On Monday 12 December, the major union confederation CGTP launched a week of protest against the consequences of the government's austerity policies. The decision by Prime Minister Pedro Passos Coelho's conservative government to lengthen the legal working hours by half an hour daily was "a declaration of war to workers", CGTP leader Manuel Carvalho da Silva said. "We want to send a strong signal to the government," he added. A growing number of critics say that the austerity programme undermines economic growth and increases poverty.
English: http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/business/news/article ...
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The papermakers' unions, Paperiliitto and Ammattiliitto Pro, have agreed on new 25-month collective agreements with the Finnish Forest Industries Federation (FFIF), taking effect March 2012. On 28 November an accord between the employers' association in the transport, ports, and shipping industry and AKT, the Transport Drivers' and Port Workers' Union, opened the way; yet, though already on 23 November FFIF came to terms with the paper unions, FFIF was unwilling to sign the agreements until they had a guarantee that strikes would not occur in the transportation and export of pulp and paper products. The agreement in the paper sector follows the national framework agreement as of 13 October 2011. In March 2012, Ammattiliitto Pro members will receive a 1.6% across-the-board wage increase, in addition to an average 0.8% increase that will be negotiated locally and is part of a new salary structure. Paperiliitto members will receive a 1.5% increase, with 0.9% to be negotiated locally. In April 2013, the wage increase for Ammattillio Pro will be 1.3%, with a 0.6% award won on the new locally-negotiated salary structure. Paperiliitto's 2013 increase will be 1.2%, with 0.7% awarded locally. Another important gain is extra protection for workers when mills close. In effect, employers take on more responsibility for re-training and skill development, as well as workers given the flexibility to take new work in another enterprise and still qualify for redundancy benefits. Also, shop stewards and safety representatives who receive slightly higher pay for their responsibilities will get a 10% supplement on top of that higher pay (See also this Collective Bargaining Newsletter Year 4 May and November 2011).
English: http://www.icem.org/en/78-ICEM-InBrief/4804-Paper-Unions-in-Finland ... http://www.helsinkitimes.fi/htimes/domestic-news/general/17410-transport-industry ...
On 29 November the two unions involved, IG BCE and ver.di, reached agreement with the German energy group RWE services union on a 13-month deal for the company's 25,000 employees in Germany. In mid-November, in the run up to the settlement, unions had threatened warning strikes. The new deal provides a 2.7% salary increase from 1 December 2011, and sets out new talks on improving job security and trainee prospects. A binding agreement was reached to open discussions in the second quarter of 2012 on the renewal of the Job Security Agreement, due to expire by the end of 2012, to safeguard jobs in the group.
English: http://www.icem.org/en/78-ICEM-InBrief/4805-German-IG-BCE-Secures ...
On Thursday 1 December, public services are to be paralyzed as thousands of workers will walk off the job to protest the ongoing austerity drive, in the seventh general strike in 2011. Tax offices, courts and schools will shut down, hospitals will operate on emergency staff and customs officials will walk off the job. The national rail network will suspend operations all day as will the Proastiakos suburban railway service. Ferries too will remain moored in port as seamen join the 24-hour walkout. The main demonstration, in the centre of Athens, is organized by the General Confederation of Greek Labor (GSEE) and the ADEDY civil servants' union (See also this Collective Bargaining Newsletter Year 4 February, March, April, May, June, September and October 2011).
English: http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w_articles_wsite1_8513_29/11/2011_416987
On Wednesday 30 November, tens of thousands of public sector workers all over the country have taken part in marches and rallies to protest against planned changes to pensions. Hundreds of events have been held as part of what the organizing unions have claimed is the biggest walkout in a generation. All strike ballots had been in favour of the strike, and the unions expected some 3 million public sector workers could be involved. In spite of the disruption caused, at many occasions the public showed sympathy for the strike (a few days earlier, an opinion poll commissioned by BBC News suggests over 60% of people believed public sector workers were justified in going on strike). In Manchester for example, an estimated 20,000 marchers had come into town with one message for the government - "Everyone deserves a decent pension", as one Unison poster declared. In Scotland, with an estimated 300,000 went on strike, some 10,000 people took to the streets in Glasgow and an estimated 7,000 workers marched in Edinburgh. TUC confederation general secretary Brendan Barber told a rally at Birmingham's National Indoor Arena: "This is an unprecedented day - 30 unions have members taking action together." Barber added: "The brutal truth is simply this - that the living standards of millions of low and medium-paid public service workers are being hammered in the name of reducing the deficit. The cuts are beginning to scythe through our public services, more and more jobs are under threat, and as the pay freeze bites - while inflation roars ahead - real wage cuts are making it harder than ever to make ends meet" (See also this Collective Bargaining Newsletter Year 4 April, May, June, July-August, September and October 2011).
English: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-15971714 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-15954967; http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-15910621 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-15938970
The papermakers' unions, Paperiliitto and Ammattiliitto Pro, have agreed on new 25-month collective industry-wide agreements with the Finnish Forest Industries Federation (FFIF) that take effect in March 2012. That was assured on Monday 28 November, after the employers' association in the transport, ports, and shipping industry signedÿan accord with AKT, the Transport Drivers' and Port Workers' Union. Even though the FFIF came to terms with the two papermakers' unions separately on Wednesday 23 November, the FFIF was unwilling to sign the agreement until they had a guarantee thatÿstrikes would notÿoccur in the transportation and export of pulp and paper products. The pulp and paper sector agreement follows the national framework agreement as signed by the union confederations on 13 October. In March 2012, Ammattiliitto Pro membersÿwill receive a 1.6% across-the-board wage increase, in addition to an average 0.8% increase that will be negotiated locally and is part of a new salary structure. Paperiliitto members will receive a 1.5% increase, withÿ0.9%ÿto be negotiated locally. Essentially, this new salary structure was recognized by employers through strike actions in April/May 2011 by Ammattiliitto Pro, representing about 4,000 white collar staff at some 50 paper enterprises. In April 2013, the wage increase for Ammattillio Proÿwill be 1.3%, with a 0.6% award won on the new locally-negotiated salary structure. Paperiliitto's 2013 increase will be 1.2%, with 0.7% awarded locally (See also this Collective Bargaining Newsletter Year 4 May 2011).
English: http://www.icem.org/en/19-Pulp-Paper/4794-Finnish-Pulp-Paper-Unions-Make-Gains ...
Workers at Unilever UK, employing 7,000, have voted to go on strike over the axing of their final-salary pension scheme. If they stop work it would be the first time a Stock Exchange-listed 100 company's workers have gone on strike over pensions and the largest industrial action Unilever has faced in its 80-year history. Some 85% of members of the Unite union at Unilever voted for strike action, likely to take place across 12 factories in December. Members of the GMB union voted three to one in favour of action. Unilever has proposed closing its final-salary pension scheme from April next year and moving all 5,000 members across to a career-average scheme.
English: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer ... via http://www.labourstart.org.uk/
The International Labour Organisation (ILO) has criticised several points of the government's draft labour code, leaders of the six Hungarian trade union confederations which had requested ILO's position told a press conference in Budapest. The ILO has also suggested in a memorandum that the government should start a constructive dialogue on the reform of the country's labour law, the unionists stated. Following a review of the draft as it stood on 26 September, the ILO expressed criticism of the planned restriction of the freedom of expression and assembly, and suggested that protection against dismissal should be extended for at least three months after child birth leave, according to the unions. The labour organisation also criticised the draft for failing to include the principle of granting the same remuneration for the same job, MSZOSZ head Peter Pataky said at the press conference. Earlier in November, unions in the LIGA confederation staged roadblock demonstrations at around hundred locations across the country in protest of the draft labour code. LIGA head Istvan Gasko at a press conference repeatedly voiced the unions' protest against what they call the elimination of the labour code and of the National Interest Co-ordination Council.
English: M t Komiljovics, union correspondent
The Minister of Social Affairs and Employment, Henk Kamp, has rejected the re-introduction of the state part-time unemployment scheme for the time being, as a means to avoid a steep rise of unemployment through topping up the wages of workers working reduced hours. The former part-time unemployment scheme was in operation for just over two years and faded out by July 2011. According to Kamp, the scheme is only relevant in a real crisis, which would not actually be the case in the Netherlands. Moreover, a spokeswoman of the minister suggested that other schemes might be more appropriate. In the course of November the minister has become under pressure of the two large employers' associations, a number of single employers, and the largest trade union confederation, FNV, all arguing in favour of the re-introduction of the scheme. FNV chairwoman Agnes Jongerius said that in particular in the metal and construction industries it is highly important to keep skilled and experienced workers on board, and pointed at the positive experience with the scheme during the 2009-2010 crisis.
Dutchÿ: De Volkskrant, 24 and 29 November 2011; http://nos.nl/artikel/315954-kamp-nog-geen-deeltijdww.html
Finance Minister George Osborne faces a bruising new clash with public sector workers after capping their pay rises at 1% from next year. On the eve of the biggest strike by state employees for decades the Chancellor said he accepted the ceiling was "tough" for workers but insisted it was fair for the taxpayer. It follows a two-year pay freeze. Osborne asked union leaders to call off the 30 November strike. Dave Prentis, general secretary of public sector union Unison, reacted: "It's time to drop the public sector pensions tax and take steps to put money back into people's pockets. This will boost growth and get Britain hiring - as it is, the private sector is in no position to dig the country out of trouble. Not only is austerity hitting growth - the way it is being applied means unfairness is growing." TUC general secretary Brendan Barber responded, "Of course there were some welcome moves in the statement as the Chancellor tries to reinvent infrastructure spending, youth employment and regional assistance programmes. But the catch is that they are being paid for by freezing tax credits, holding back public sector pay and increasing public sector job losses to 710,000 by 2017. Those with the broadest backs who caused the crash have escaped once again. "
English: http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-24015693-public-workers-hit-by-pay-rise ... http://www.tuc.org.uk/economy/tuc-20352-f0.cfm