Collective Bargaining

On Wednesday 24 February, Greece came to a standstill as millions of workers, both public and private, stayed away from work in protest at the government's austerity programme and anger at the European Union's role in enforcing the cuts. A one-day general strike grounded all flights and buses, trains and ferries were halted. Schools, government ministries, local authorities were also closed, with hospitals only manned by emergency staff. The general strike follows a wave of sectoral actions, with further industrial action expected. The unions are currently discussing their next steps and another day of action is expected in March, though there are no plans for future general strikes.
English: http://euobserver.com/9/29555

On 23 February, thousands of workers protested in Spain's major cities against government spending cuts and plans to raise the pension age from 65 to 67. The rallies were the first mass union protests in the six years of Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero's socialist government. The main demonstration was in Madrid, where according to union officials 60,000 protested. The rallies were part of a nationwide campaign organised by the two main union confederations, CCOO and UGT. Over 100 demonstrations have been planned in the two weeks at the end of February and beginning of March. The unions argue that the public pensions system is in good health and does not need the drastic reform being proposed. They also argue that the government should do more to increase the minimum wage and reduce precarious employment conditions as ways of boosting payments into the social security system.
English: http://www.epsu.org/cob/354; http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe ...
Spanish: http://www.ugt.es/actualidad/2010/febrero/c12022010.html

According to Irish Trade Union Congress (ICTU) president Jack O' Connor, time is running out for a negotiated solution to the current industrial action involving 300,000 public service workers.ÿ "A fair solution to the issues at stake is still possible, a solution which links better public service provision with stable and secure employment and a framework for restoring the agreed pay scales," O' Connor told public service workers at a mass protest rally in Galway. He argued that far from inefficient or bloated, the numbers in the Irish public service as a percentage of total employment compares favourably with most EU members including countries with good quality provision.
English: http://www.siptu.ie/PressRoom/NewsReleases/2010/Name,11443,en.html

A new collective agreement has been agreed for the manufacturing sector between the Central Organization of Industrial Employees in Denmark (CO-industri) and the Confederation of Danish Industry (DI), directly covering about 240,000 workers and indirectly affecting another 350,000 workers. The agreement may pave the way for others. Wage negotiations will take place via decentralised negotiations in the period of validity of the agreement. Main points in the agreement are: as of 1 March 2011 pension contributions will be paid already after two months of employment, down from the previous nine months; the employer can no longer demand that an employee takes remaining special vacation days in his period of notice if the termination of the contract is instigated by the employer; salaries for apprentices will be increased by 2% as of 1 March 2010 and by 2.5% as of 1 March 2011; as of 1 March 2011 the period of paid parental leave is extended by one week for both the mother and the father; as of 1 May 2010 severance pay is introduced as an automatic right in case of dismissal.
English: message of EUCOBAN network of EMF / EFFAT / ETUF-TCL / EMCEF; http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKLDE61L0TF20100222

On 18 February, four French unions approved average wage increases for 60,000 EDF (Electricit‚ de France) workers of 4.4% for 2010. CFDT, CGT, CFTC, and CFE-CGC agreed on a progressive wage accord that has a base salary increase, plus increases based on seniority, training, incentives, and promotions. An industry-wide increase of 1.2% that was negotiated in November 2009 and took effect on 1 January 2010 is also factored into the 4.4% average increase. The agreement includes individual incentives of up to 1.8%, and prioritises training and career advancement opportunities. The CFDT termed the agreement satisfactory, while the CGT said it makes up some of the lost purchasing power of the recent past.
English: http://www.icem.org/en/78-ICEM-InBrief/3635-French-Unions-EDF-Agree-to ...
French: http://www.investir.fr/infos-conseils-boursiers/infos-conseils-valeurs/infos/edf ...

The answers of 10,000 respondents in August-December 2009 on the continuous WageIndicator web survey (in Germany called Lohnspiegel) indicate that the official short-time arrangement has been widely used. Overall, the arrangement was used by 19% of all companies, but by a much larger part (35%) in companies that were hit by the crisis since the beginning of 2009. The score was even 73% among metal firms hit by the crisis. One in five respondents answered that their monthly wages had recently decreased; in metal manufacturing this was even one in three. The researchers of the Hans B”ckler Foundation, in analysing the results, suggest that short-time work played a major role in decreasing wages.
German: http://www.boeckler.de/320_102969.html

From 13 March on, affiliates of the LO blue-collar workers' confederation have been involved in a range of demonstrations and events throughout the country highlighting the importance and value of collective agreements. The main collective bargaining round is underway and LO wants to ensure that workers are aware of the benefits of collective agreements, to those covered by them but also to the working of society and the economy in general.
English: http://www.epsu.org/cob/358;
Swedish: http://www.lo.se/home/lo/home.nsf/unidview/

The SINTAP public service trade union has reported on its first meeting with the government over the 2010 negotiations, saying that there is an enormous gap between union demands and what is on offer from the government. The union rejects the idea of a pay freeze, arguing that more efficient management can deliver cost savings to finance a pay rise. It also rejects the planned reforms to the pension system.
English: http://www.epsu.org/cob/354; Portuguese: http://www.sintap.pt/

Workers in local and provincial government are continuing their industrial action to win better pay offers from the employers. The action involves a range of short stoppages by different groups of workers across the country, starting in garbage collection. A key demand of the unions is that municipal and provincial workers should be treated the same as other workers and get the increase in purchasing power negotiated as part of the national 2009 social accord. Unions argue that a pay freeze over the next two years will leave workers 6% worse off in terms of purchasing power (See also this Collective Bargaining Newsletter Year 2 December 2009 and Year 3 January 2010).
English: http://www.epsu.org/cob/354
Dutch: http://www.abvakabofnv.nl/nieuws/nieuws/ambtenaren-in-actie;
http://www.cnvpubliekezaak.nl/Nullijn_groot_koopkrachtverlies_ambtenaren .

Twelve unions, including the MUT, the GWU and the MUMN, have announced a rally in protest against utility tariffs for 28 February. Union leaders emphasized that the protest is not political. "It is about jobs and the hardship being caused to the people," John Bencini, chairman of the Ghaqda Unions Maltin, said.
English: http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20100215/local/tariffs
via http://www.labourstart.org/cgi-bin/show_news.pl?country=Malta