposition from pensioners' associations and several parties, the increase will be a flat €6.50 for all pensioners, rather than a percentage increase. If GDP growth is significantly higher (up to 3.5%), which is unlikely according to the latest forecasts, pensions would rise by €9.75.

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According to preliminary data from Statistics Estonia, in 2018 managers had the highest gross hourly earnings, while elementary workers had the lowest. In 2018, the gross hourly earnings of managers were €11 and those of elementary occupations workers €4.60. The average gross hourly earnings increased by 29% in four years. Compared to 2014, gross hourly earnings increased the most for skilled agricultural, forestry and fishery workers (36%) and service and sales workers (35%). The earnings increased the least for technicians and associate professionals (22%).

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After unemployment increased slightly to over 5% in September, it dropped in late October to 4.94%. In annual terms, it fell by 0.29 percentage points. This drop stands in contrast to reports suggesting an economic slowdown. According to bank analysts, the unemployment rate has been persistently low because the number of available jobs, especially in the west of the country, is still quite high. Unemployment will probably continue to hover around 5% next year.

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After four rounds of collective bargaining and more than 200 company meetings the union GPA-djp reached a new collective agreement for the 413,000 employees in commerce. The lower salaries will increase by 2.5%, the others by a slightly smaller amount, and on average the increase will be 2.35%. Apprentices will even receive a 7.4% higher compensation. In order to fight increasing work pressure, two additional leisure days will be given, the first after 10 years and the second after 15 years in service.

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According to trade union ALEBA asset management firm KBC (with 42,000 employees worldwide and an annual profit of €7.5 billion) is planning to cut all local jobs as part of a company restructuring. The 20 staff members will be laid off in 2020. This announcement, not yet confirmed by the company, comes just one month after other financial institutions also announced job slashes.

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The united trade unions representing railway workers rejected a draft social accord for 2020-2022 proposed by the management. The unions stuck to their demands, including a wage raise of 1.1% and the maintenance of a 36-hour working week for the entire workforce, both present and future. The negotiations on the social accord already began in June 2019. Management has been given a week to respond.

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