Collective Bargaining

On 15 January, under heavy pressure of the three trade union confederations and the employers' associations the Minister of Social Affairs and Employment, Piet Hein Donner, announced that the deadline for applications to the official short-time arrangement has been extended another six weeks to 1 March 2009 (and not to 1 April, like the social partners jointly had asked earlier). Four days later the minister said to accept that the costs involved would go over the former limit of Euro 200 million. He envisaged that after 1 March a weaker version of the arrangement will be introduced, to be discussed in the so-called crisis team that has been put up of government, unions and employers' associations. The FNV union confederation has plead for continuation of the short-time arrangement linked up with training programs and labour pools, pointing at the continuously large labour shortages in a number of sectors (See also this Collective Bargaining Newsletter Year 1 No. 10).
(Dutch: NRC-Handelsblad, 14, 15, 17, 19 and 24 January 2009; information Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment).

Olaf Scholz, Minister of Labour, has said to expect a massive growth of applications for the official short-time arrangement ("Kurzarbeit"), in view of the current economic crisis. Scholz said to count for 2009 with 250,000 short-time workers on average. He added that the government is prepared for a large-scale use of the short-time regulation and that funding is guaranteed: "We have reserved Euro 16 billion, and this will do till deep in next year" (See also this Collective Bargaining Newsletter Year 1 No. 10).
(German: http://www.noows.de/arbeitsminister-scholz-rechnet-mit-einer-welle-von-kurzarbeit-5442)

In January, the number of workers covered by the official "Kurzarbeitsbeihilfe" or "Kurzarbeit" (short-time support) provided by the Arbeidsmarktservice (AMS) will most likely grow to over 15,000. Talks between government and social partners have paved the way for a more flexible adoption of the current "Kurzarbeit" regulation. The government coalition parties have prepared an initiative proposal for such more flexible adoption, which will be decided upon in February. Press information suggests that the maximum term for adoption, currently one year, will be prolonged to 18 months (See also this Collective Bargaining Newsletter Year 1 No. 10).
(German: http://www.wirtschaftsblatt.at/home/oesterreich/branchen/356863/index.do; http://www.wienerzeitung.at/DesktopDefault.aspx?TabID=3858&Alias=wzo&cob=392781)

The health and social services unions have announced they may take industrial action in protest at the funding of homes for the elderly. The unions argue that the funding crisis is undermining the service provided by the homes and is a factor in the low wages in the sector, with average salaries of CZK (Czech crowns) 14,500 (Euro 530), or CZK 6,000 (Euro 220) below the Czech national average wage.
(English: http://www.epsu.org/cob/282; http://www.ceskenoviny.cz/news/zpravy/czech-unions-threaten-to-strike-over-situation-in-elderly-homes/356159)

Members of the CGIL confederation's metalworking (FIOM) and public service (FP CGIL) federations will be taking strike action on 13 February. The two federations are coming together in protest at a range of government policies that are attacking public sector workers, public services and undermining progress towards equality not just between men and women workers but also between domestic and migrant workers. The federations also argue that government policies are weakening workers' rights in both public and private sectors.
(English: http://www.epsu.org/cob/282; Italian: http://www.fpcgil.it/flex/cm/pages/ServeBLOB.php/L/IT/IDPagina/9124)

Public service union AbvaKabo FNV has called for a 3.5% pay increase for the 500,000 workers employed in health and social care and covered by three major collective agreements - hospitals, mental health and disabled care. The union argues that the sector is being affected by demographic change with staff shortages at the same time as there is an increasing demand from an ageing population, with the numbers in care likely to rise by 50% to 1.5 million over the next 15 years. As part of the claim the union also wants a 13th month payment.
(English: http://www.epsu.org/cob/282; Dutch: http://www.abvakabofnv.nl/cao/bericht/35_procent_meer_loon_en_13e_maand_voor_500000_zorgmedewerkers/)

The first round of negotiations between unions and regional government employers failed to bring any significant process. The two sides were left some way apart according to the ver.di service union general secretary Frank Bsirske. Ver.di called for an 8% increase for the 700,000 workers in regional government with a minimum increase of Euro 200 a month. The union also wants to see trainees get an extra Euro 120 a month as well as a guarantee of employment after training. Ver.di is looking to ensure that regional government employees catch up with pay levels in local and central government. The union also wants to negotiate an agreement on equal pay.
(English: http://www.epsu.org/cob/282; German: http://presse.verdi.de/pressemitteilungen/showNews?id=1c6269b2-e627-11dd-6b33-0019b9e321cd)

Salaries for public sector workers rose by 2.9% from 1 January 2009. With a sharp drop in inflation to 0.8% in the year to December this means that workers should see a real increase in pay over the year. However, this will only begin to compensate them for a loss of purchasing power of between 7.2% and 10.4% in the years 2000 - 2008.
(English: http://www.epsu.org/cob/282)

The three main local government unions - UNISON, GMB and Unite - have submitted their pay claim for 2009-2010. They want a pay increase that compensates for inflation with higher increases for the lower paid. The unions want a 12-month agreement and are not looking for any other changes in terms and conditions. A detailed document supporting the claim has been published. It compares pay rates in local government with pay in the rest of the public sector and with similar jobs in the private sector. The report also looks at minimum pay and shows that the lowest pay rate in local government is just over 10% below the average minimum rate in 36 other public sector agreements (See also this Collective Bargaining Newsletter Year 1 No.'s 3, 8 and 9).
(English: http://www.epsu.org/cob/282#a4480; http://www.unison.org.uk/news/news_view.asp?did=5097)

The FSAP-CCOO public service federation has signed a new framework agreement with CONB, an association of fire service consortia that covers around 4,000 firefighters across 2,000 municipalities. The agreement covers training and aims to improve the way that fire services deal with health and safety of firefighters.
(English: http://www.epsu.org/cob/282; Spanish: http://www.fsap.ccoo.es/webfsap/menu.do?Inicio:47836)