Collective Bargaining

The strike has been followed with great interest from abroad, because this is the first major strike among so-called platform workers. There has been contact between riders on a European level. The strike was a boost for trade unions, since it has proven that it is possible to organise even those who work in the new economy. The company started operating in Norway in 2015, making their riders employees from the very beginning – although most are on part-time contracts. The company now has 600 employees. Their average age is 25, and they work on average 16 hours a week. (See also the July/August issue of CBN)

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Employers and employees have agreed on a collective agreement for ‘Fahrradboten’ (bicycle couriers) and food suppliers. As reported by the union Vida and the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber, suppliers are entitled to a base salary of €1,506 for a 40-hour work week from 1 January 2020. The usual 13th and 14th monthly salary in Austria is also due in the future. In addition, a compensation for the use of private bicycles and private mobile phones was agreed. According to the employer and employee representatives, this is the first collective agreement for bicycle couriers and food suppliers worldwide.

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Trade unions, employers and the government met to discuss a rescue plan for the Ida-Virumaa region in Estonia. With power plant capacity cut by half, 500 workers have already been made redundant and up to 1,500 jobs could be under threat. According to the President of the Estonian Trade Union Confederation (EAKL), without effective retraining programmes, workers will be the victims of climate policy, globalisation and technological development.

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The Labour Party made a number of aspirational announcements on collective workplace rights if new elections would come before the year end. For example, Labour would look at reducing working hours if elected, following a report advocating a reduction in the public sector to a 35 hour-week over a decade. More detailed proposals include: introducing sectoral collective bargaining by establishing councils of worker and employer representatives and establishing a new Ministry of Employment Rights which would be responsible for the roll-out of the above collective bargaining across the economy, repealing the 2016 Trade Union Act.

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Around 3,000 employees of the German public broadcasters strike nationwide. They follow a call from union ver.di representing workers in the services sector. The action is a response to the stalled collective bargaining in the national broadcasters. The union fears that the weakening of conditions will undermine the capacity of broadcasters to fulfil their public service mission.

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The most significant reform is the much-debated decision to abolish Sweden's austerity tax which is paid by high earners to the central government. It is expected to cost the government around six billion kronor a year.

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Wages growth in the private sector slowed down in August from 7.4% to 6.8% year-on-year. Another significant impulse should come in January 2020 with a strong increase in the minimum wage (15.6% in 2020). It is expected to result in a 1.2 to 1.5 percentage point increase overall. Employment growth decelerated from 2.8% to 2.6% YoY, slightly below expectations (2.7%). Recent official GUS surveys highlight reduced demand for workers – the number of vacancies reported by firms in the second quarter was 7.8% lower compared to the previous year. This trend is likely to continue in the coming months.

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Employees at RATP, the company that runs the metro and bus lines as well as suburban RER trains, launched the biggest French strike for more than a decade: between 60 and 98 % of the workforce took action, according to trade unions. ATP workers were striking against the pensions system reform, which has proved as divisive as it is wide ranging. The measure, one of the French president’s campaign pledges, will introduce a single “universal pension system” in place of the current 42 systems based on multiple professions. Workers’ pensions will be calculated according to the number of “points” accumulated through their career, instead of the current system, which is based on worked trimesters.

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The FNV (Dutch Federation of Trade Unions) has set its sights on a 5% pay rise in 2020, the same as its target for this year. The union also wants the minimum wage to be raised to €14 per hour for adults. The CNV (Christian Dutch Federation of Trade Unions) wants a minimum rate of €25 for freelance workers, not the ‘starvation rate’ of €16 envisaged by the government.

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A recent study released by the OECD and the International Transport Forum (ITF) on the current effect of direct and indirect maritime subsidies on the European shipping industry has found that the current system is failing European taxpayers and workers. Trade unions welcomed the findings of the report which recommends redesigning subsidies schemes available to the European shipping industry to increase value for money and the efficiency of subsidies in protecting domestic jobs, decarbonising the industry, and reducing congestion and pollution.

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