The unions have broken off negotiations in the energy sector following unsatisfactory pay offers from the employers. The employers had wanted to follow developments in the public sector which would have included a pay increase of 2.65% plus €11.10 a month. A revised offer from the employers made hardly any difference and would have meant pay increases of between 2.9% and 3.25%, still below inflation.
English: http://www.epsu.org/cob/456
German: http://www.gpa-djp.at . 1326952812466
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The inspectorate of the International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) in Italy has helped to secure an agreement that will help crew members who survived the tragic demise of the Costa Concordia in the immediate aftermath of the accident. The ITF team took on the task of liaising with ITF unions in crew members' home countries and acting as a link with the company. They also visited crew in hotels so that they could relay their needs to the company. Following the inspectorate's intervention, the entire multinational crew on board the Costa Concordia received a letter from the company agreeing to provide them with a number of benefits, such as: pocket money for initial expenditure; a consolidated salary payment up until the end of the period specified in their employment contract, with a minimum of two months' basic wages and cover of up to USD3,570 (?2,842) for the loss of personal effects.
English: http://www.itfglobal.org/news-online/index.cfm/newsdetail/6937
While the national government has announced another year of pay freezes across the public sector, regional governments are planning their own range of cuts to pay and conditions and services. Public sector unions are planning a series of demonstrations and strikes in response to these attacks. In Valencia unions are planning legal action as well as demonstrations against the regional government's planned savings of more than €1 billion. In the Basque region unions have tried to negotiate but the government is insistent on imposing a range of measures that will reduce rights to partial and early retirement. In Castilla -La Mancha unions have united in a campaign agains the cuts that will include local mobilisations around the time of the budget vote, a demonstration in Toledo on 11 February and a strike on 29 February.
English: http://www.epsu.org/cob/456
The four trade unions organising in the private waste sector (FP-CGIL, FIT CISL, UILTRASPORTI and FIADEL) have congratulated their members on the very high levels of support for the strike across the country. The unions estimate that nearly nine in 10 workers joined the action that took place on 16 and 17 January, mainly in protest at the employers' refusal to re-negotiate a sector-level agreement (See also this Collective Bargaining Newsletter Year 4 November and December 2011).
English: http://www.epsu.org/cob/456
Italian: http://www.fpcgil.it/flex/cm/pages/ServeBLOB.php/L/IT/IDPagina/21021
The FOA public services union has highlighted the findings of a recent opinion poll in which 84% of people said that the level of employment is important in delivering public services. The union says this challenges the claims of both the present and previous governments that the level and quality of public services can be maintained despite the fact there are 25,000 fewer public sector workers in post than a year ago. FOA says that this is also putting pressure on the smaller number of workers who continue to provide key services such as child and eldercare and the risk that the situation will deteriorate as a large proportion of public sector workers comes up for retirement.
English: http://www.epsu.org/cob/456
Danish: http://www.foa.dk/Forbund/Presse?newsid={DA ...
The vida and GPA-DJP vida trade unions face challenging negotiations with private and non-profit employers in health and social services. In the main private health agreement, BAGS-KV covering around 90,000 workers, the employers have offered between 2.95% and 3.05% while inflation is at 3.2%. There was also a disappointing offer, ranging from 1.89% to 2.5% from the private hospital employers where the agreement covers some 15,000 workers. Finally, in the non-profit sector the Caritas organisation, employing over 12,000 workers, has also made an offer that is below the rate of inflation. The unions are mobilising members and organising works council meetings in the lead up to the next round of negotiations (See also this Collective Bargaining Newsletter Year 4 December 2011).
English: http://www.epsu.org/cob/456
German: http://www.vida.at ... 1326382220490; http://www.vida.at ... 1326382220271; http://www.gpa-djp.at . 1326214823552
FNV Abvakabo and other public service unions will restart negotiations with local government employers on 1 February, with a main focus on job security. The unions want a good agreement to protect municipal employees affected by restructuring. They are also looking to protect purchasing power and decent work. The municipal agreement effectively expired eight months ago. The unions will be looking for some positive responses from the employers on 1 February, or more actions may follow (See also this Collective Bargaining Newsletter Year 4 March, May, November and December 2011).
English: http://www.epsu.org/cob/456
Dutch: http://www.abvakabofnv.nl/nieuws/nieuws/onderhandelingen ...
The Fagforbundet municipal workers union, EL&IT energy union and the large private sector union Fellesforbundet were among those supporting a day of action in protest at the proposed introduction of the European Agency Workers Directive into Norway. Over 150,000 workers came out on the streets on this behalf. Although not a member of the European Union, Norway does implement most EU directives, but on this occasion unions are concerned that the directive might provide a opening to create a two-tier system, with agency workers on inferior terms and conditions. While welcoming the part of the directive concerning equal treatment of temporary and permanent workers, the unions are particularly worried that implementation of the directive will remove several restrictions in collective agreements currently obliging employers to agree on any kinds of temporary contracts with the unions.
English: http://www.epsu.org/cob/456 ; http://www.imfmetal.org/index.cfm?c=28637&l=2
Norwegian: http://www.fagforbundet.no/forsida/?article_id=70743
In an unprecedented move the three trade union confederations (Solidarnosc, NPZZ and Forum) have agreed to withdraw from tripartite social dialogue working groups and to challenge the Prime Minister on the government's failure to comply with legislation on social dialogue and convene regular meetings of the tripartite commission. The unions argue that the government has a constitutional duty to take part in the social dialogue and not just in the working groups that have no decision-making role.
English: http://www.epsu.org/cob/456
Polish: http://www.solidarnosc.org.pl/pl/aktualnosci/sielanka-sie-skonczyla.html
Jointly with other unions affiliates to the GCTP-IN confederation, the STAL public service union is mobilising support for a national demonstration called by the confederation on 11 February. The demonstration is in protest at the austerity measures being imposed by the troika of European Commission, European Central Bank (ECB) and International Monetary Fund (IMF). Workers in the public sector have seen their pay cut while more broadly workers are facing longer hours and shorter holidays (See also this Collective Bargaining Newsletter Year 4 November and December 2011).
English: http://www.epsu.org/cob/456
Portuguese: http://www.stal.pt/index.php?option=com_content ...