In 2008 before-tax wage increases ay growth in Norway mostly varied between 4.4 and 6.5% in the major bargaining areas: the highest rise since 1998. High bonus payments in the banking and financial services led to pay growth here as high as 9.2% in 2008.Average wage growth from 2007 to 2008 is estimated at 6%, according to the most recent figures from the Norwegian Technical Calculation Committee for Wage Settlements. Growth in executive pay in 2008 was consistently higher than for wage earners in general. For managing directors and others with managerial functions in the financial industry, it averaged 28.6%; in this figure bonuses are included, but not options and benefits in kind. Real pay for wage earners increased by on average only 2.0% in 2008, much lower than 2007 (4.5%). The decrease is largely related to considerably higher price increases in 2008.
English: http://www.norwaypost.no/content/view/21646/1/ via
http://www.labourstart.org/cgi-bin/show_news.pl?country=Norway
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On 12 February, in connection with the official announcement of the 2008 results of the Renault Group, Spanish workers from Renault Valladolid demonstrated in Paris. They were strongly supported by the French trade unions from Renault. The announcements by French President Sarkozy, together with the decisions taken by the French management to transfer production programmes between the sites of Valladolid and Flins (F) and Sandouville (F), raise heavy doubts as to the future of jobs in Valladolid. The European Works Council (EWC) of Renault supports the position of the Spanish workers, underlining that the different production sites must not be played off against each other. The EWC is calling for an even playing field approach for all sites, and points out that the region of Valladolid is already hard-hit by high unemployment. Peter Scherrer, the General Secretary of the European Metalworkers' Federation (EMF), has called for a global approach to costs, not focusing on labour costs - given the very small part represented by wages in the price of a car - but taking a better balance of production sites into account.
English: http://www.emf-fem.org/Press/Press-releases/Solidarity-with-Spanish-Renault-workers-demonstration-in-Paris
Spanish: http://www.eldiadevalladolid.com/noticia.cfm/Local/20090120/manifestacion/dia/12/paris/ere/renault/F0770B7A-1A64-968D-59107F98C638E5A3
The Slovak government and representatives of the Trade Union Confederation (KOZ) on 6 February agreed basically to limit wage demands as part of attempts to save jobs threatened by the global crisis, according to Prime Minister Robert Fico. Fico said trade unions had promised they would only negotiate for wage increases not exceeding productivity growth. Moreover, the unions accepted a temporary increase of state allowances that was introduced at the beginning of 2009 and raises the incomes of people with salaries around the minimum-wage level. Earlier, the unions showed reservations towards this measure for a long term, claiming that it might weaken the institution of the minimum wage.
English:
http://www.forexpros.com/news/financial-news/slovak-govt,-unions-agree-to-cap-wage-hike-demands-27381
http://www.tasr.sk/30.axd?k=20090206TBB00306
The GDG local government union believes that improved conditions for civil servants working for the Vienna municipality provide a model that should be followed by regional governments across the country. The union argues that civil servants now benefit from a range of new provisions including an seventh week of paid leave for older workers, updated rules on working time and several measures that improve health and safety and the working environment. The GDG has also reacted strongly to recent accusations about the high levels of early retirement pensions being paid out by the Vienna municipality. The union made clear that early retirement pensions were paid out on the basis of medical reports and the level reflected the impact of onerous jobs on many of those working for the authority. The GDG also pointed out that levels of early retirement were lower in other municipalities because many services had been outsourced.
English: http://www.epsu.org/cob/285; German:
http://www.gdg.at/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=C01/Page/Index&n=C01_0.b.a&cid=1232539991176
http://www.gdg.at/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=C01/Page/Index&n=C01_0.b.a&cid=1232540019658
At the end of January services union ver.di signed the first company collective agreement with Sana Kliniken, a group of hospitals. The agreement covers around 6,000 employees and the union declared that it will mean that future pay and working conditions will be more transparent and can be assessed in terms of equal opportunities. The agreement will run for 24 months. Ver.di said that it will not only mean a substantial pay increase for many employees but that those with young children will be helped out with a Euro 100-a-month contribution to childcare costs.
English: http://www.epsu.org/cob/285
German: http://presse.verdi.de/pressemitteilungen/showNews?id=fd9f5212-eead-11dd-4d2f-0019b9e321cd
The FSAP-CCOO, FSP-UGT and CSIF public service federations have launched a campaign to secure early retirement rights for police officers employed by local authorities and the autonomous regions. The unions argue that early retirement will contribute to ensuring a good quality service and allow for increased recruitment of younger workers into the police service. Last year the unions were finally successful in their campaign for an early retirement provision of firefighters.
English: http://www.epsu.org/cob/285
Spanish: http://www.fsap.ccoo.es/webfsap/menu.do?Actualidad:Sindical:Actualidad:48365
On 17 December 2008, the Estonian parliament passed the new Employment Contracts Act, which will take effect from 1 July 2009. Initially, it had been planned that the act would enter into force in 2010. However, due to the rapid changes in the labour market and expected further economic decline, the parliament decided to bring the date forward. It made the decision despite opposition from the trade unions, which expressed concerns regarding the timing of the adjustment. A number of political parties also criticised the move. The new law provides higher unemployment benefits (70% of the previous wage during 100 days, instead of 50%), but also dismissal procedures eased for employers, while the conclusion of fixed-term contracts will be allowed in all cases. Some of the act's provisions requiring significant additional expenses from the state budget are still due to take effect on 1 January 2010, like raising the flat rate of unemployment allowance up to 50% of the national minimum wage of the previous year instead of the current monthly level of about EEK 1,000 (Euro 64).
English: http://www.eurofound.europa.eu/eiro/2009/01/articles/ee0901019i.htm
UNI Global Union and Sweden-based printer and publisher Elanders have signed a global agreement that guarantees international labour standards at work and employees' organising rights and sets a new standard for working conditions and union rights in the printing and publishing industry. The accord is the result of coordinated action by UNI's Swedish affiliate Grafiska, other UNI affiliates representing Elanders employees around the globe and UNI Graphical who organised the series of consultations between the company and the unions leading to the agreement. "The co-operation with Elanders and their pro-worker attitude marks a turning-point in the printing industry and sets a model we are confident other companies will followÿ", said Adriana Rosenzvaig, head of UNI Graphical.
(English: http://www.uniglobalunion.org/unigraphical.nsf/527af848b17f3b51c125689b00418df6/b5b6e55604c38c95c125754b005026d9?OpenDocument)
Government and social partners are remaining bitterly divided over public spending cuts. Cutting the early childcare payment will be among the measures considered by ministers on 27 January as they continue to seek ways to slash Euro 2 billion from public spending. The so-called "list of possibles" the Cabinet will go through also includes capital spending on roads, regional airports and higher-education building projects. Concerning the pay talks, unions said progress had been made in redrafting the framework document for the talks but key headlines for discussion, and alterations to text, still have to be agreed. The Government is still saying a deal will have to be struck by around the end of the month, but the lack of progress prompted speculation that the timeframe for agreement on the cuts could extend as far away as the end of next month (See also this Collective Bargaining Newsletter Year 1 No.'s 4, 9 and 10).
(English: http://www.independent.ie/national-news/crisis-pay-talks-deadlocked-as-job-losses-soar-1615607.html via http://www.labourstart.org/)
Social partners have reached common understanding on changes in unemployment benefits and the financing of pensions. The organisations include the union confederations SAK, STTK and Akava and the employers' Confederation of Finnish Industry (EK). The social policy package is a compromise on important social policy issues that have in recent times been under discussion. Trade unionists regard the negotiations and their outcomes as a continuation of the income policy agreements existing since the late 1960s. The package proposes improvements in unemployment benefits. Unemployed members of the unemployment fund will be entitled to income-based unemployment benefit after having been employed for eight months during the 28 months preceding his or her unemployment. Actually the minimum condition is 10 months of work.
(English: http://www.artto.kaapeli.fi/unions/T2009/m03)