Trade unions and employers' organisation Graphic Enterprise Scotland have closed a new collective agreement, containing a 2% wage increase. The collective agreement is the first since 2008 and both parties have committed to strengthening collective bargaining in the sector. The agreement will benefit over 700 workers and covers negotiations for wages, overtime premium, shift premium, holidays, and all other aspects of work.
English: http://www.unitetheunion.org/news__events ...
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Hospital consultants and the Health Service Executive (HSE) have announced that a deal has been made regarding new pay and working conditions. However, much remains unclear. As reported in last month's newsletter, the consultants and the HSE were in conflict over a lower entry pay, more flexible scheduling and the elimination of the so-called historic leave, under which several hundred consultants are entitled to a final year off as a compensation for past overtime. Scheduling issues have been solved as a part of the agreement, allowing consultants to be scheduled in any five of seven days during night or day, rather than from Monday to Friday. The historic leave will be referred to the labour court for non-binding adjudication and the issues of rest days and second opinion fees for binding adjudication. Whilst no agreement was found on lower entry rates for new consultants, the HSE has announced it will unilaterally press ahead with the measure, lowering annual salaries by about €50,000.
English: http://www.rte.ie/news/2012/0917/consultant-hse-talks.html
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2012/0917/breaking2.html
The National Statistics Institute has reported that in the second quarter of 2012, total hourly labour costs rose by 4.8% compared to costs one year earlier. Sectors administering the highest labour cost increases were wholesale and retail trade, repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles, services and professional, scientific and technical activities. The largest decrease in labour costs was found in electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply and construction.
English: http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=143299
Large protests took place in over 40 cities against a new wave of austerity measures. In a recent statement, the government announced measures including the raising of workers' social security contributions from 11% to 18% (roughly a monthly salary's wage cut) and the cancellation of Christmas or holiday bonuses (equivalent to another month's wages). Further increases in income taxes are also expected.
English: http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/large-anti-austerity-demonstrations ...
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-09-11/portugal-labor-unions-plan-strikes ...
A new mass demonstration against austerity was organised on 15 September. The demonstration was organised against the cuts in the public sector, reform of the labour law and the removal of Christmas bonuses and overtime pay, reported in the previous edition of this newsletter. Hundreds of thousands demonstrated in Madrid, whilst police estimates show around 1.5 million people mobilised in another protest in Barcelona.
English: http://www.industriall-union.org/spanish-unions-lead-workers-in-protest ...
http://www.timesunion.com/business/article/Large-anti-austerity-protests ...
http://cms.iuf.org/?q=node/1895
After more than a year of uncertainty over the future of the country's largest non-ferrous metal producer LZC, reported in previous newsletters, the Kardzhali plant was sold this month to Harmony 2012 Ltd. While four hours before the bidding deadline no offers had been submitted, three bids emerged last minute. The plant was sold for 8.6 million Lev (4.4 million euro) and includes the plant's premises and land but not its machines. The total debt of the plant under its current owner is estimated at 350 million Lev (179 million euro).
English: http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=143224
Trade union ver.di has called a warning strike at DHL Fashion. The union is negotiating higher wages and better working conditions for workers at DHL warehouses that store and process clothing and consumer goods for retail outlets. Some 2,100 workers in Hamburg, Essen and Oranienburg participated in the strike.
English: http://www.uniglobalunion.org/Apps/uni.nsf/pages/homepageEn ...
A planned 24-hour strike by Limassol bus drivers ended Friday morning 14 September. The bus company Emel agreed to pay wages that staff said had owed for two weeks. The work stoppage ended, following a vote by the unions. The strike was a warning of stronger measures to come if the company didn't pay up.
English: http://www.cyprusedirectory.com/articleview.aspx?ID=26381
Norwegian aviation unions have called on the state-owned Norwegian Investment Bank to disinvest in Turkish Airlines following the sacking of 305 trade union activists. The unions argue that since the blatant violations of workers' rights by Turkish Airlines, investment in the company would be against the bank's charter of principles. The Norwegian unions' support is one in a growing list of solidarity actions by European unions.
English: http://www.itfglobal.org/news-online ...
The new law on the indexation of pensions has passed the Parliament and been signed by the President of the republic, despite protests from left wing parties and the council of the elderly. Starting from 2013, pensioned will be indexed over a three-year period based for one third of the growth in prices and one third of the rise in real wages. The slowing down of pension growth is expected to save 2 billion euros (48 billion crowns) over the next three years. The old indexation system adjusted the pensions at the same level as the inflation rate.
English: http://praguemonitor.com/2012/09/13/slowing-down-pensions-growth ...