Following further negotiations on 8 March, the local government employers are sticking to their demand for a pay freeze. In response the three trade unions involved - FNV Abvakabo, CNV Publieke Zaak and CMHF - have announced that they will suspend all consultations with the employers over issues like restructuring for at least three months. The unions are determined to secure a deal that at least protects their members' purchasing power (See also this Collective Bargaining Newsletter Year 2 December 2009 and Year 3 January and February 2010).
English: http://www.epsu.org/cob/358
Dutch: http://www.abvakabofnv.nl/Thema's/cao-lagere-overheden1/?OverviewType; http://www.cnvpubliekezaak.nl/Oproep_aan_OR_overleg_Gemeenten_op_te
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Both the STAL and SINTAP trade unions report a very high level of support for the national public sector strike held on 4 March. They estimate turnout at between 75% and 85% with all parts of the public sector affected. The strike was in protest at the government's call for a public sector pay freeze and with a demand for a proper process of negotiation.
English: http://www.epsu.org/cob/358;
Portuguese: http://www.sintap.pt/downloads/up665.pdf; http://www.stal.pt/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=469&Itemid=1
The VIDA services union is urging parliament to launch a study into the increasing pressure under which health and social care employees work. Long working hours, long periods on call and too few staff are creating major problems in the sector, and 22,000 workers signed a petition organised by VIDA and the GPA-DJP services union.
English: http://www.epsu.org/cob/358;
German: http://www.vida.at/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=S03/Page/Index&n
Negotiations in the state sector were initially difficult as the government wanted to freeze pay over the next two years. However, the unions managed to negotiate increases in pay and protection of the employment status of civil servants in light of the major reforms taking place across the state sector. The agreement runs from 1 March 2010 to 29 February 2012. An across-the-board-increase of 0.55% will be paid as of 1 March 2010 and an agency-specific instalment of 0.43%, which is to be agreed and implemented locally, will be paid on 1 September 2010. The agreed increases for the year 2010 are in total around 0.98%. Increases for 2011 will be negotiated by the end of January 2011. Antti Palo, President of Pardia, the Federation of Salaried Employees, called the outcomes satisfactory.
English: http://www.epsu.org/cob/358; http://www.pardia.fi/in_english/?
The Interno federation affiliated to the CFDT union confederation has organised a national strike on 11 March in protest at changes to regulations covering nurseries that will lead to lower staffing levels and the employment of less qualified staff. The union is concerned about the implications for both nursery workers and the children in their care.
English: http://www.epsu.org/cob/358;
French: http://www.cfdt.fr/rewrite/article/24797/zoom-sur/petite-enfance
After a major trade union demonstration and months of negotiations, employers and unions have agreed to increase the national minimum wage. There will be three increases over the next three years in order to bring the minimum wage in line with the basic living costs for a single person household. The overall 22.9% increase will take the net minimum rate to Euro 562 a month by 2012, via Euro 510 in 2010 and Euro 530 in 2011 (See also this Collective Bargaining Newsletter Year 2 November 2009).
English: http://www.epsu.org/cob/358;
http://www.sloveniatimes.com/en/inside.cp2?uid
After some hard bargaining and the threat of strike action across the university sector, unions have managed to negotiate a deal that they believe delivers good employment protection with the employer withdrawing their demands for much greater working time flexibility and cuts in sick pay. The agreement runs from 1 March 2010 to 29 February 2012 and includes a pay increase of 0.98% from 1 November 2010. This is a 0.4% general increase and a 0.58% installment for the development of the salary system. In addition, a 5.5% lump sum of the monthly salary will be paid to compensate for the postponement of pay increases from this spring to the beginning of November 2010.
English: http://www.epsu.org/cob/358 ; http://www.pardia.fi/in_english/?
On 12 March the CGIL union confederation organised a four-hour general strike and a series of demonstrations across the country in protest at the government's policies on dealing with the crisis, taxation, employment rights and migrants' rights. The confederation claims that one million workers flooded into the country's squares. CGIL General Secretary, Guglielmo Epifani said during a demonstration in Padua: "Unemployment rises, especially in more industrialized areas, and the government does nothing. Taxes are paid only by workers and retirees". He warned for a labour law reform, blaming the government of "bringing down the rights through a kind of arbitration which forces workers to abandon the labour courts."
English: http://www.epsu.org/cob/358; http://www.cgil.it/;
Italian: http://www.cgil.it/dettagliodocumento.aspx?ID=13331
Public services union UNISON has called on local government employers to withdraw their demand for a pay freeze. The union argues that women will be most affected by a freeze as three out of four local government workers are women and two-thirds of them earn less UKP 18,000 (Euro 20,000) a year. Heather Wakefield, UNISON Head of Local Government, said: "Council staff are already some of the lowest paid workers in the public sector. They are facing the grim prospect of a pay freeze from April, just as inflation is on the up. Many are worried about losing their jobs, whilst working harder than ever, covering vacant posts, to keep services running."
English: http://www.epsu.org/cob/358;
http://www.unison.org.uk/asppresspack/pressrelease_view.asp?id=1783
The ADEDY civil service confederation has warned of further strike action in April in protest at cuts to public sector pay and pensions. ADEDY joined with the GSEE private sector confederation in a general strike on 11 March. Following a two-day strike on 16-17 March, energy workers have threatened another 48-hour strike unless the government withdraws a 7% pay cut and 10% cut in pensions.
English: http://www.epsu.org/cob/358; http://uk.reuters.com/article/;
Greek: http://www.adedy.gr/adedy/site/home/ws.csp