IG Metall has started the campaign for a new collective agreement in the steel industry in two baergaining regions, North Rhine-Westfalia and Lower Saxony and Bremen, covering 75,000 workers, and East Germany, representing 8,000 workers. On 19 October, the collective bargaining committee of the first region decided on demanding a wage increase of 7% for 12 months beginning 1 November 2011; guarantee of unlimited employment of apprentices after completion of their apprenticeships; improving the collectively agreed right of partial retirement, and unification and continuation of existing collective agreements on securing employment, partial retirement and demographic issues in one agreement dealing with all issues during working life. On 21 October the first negotiating round in the region North Rhine-Westfalia and Lower Saxony and Bremen ended without results, with the steel employers' association rejecting the union demands. Negotiations will continue on 7 November.
English: message of IG Metall for EUCOBAN network of EMF / EFFAT / ETUF-TCL / EMCEF
German: http://www.igmetall-kueste.de/files/D_159056001.pdf
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Magyar Telekom plans to lay off 250 employees in 2012, the Hungarian telecommunications group announced after reaching an agreement with trade unions on staff reduction and other cost efficiency measures for 2012. The majority of those to be made redundant are expected to leave the company by the end of 2011. The agreement with the trade unions also states there will be no general increase in the base salary for employees in 2012. However, to meet the government's expectation to compensate employees with below average wages for adverse tax law changes, benefits in kind will be increased for effected employees. These additional employee benefits will be cut at managerial positions.
English: M t Komiljovics, union correspondent
The government has approved the new draft labour code, which aims to improve the country's competitiveness and put small and medium-sized enterprises on the right footing, the government spokesman told a news conference. Andras Giro-Szasz was joined by Sandor Czomba, state secretary of the economy ministry, who said the draft's content corresponded "99 percent" to the version agreed on over the past few weeks with the social partners. Czomba said concerning the remaining one percent that there were differences of opinion about rules governing trade unions, though, even in this area, he said there was still room for further proposals and opinions. The state secretary added that the 20-day basic holiday with an extra 10 days of time-off available remained in the labour code, as well as the protection of employees above the age of 55 (See also this Collective Bargaining Newsletter Year 4 April, May, July-August and September 2011).
English: M t Komiljovics, union correspondent
On 25 October, the Federal Executive of the Union of Post and Telecommunications Staff (GPF) voted unanimously for a strike in protest to what it described as "unfair treatment" of postal workers. The decision is now awaiting approval of the GB union confederation. The strike may take place in early November. The GPF said unreasonable measures had been taken across Austrian Post in recent months, leading to intolerable consequences for its members, and that management had refused to alter their plans. A massive post office closure programme around the country has seen workers moved against their will, the union claims. In particular, the GPF argues that older workers are being persuaded to take a small payment to leave, and that those who refuse face dismissal.
English: http://postandparcel.info/43177/news/austrian-postal-union-calls-for-strike-action/ via http://www.labourstart.org/cgi-bin/show_news.pl?country=Austria
German: http://www.ots.at/presseaussendung/OTS_20111025_OTS0258/gpf-einstimmiger-beschluss-zu-moeglichen-streikmassnahmen
On 25 October, the Education Personnel Union organised another demonstration in front of the House of Parliament, with 1,500 teachers demanding a salary increase. In numerous talks between the Ministry of Education, local governments and unions no consensus could yet be reached over funding such an increase. At the last meeting, on September 20, the Education Personnel Union stood by its 20% increase bid, while the Association of Teachers demanded a 43% increase. According to Statistics Estonia, the average monthly salary in Estonia this year is €857, whereas teachers make an average €608. Opposition members of parliament have supported the teachers' claims, calling for a 20% hike to be incorporated into next year's state budget.
English: http://news.err.ee/Education/2a9211d1-f1b5-4d3f-bf29-141097694da6; http://news.err.ee/politics/0a025910-f2ab-47b8-b46a-b25a6c9977ec
Unions are working hard to build support for co-ordinated industrial action on 30 November in response to the government's failure to negotiate properly over changes to pensions and to carry on with their plans to cut pension schemes affecting millions of public sector workers. The main civil service union PCS and the largest teaching union, NUT, already have approval for another one-day strike, following their action in June. Other unions, including Unite, UNISON and GMB, are now pushing for a "yes" vote in what is thought to be the biggest ever industrial action ballot carried out in the UK. Around 3 million workers could be on strike on 30 November if all the strike ballots are positive (See also this Collective Bargaining Newsletter Year 4 April, May, June , July-August and September 2011).
English: http://www.epsu.org/cob/443 http://www.unison.org.uk/asppresspack/pressrelease_view.asp?id=2497 http://www.pcs.org.uk/en/campaigns/30-november/index.cfm http://www.unitetheunion.org/news__events/latest_news/unite_announces_historic_mobil.aspx
The major trade union confederations, ABVV/FGTB and ACV/CSC, have launched a program of concrete alternatives against blind budget cuts and mass lay-offs. Concerning collective bargaining issues, the confederations plea for maintaining the automatic price indexation of wages and social benefits, arguing that this system is not the problem but the rising prices of for example energy and food are. Wages and social benefits should be regarded as built-in stabilizers as to maintain workers' purchasing power, being the motor of the economy. The confederations also plea for maintaining the bridge pension system, the penalties for employers dismissing older workers, and the current system of unemployment benefits. On 15 November, they jointly organise a demonstrative meeting for union militants as to discuss the program.
Dutch: http://www.abvv.be/web/guest/news-nl/-/article/430839/&p_l_id=10187; http://www.acv-online.be/Images/Platformtekst1511_tcm9-257599.pdf
French: http://www.abvv.be/web/guest/press-releases-fr/-/press/430850/&p_l_id=14124; http://www.csc-en-ligne.be/Images/plateforme_propositions_sortir_impasse_tcm22-257966.pdf
Thousands of BBC staff are to be balloted for strikes in a dispute over jobs, pay and conditions, raising the threat of disruption to flagship programmes including Strictly Come Dancing. Technicians, journalists and other employees will vote from 4 November on whether to take industrial action. Earlier in October, BBC management unveiled plans to cut 2,000 jobs and change terms and conditions of employment as to make savings of 20%. Talks have since been held between the broadcast corporation and unions - Bectu, the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) and Unite - on the changes, but no agreement has been reached. Bectu general secretary Gerry Morrissey said BBC wanted to introduce different terms and conditions for new staff from next April, adding: "We are not prepared to negotiate with a gun to our head."
English: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpress/article/ALeqM5gr6WFPX3e5XcjTWFQqQ9qT__CmEQ?docId=N0273511319559358576A
Doctors' and nurses' trade unions delivered an ultimatum to Health Minister Leos Heger and the whole government on Monday 24 October, saying they will demand their resignation unless medical staff's pay is raised by 10% in 2012, as promised in spring this year. The ultimatum was announced by representatives of the emergency committee uniting three unions, the Doctors' Trade Union (LOK), the Health and Social Care Trade Union (OSZSP), and the Professional Trade Union of Medical Workers (POUZP). According to OSZSP chairwoman Dagmar Zitnikova, "Unless the minister gives clear guarantees that the spring memorandum (on the pay rise in 2012) will be fulfilled, we have a mandate from our organisation's members to launch any protest action."
English: http://praguemonitor.com/2011/10/25/health-care-unions-give-government-pay-rise-ultimatum
Teachers are planning to challenge cuts to pay levels for new entrants to the profession, claiming that they discriminate against younger teachers. The new teachers are appointed on a wage scale of €30,000 to €34,000, which is up to €6,000 below the 2010 figure. The National Teachers' Organisation (INTO) claims this amounts to discrimination on age grounds and is preparing to take a case to the Equality Tribunal on the grounds that the vast majority of people likely to be affected by the move are younger public servants. Separately, the Teachers Union of Ireland (TUI) is considering similar action.
English: http://www.independent.ie/lifestyle/education/latest-news/teachers-plan-to-challenge-lower-wage-rates-for-new-entrants-2915308.html