Collective Bargaining

On 11 February, the management of oil concern Lotos and the companies' trade union came to an agreement and signed an anti-crisis plan that is expected to bring the company savings of PLN 340 million (Euro 73 million). "The plan will will help stabilize financial liquidity and maintain workplaces for the employees of the whole group," said Grzegorz Szade, member of the employee council in the Lotos Group. According to the plan, the company will save Euro 30 million on administrative issues and blocking all kinds of wage increases, as well as Euro 43 million by cuts in planned investments.
English: http://www.reuters.com/article/rbssIntegratedOilGas/idUSLN71379020090223 via
http://www.labourstart.org/cgi-bin/show_news.pl?country=Poland

Prospect, the union representing staff across the museums sector, has set up a petition via the Prime Minister's petition system to raise its concerns at the breakdown of industrial relations at the National Science Museum. Prospect members took industrial action over a below-inflation pay offer but a two-year deal has been imposed on museum employees. This means that some points on the Museum's pay scale have been frozen for up to four years.
English: http://www.prospect.org.uk/news/newsstory.php?news=563
http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/nmsipay/

The BPIF, the British Printing Industries Federation, and the Unite trade union have failed to agree on a National Agreement for 2009. BPIF has claimed Unite's wage demands were "irresponsible and unaffordable". The annual National Agreement pay review is usually agreed between the two parties and results in a proposed pay increase across the three classes of workers in the print industry. However, BPIF said that due to the "unprecedented deterioration" in trading conditions, it was only able to offer a UKP 1.84 (Euro 2.06) a week increase on the national minimum grade rate for Craft/Class 1 workers, an increase Unite termed "unacceptable". In a statement, Unite said: "The BPIF finally made what [it] described as 'a token offer', however this was conditional on Unite accepting full cost recovery and 'a strong inability to pay clause'." The statement added that the union had "done all it can during this difficult time to support for the printing industry wherever possible."
English: http://www.printweek.com/news/883121/BPIF-Unite-fail-agree-National- via
http://www.uniglobalunion.org/unigraphical.nsf/527af848b17f3b51c125689b00418df6/096272c076f41832c12575640047515e?OpenDocument

Though the country has a system of temporary lay-offs in place to avoid outright redundancies, the Finnish trade unions would prefer a short-time arrangement like the German "Kurzarbeit" system (See this Collective Bargaining Newsletter, Year 1 No. 10). The unions point out that when it comes to employees' mental well-being, a shortened working week would be a better alternative, as it is stressful to see your team breaking up in case of a temporary lay-off. Ralf Sund, an adviser at the Finnish Confederation of Professionals (STTK), said that all possible ways should be used in order to maintain some kind of connection to working life. Pertti Parmanne, director of the Central Organisation of Finnish Trade Unions (SAK), pointed out that shortened weekly working hours used to be more common in the past.
English: http://www.hs.fi/english/article/Finnish+trade+unions+would+prefer+shortened+working+hours+to+lay-offs+/1135243693734

Finnish Air Line Pilots' Association (SLL), representing Finnair pilots, on 22 February rejected a proposal by the State Labour Conciliator aimed at settling job disputes. However, talks between both parties will continue, which means that no strike action will be immediately undertaken. Pilots had threatened to begin a series of one-day work stoppages as of 25 February. The pilots and Finnair are at odds over pensions, the use of contract labour, days off and staffing levels on flights. Progress was reported on all issues except the use of contract labour and pension terms.
English: http://www.yle.fi/uutiset/news/2009/02/pilots_union_rejects_settlement_proposal_563760.html via
http://www.labourstart.org/cgi-bin/show_news.pl?country=Finland

In a press release, the ABVV/FGTB confederation states to be satisfied with what has been reached in the national agreement (interprofessional accord, IPA) for 2009-2010, at the occasion of the National Labour Council agreeing with the rules of execution of three IPA dossiers. From 1 February on, employers will reimburse travel costs to a maximum of 75%, instead of 60%; the so-called bridge pension will be prolonged, so that employees with a career of 40 years (or 20 years of night shifts) can retire on the age of 56; employees are entitled in their collective agreement to include a tax freedom for ecological products of maximum Euro 125 in 2009 and Euro 250 in 2010 (See also this Collective Bargaining Newsletter Year 1, No. 10).
Dutch: http://www.fgtb.be/CODE/nl/fram004.htm
French: http://www.fgtb.be/code/fr/fram004.htm

The National Association of Trade Unions (MSZOSZ) said on 18 February it would initiate talks with Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany on several aspects of his tax plans. Peter Pataky, President of MSZOSZ, said that the unions did not support the idea of scrapping a 4% extra tax on annual incomes of 7 million forints (Euro 23,300) and more. The union federation also objects plans to cut payroll taxes paid by employers rather than workers' contributions. Further, it rejects the proposal to make bonuses such as meal tickets or travel contributions subject to tax. Raising value-added tax on all items, including food, affects the poorest, Pataky continued, outlining MSZOSZ's final objection.
English: http://www.realdeal.hu/20090219/unions-lukewarm-on-tax-plan-seek-talks-with-govt via
http://www.labourstart.org/cgi-bin/show_news.pl?country=Hungary

Authorities of the Czech Republic have adopted a novel approach in dealing with migrant workers who have lost their jobs in construction and other sectors, and want to return home. In mid-February, Czech officials offered free air tickets and Euro 500 in cash to jobless migrants to allow them to repatriate. According to local media, the country hosts nearly 300,000 officially registered migrant workers, of which a substantial part working in construction.
English: http://www.rferl.org/content/Ukrainian_Workers_Unconvinced_By_Czech_Repatriation_Offer/1496121.html
via http://www.labourstart.org/cgi-bin/show_news.pl?country=Czech+Republic

On 16 February, in the framework of a European action day organised by the various metalworkers' unions, simultaneous protest actions took place at the production sites of the Brakes division of the Germany-based Bosch Group, in France (Angers, Pont de l'Arche, Beauvais, and Drancy - Moulins), Spain (Lli‡a, Pamplona, and Buelna), Italy (Bari), Portugal (Abrantes), and Germany (Abstatt and Breidenbach). The workers are deeply concerned about the future of their jobs, and are demanding a clear strategy for the industrial activities. Peter Scherrer, General secretary of the European Metalworkers' Federation (EMF), stated: The workers and their representatives demand to be fully involved in any further developments and in the decision-making process within their division. This requires fully functional dialogue structures both at national and European level and it is to emphasize these demands that the workers have organised this European action day."
English: http://www.emf-fem.org/Press/Press-releases/Bosch-European-action-day-on-16th-February

In a bid to keep nearly Berlin's 30,000 teachers from escaping to higher paid jobs in other cities, the city-state government has decided to increase their salaries by almost 50%. "It is a step that costs a lot of money," Berlin's Mayor Klaus Wowereit said, referring to the Euro 30 million in additional cost per year stemming from the salary increases and an additional 1,900 positions for teaching staff in the city. The average wage for a newly employed teacher in Berlin was Euro 2,600 a month, but starting from August 2009 it will be almost Euro 3,900. Despite the salary increase, Berlin teaching salaries will remain well below those in other parts of Germany.
English: http://www.thelocal.de/society/20090219-17535.html
German: http://www.tagesspiegel.de/berlin/Landespolitik-Bildung-Lehrer-Gehaelter;art124,2732794