Collective Bargaining

Organisations working with migrant workers have criticised the government for not having recommended ratifying the ILO convention that aims to improve the conditions of people working in households. Whilst activists and experts say domestic work is increasing and workers often work in unsuitable conditions the government has stated that the issue is not significant.
English: http://praguemonitor.com/2012/08/13/ngos-govt-belittles-foreign ...

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The largest employers `organisation in the metal sector (FMMI) has announced the intention to negotiate separately. To FMMI 742 (mainly large) companies are affiliated with almost 116,000 workers. Up till now the employer' side in the metal sector consisted of six organisations (with in total 175,000 workers). The trade union PRO-GE and GPA-dpj have declared that this is a clear breach of the existing social partnership. Negotiations at primarily conducted at the sectoral level between the unions on the one side and the chambers of commerce on the other. These chambers are legal bodies representing employers in almost all industries, to which all employers must belong by law. The metal sector usually sets the negotiation pace.
German: http://www.tt.com/Nachrichten/5245976-2/tauziehen-um-metallerrunde.csphttp://www.oegb.at/servlet/Content ...
English: http://www.industriall-union.org/long-standing-social-partnership-at-risk ...
Focus on the Austrian collective bargaining model: http://www.worker-participation.eu/National-Industrial-Relations/Countries/Austria ...

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Merck Serono employees in Geneva accepted a Memorandum of Understanding that was reached in bargaining between worker representatives, trade union UNIA, and management of the pharmaceuticals giant, under the mediation of Geneva authorities. Workers had renewed strike action in early August as the company refused to improve the social plan, in one of the largest industrial action campaigns in recent history (see our June Newsletter). The decision to close the sites in Geneva and Coisins was not reversed, but gains were won enabling early retirement of older employees, on good terms. Minimum redundancy payments were increased. A special fund was created for compensation for temporary workers and subcontractors. Workers are released from work for one month to look for another job. Also achieved was the commitment from Merck Serono to support the creation of a biotechnology institute, under certain conditions.
English: http://www.industriall-union.org/conflict-at-merck-serono-switzerland ...
French (detailed archive): http://www.unia.ch/Meldungen.6267.0.html?&L=1
German (detailed archive): http://www.unia.ch/Meldungen.6267.0.html

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Statistics Finland has published updated figures on the year-on-year change in wages and salaries. The wages and salaries sum of the whole economy was 4.8% greater in the 2012 April to June period than in the corresponding period twelve months earlier. In June alone, the wages and salaries sum of the whole economy grew by 6.5% year-on-year. In the April to June period one year ago, the wages and salaries sum grew by 5.2%. Growth was fastest in construction (9.6%) and health and social work (8.6%). Most moderate growth was in private educational services (2.6%). As part of the framework agreement concluded by central labour market organisations at the end of 2011, wage and salary earners of the sectors bound by the agreement are paid a one-off item of €150 together with the first wage payment of 2012 or in connection with the first wage payment of the later starting agreement period.
English: http://www.stat.fi/til/ktps/2012/06/ktps ...

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The national institute of statistics (INE) has released a report showing that only 43.5% of the country's unemployed received benefits in June. The average amount of benefits was €531.35 per month. Men were more likely than women to receive benefits.
English: http://theportugalnews.com/news/more-than-half-of-jobless-get-no ...

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Nestl‚ has proposed to its employees the reduction of their working hours by 25% and in exchange Nestl‚ will hire in their children. Unions have reacted to the proposal as an attack on workers' rights and added that the company has already lost most of its older employees through early retirement schemes with the effect that their workers' children are mainly underage.
English: http://cms.iuf.org/?q=node/1858
Unicredit employees on strike over collective premium
July27, 2012
An estimated 85% of the 55,000 Unicredit employees went on strike on 27 July, leading to the closing of around 90% of the branches. The employees protest against the unwillingness of management to discuss collective premiums demanded by the unions, whilst management are receiving bonuses and stock options.
English: http://www.uniglobalunion.org/Apps/uni.nsf ...

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Workers at the Navegadores hotel in Monte Gordo have gone on strike to protest against unpaid overtime and premium pay. The Algarve Hotels Union also presented the strike as a protest against revised labour legislation, whichfacilitates easy hiring and firing, eliminates public holidays, reduces paid holidays and deregulates worker's timetables by annulling or suspending the agreements made during collective hiring.
English: http://theportugalnews.com/news/hotel-staff-strike-against-overtime-and ...

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The management at a Kronospan factory (belonging to the Austria-based manufacturer) has made a range of attempts to reduce the trade union influence. The IER Nezavisnost union has been protesting unfair labour practices like unhealthy working conditions, low wages of union members, long working hours, non-payment for sick leave and overtime, pressure and humiliation of union members. Late June the company dismissed ten union members with unjustified reasons.
English: http://www.industriall-union.org/ier-nezavisnost-of-serbia-fight-back-at-kronospan

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According to a report of Statistics Austria flexible working increased only marginally in the last three years and in 2011 those in `non-standard employment', including temporary staffing, made up 31% of the total labour force. Half of the temporary agency workers in the country are aged under 35. The latest figures by the Federal Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Consumer Protection (BMASK) showed that the temporary staffing industry has been suffering from declining activities for months. This continued into the month of July where unemployment among temporary staff was up by +16.8%.
English: http://www.staffingindustry.com/eng/Research-Publications/Daily-News/Austria ...
German: http://www.bmask.gv.at/site/Startseite/Topnews/Hundstorfer_zu_Juli ... http://www.statistik.at/web_de/dynamic/statistiken/arbeitsmarkt/066117

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One Housing Group, managing 13,000 houses in London and the South East and employing 245 people, is attempting to fire its staff just to hire them again at two-thirds of their former wages. Unions have reacted outraged and warned that a significant fraction of the staff would not be able to pay rents and mortgages under the new wage.
English: http://www.unitetheunion.org/news__events/latest_news/housing_association ...

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