Collective Bargaining

Three European union federations organizing workers in the GDF-Suez energy multinational (EPSU, EMF, and EMCEF) are leading European-level negotiations over equality in this company. The aim is to secure an agreement with a specific plan of action on a range of equality measures. Negotiations are continuing and are set to consider issues such as pay equality, dealing with part-time work, improving work-life balance and maternity and other forms of leave. On May 25, the union group continued its considerations of the proposals of management; a next meeting is foreseen for 20 and 21 June 2011.
English: http://www.epsu.org/r/260; http://www.epsu.org/a/7604; http://www.epsu.org/a/7654

On 24 May, the Board of the GPA-DJP private service workers' and journalists' union has agreed a resolution on shortening working hours, aiming at more prominence of union demands in this direction. The resolution demands shortening the legal working week to 38.5 hours, with further steps to bring the normal working week to 35 hours. The union also has started up a debate, including an on-line poll, on expanding yearly holidays from five to six weeks. GPA-DJP argues that currently mainly workers with very long tenure are entitled to six weeks of holidays, but that such tenures growingly become rare. The union has declared 6-10 June the Action Week `More Holidays for Everybody'.
English: http://www.gpa-djp.at/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=GPA ...

At its annual conference, the PCS civil service union agreed to ballot members over a national strike on 30 June over job cuts and in protest at government proposals for public sector pension reform. Public sector workers are facing the prospect of their pension contributions rising by 3% of pay and teaching and lecturing unions are also planning ballots over action. At the PCS conference, Len McCluskey, general secretary of Unite, with 1.5 million members the country's biggest union, emphasized the importance of the alliance between his union and PCS against what he called "the savagery of the government coalition". Other unions may also consider balloting with the prospect of a nationwide public sector strike. The National Union of Teachers and the Association of Teachers and Lecturers already launched ballots the same week. Up to 750,000 union members could walk out in June, affecting schools, courts, ports and job centres if the negotiations have not succeeded (See also this Collective Bargaining Newsletter Year 4 April 2011).
English: http://www.epsu.org/cob/422 http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2011/may/18/public-sector-unions-ballot ... http://www.pcs.org.uk/en/news_and_events/news_centre/index.cfm ... http://www.unitetheunion.org/news__events/latest_news/unions_join_forces ...

On 18 May, bitter strikes by 4,000 members of the Ammattiliitto Pro union against Finnish paper producers came to an end. After six weeks of tension, the union and the Finnish Forest Industries Federation (FFIF) came to terms over a second-year wage renewal. The white-collar union won an across-the-board national wage increase, but most importantly the pay gap among the clerical, technical, and front-line managerial ranks of the pulp and paper industry was narrowed. Effective 19 May there is a 1.5% pay increase, or €48-per-month minimum, whichever is higher. The effect is to weight the package toward lower-wage clerical workers in order to narrow the pay gap. The settlement, mediated by national mediator Esa Lonka, calls for an additional 1% to be negotiated at the local level by 17 June. If talks on local issues such as training, development, skill requirements, and work tasks do not conclude by then, the 1% will be awarded on 1 July (See also this Collective Bargaining Newsletter Year 4 March and April 2011).
English: http://www.icem.org/en/78-ICEM-InBrief/4434-Ammattiliitto-Pro ...

After a four-month dispute, on 5 May unions at the major state-run coal company, Jastrzebska Spolka Weglowa (JSW), gave their consent to a 30% float of JSW shares on the Warsaw bourse through a deal reached with the government. The unions, including Solidarnosc, gained a ten-year guarantee of employment for 22,000 workers. On 23 May, negotiations have continued over specifics reached in the 5 May framework agreement, and conclusions must also be reached over pay increases. The government will maintain 51% stake in JSW, but the possibility exists that future sales of shares will occur. What still must be negotiated is the shape and structure of free-of-charge shares to staff, which will not be bound as an entitlement, certain provisions inside a 2007-2015 strategy plan of JSW, and the appointment of board members to the partially privatised company (See also this Collective Bargaining Newsletter Year 4 April 2011).
English: http://www.icem.org/en/78-ICEM-InBrief/4440-Tentative-Accord ...

On 21 May, following the breakdown of talks between the trade unions and the government over social reforms in late April, some 40,000 people took part in a demonstration in Prague against these reform plans organised by the Bohemian and Moravian Confederation of Trade Unions (CMKOS). In the weeks before the rally, the unions had run a campaign, `Open your eyes', to explain to people the implications of the government's proposals. The protest ended with the adoption of a resolution stating that the plans are treacherous and will harm employees and the disabled. The reforms "throw health care, pensions and social care into the services of profit," Josef Stredula, from the Kovo union organisation, quoted from the statement (See also this Collective Bargaining Newsletter Year 4 April 2011).
English: http://www.ceskenoviny.cz/news/zpravy/czech-unions-protest-against ... http://www.praguepost.com/news/8789-tens-of-thousand-protest-against-government.html

Hourly paid workers at FedEx's Paris hub at Roissy-Charles-de-Gaulle airport have shown they are prepared to fight for a fair pay rise above the "derisory" 1% pay increase offered by the highly profitable global delivery company. Flights to Memphis, Dubai and European cities were cancelled and freight shipping and parcel deliveries delayed after 700 day and night staff walked out over three days. The strike came after FedEx made its 1% offer, rejecting joint claims of unions affiliated with GCT, CFDT and FO for a 5% rise at the start of annual pay talks. Also, mounting concern over the widening pay and benefits gap between full-time employees and the growing number of precarious workers FedEx is recruiting plays a role.
English: http://www.itfglobal.org/news-online/index.cfm/newsdetail/5990

The FOA public services union has attacked the government's pension changes which will mean an end to early retirement for many workers. Currently workers can retire from 60 but the changes will mean the earliest pension age will be 65 with specific rules for ill-health retirement. FOA says the changes will have a negative impact on the low-paid as they are more likely to be the ones in affected by poor and difficult working conditions and who will find it hardest to remain in work to 65. The union says that around 65% of its members would plan to retire at 60 or 61 and are now likely to lose that right.
English: http://www.epsu.org/cob/422
Danish: http://www.foa.dk/Forbund/Presse?newsid= ...

The Solidarnosc union is backing a legal challenge to government legislation that allows for a 10% cut in employment in public administration. A key part of the union case is that while the cuts might deliver savings in the short term, their long-term results would have a negative impact on public services. Solidarnosc organised a demonstration outside the hearing.
English: http://www.epsu.org/cob/422
Polish: http://www.solidarnosc.org.pl/pl/aktualnosci/ciecia-w-administracji ...

The VIDA services union used 12 May - national carers' day - to stress the need to establish a proper training framework for 24-hour care. The union, which has drafted its own proposals on training, points out that people expect trained mechanics to work on their cars, but currently there is no requirement for those caring for the elderly and vulnerable to have any kind of training. The union also argues that recruitment to the sector needs to be improved and an important factor is having clearly organised shift planning so that workers know in advance when they are on duty and are not forced to change their hours at short notice.
English: http://www.epsu.org/cob/422
German: http://www.vida.at/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=S03 ...