Collective Bargaining

The Portuguese ministry of Transport, intent on selling national airline TAP later this year, is studying an agreement closed between TAP and pilot unions after industrial action in 1999, which guarantees pilots between 10 and 20% of the airline's share capital in case of privatisation.
English: http://www.theportugalnews.com/cgi-bin/article.pl?id=1162-17

[close]

The negotiations for new collective agreements for the building sector, for the finishing sector, for wood and furniture and for building materials (in total 240,000 workers) were finalised in April with a pay increase as of 1 May that ranges from of 4.2 to 3.81%. The payment for apprentices has been improved in the different agreements, with an increase for apprentices in the painting branches of 6%. In other branches the apprentices follow the general increase. The agreements last for 12 months (till 1 May 2013).
German: http://www.oegb.at/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=OEGBZ ...
http://www.bau-holz.at/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=D01/Page/Index&n=D01_3.2 [close]

President of the Republic, Christofias, promised public servants that the 13th salaries will continue to exist. The statement follows union outrage at Finance minister Shiraly's declining to confirm or deny the preservation of civil servants' 13th salary in a press conference on Wednesday 25 April. The Finance minister reacted that no plan even existed to cut the 13th salary in efforts to reduce the budget deficit to 2.5%.
English: http://www.cyprus-mail.com/civil-servants/civil-servants-keep-13th-salary/20120427
http://www.cyprus-mail.com/vassos-shiarly/13th-salaries-next-chopping-block/20120426

[close]

Steel cord company Bekaert, the largest in the world, announced in February it would cut 1250 jobs in China and 600 in Belgium. After unions and company representatives concluded the first agreement in March, as reported in last month's CBN, a social plan was concluded and approved by the union members on 27 April. In the social plan, the maximum number of forced lay offs is set at 324 (previously 609). The reduction of redundancies will be done by leveraging internal mutations, a framework agreement for employees who leave voluntarily, no renewing of temporary contracts and an early retirement scheme (from 52 years).
Dutch: http://www.abvvmetaal.be/index.php?option=com_content&view .
http://www.abvvmetaal.be/index.php?option=com_content&view=article .
English: http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-02-03/bekaert-to-cut-1-850-jobs ...
http://www.deredactie.be/cm/vrtnieuws.english/news/1.1210619

[close]

On 21 April trade unions and a platform of more than 20 civil initiatives and NGOs protested against anti-social austerity reforms in a demonstration that gathered ten of thousands of people to Prague. The demands were to abolish the drastic reforms on health, welfare, pensions and other provisions. Protesters were carrying signs calling on the government to resign. Prime Minister Necas said the reform is necessary to avoid a debt trap. The trade unions and the Stop Government activists will continue with a series of protests culminating in a strike by the end of June.
English: http://www.businessweek.com/ap/2012-04/D9U9APLO0.htm
http://aktualne.centrum.cz/czechnews/clanek.phtml?id=737827
http://www.ceskenoviny.cz/news/zpravy/czech-trade-unions-stop-government .

[close]

A bus drivers' strike for the 2nd of May has been called off. The trade unions JyTy and JHL have been negotiating a new company collective agreement with Helsinki bus company Helsingin Bussiliikenne Oy to replace the old agreement that expires on 30 April. According to the unions the employers organisation PTY was refusing to meet market conform standards and a strike was announced. However, due to a new agreement bus services will operate normally. The agreement covers the period from 1 May 2012 to 31 March 2014.
English: http://www.artto.kaapeli.fi/unions/T2012/jhl09
http://www.jhl.fi/portal/en/news/archive/?bid=1972

[close]

Greek ferry workers at PNO, who have rejected reforms to their pensions and health care funding as well as plans to open up the sector, said they had no choice but to walk off the job shortly before the Eastern holidays started. The Panhellenic Seamen's Union (PNO) initiated the 48-hour strike, halting ferry services to Greek islands near Italy during Orthodox Easter. PNO members voted against a second 24-hour strike on national holiday 1st of May and opted, instead for a four-hour work stoppage on Mayday. PNO also called on its members to explain the workers' actions that are organised against what the PNO calls `an all-out attack that the rights of seamen are sustaining with the abolition of the collective labour agreements, the "looting" of social security funds and the increase in unemployment'.
English: http://www.emg.rs/en/news/region/178764.html
http://english.capital.gr/News.asp?id=1463756

[close]

Almost a year after the expiration of the last collective agreement in child services, union members have voted in favour of a new collective agreement that foresees in a pay increase of 2% starting, retroactively, from 1 May 2011. In addition a one-time 1.6% bonus over the annual salary and an increased training budget are part of the agreement. The new agreement expires by1 May 2013.
Dutch: http://www.abvakabofnv.nl/nieuws/nieuws/akkoord-cao-jeugdzorg

[close]

On 23 April, the leader of the UGT, the only remaining trade union partner of the tripartite agreement for the international bailout programme, threatened it will withdraw its support. UGT stated the Government has not upheld parts of the agreement supposed to protect workers rights. Speaking to Parliament on 27 April, Prime Minister Coelho assured the opposition that the union's concerns had been addressed and that the agreement will be executed in full.
English: http://www.portugaldailyview.com/whats-new/work-pm-promises-good-execution
http://www.portugaldailyview.com/whats-new/union-trade-confederation-meeting-pm ...

[close]

A broad platform of public service trade unions has announced that hundreds of thousands of civil servants - and workers in health and education - will go on strike on Thursday, 10 May to challenge attacks on pensions and other cuts. An overwhelming majority of union members voted to reject the government proposals on pensions. Since the ballot further pay freezes have been announced combined with lower pay grades and job cuts. The strike is a joint activity of public sector workers from across a number of pension schemes. The strike prominently includes fire fighters as well as teachers, who voted for further industrial action at a trade union congress on 7 April.
English: http://www.pcs.org.uk/en/news_and_events/pcs_comment/index.cfm/id/476BA ...
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2012/apr/26/mod-workers-civil-servants-strike
http://unite.newsweaver.co.uk/1cxvbost6k1tn6uxnscltd?email=true&a=11&p=23344685

[close]