Collective Bargaining

During the wage dispute in the healthcare sector in October/November 2007, the government strongly criticised the Union of Health and Social Care Professionals (TEHY), in threatening with mass resignations. Against this backdrop, on November 17 the government adopted the new Patient Safety Act, enabling to order healthcare professionals to continue working even if the worker in question has resigned. Following a request of Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen, the three union confederations, SAK, STTK and Akava, agreed on a common wording for rules regulating industrial action, particularly in the case of protected work. According to their proposal, "strike restrictions will be defined so that health and lives of citizens will not be endangered through industrial action". However, STTK-affilated TEHY and the Finnish Union of Practical Nurses (SuPer) have expressed doubts as to whether the wording of these rules can in practice restrict their right to strike. Consequently, the working party of the union confederations is continuing discussions over the exact wording of the industrial relations rules (See also this Collective Bargaining Newsletter Year 1 No 1).
(English: http://www.eurofound.europa.eu/eiro/2008/04/articles/fi0804029i.htm)

The public sector unions of three main confederations, CGIL FP, CISL FP and UIL FPL, united in a national demonstration on 9 May demanding renewal of the collective agreement covering 150,000 workers in the private health sector. A new agreement should have come into effect already in January 2006. The unions now want an urgent response from the employers that a new agreement will be signed before the summer break.
(English: http://www.epsu.org/spip/cob.php3?id_mot=258#a3791,
Italian: http://www.fpcgil.it/flex/cm/pages/ServeBLOB.php/L/IT/IDPagina/6284)

UNI Commerce reports that the Free Trade Union Federation of Commerce (FSLC) and its recently established company-based union Solidaritatea have successfully concluded their collective agreement negotiations with Metro Cash & Carry, subsidiary of the German Metro Group. The new agreement will improve working conditions and wages, and establish a social dialogue. It includes a 9,5% increase in wages, a loyalty bonus after five years of employment, and a 10% bonus for work on Saturdays and Sundays, increased from 7%. It also provides for three paid days of leave each month for union representatives, and includes a focus on improving working conditions. Based on a project cooperation, UNI Commerce and its Danish affiliates HK and HK Handel support the development of modern unionism in the Romanian wholesale and retail industry.
(English: http://www.union-network.org/unisite/Sectors/Commerce/Multinationals/Metro_Romania_collective_agreement.htm)

After persistent negotiations, employers and trade unions in the Greek private sector have concluded a two-year national agreement including a cumulative rise of nearly 12.5% in minimum wage rates. An uplift of 3.45% is backdated to 1 January 2008, with a further 3% to be paid on 1 September 2008 and another 5.5% payable from 1 May 2009. The unions stated to be satisfied with the deal, and business leaders characterized it as "a modern pact for labour peace". Price inflation in Greece is forecast to average 3.7% for 2008, up from 2.9% in 2007. Public sector unions are demanding pay increases at least to cover that, and the private-sector award will put more pressure on the government to comply.
(English: Watson Wyatt Data Services, New Industrial Relations Europe, 4/2008)

At the start of the negotiations concerning a new national agreement, employers ruled out the possibility of pay increases above the rate of inflation. However, unions said they were seeking increases that matched the current rate of inflation as well as compensation for rises which were eroded by inflation that occurred during the existing deal, and moreover for a share of productivity growth in the economy. The general secretary of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU), David Begg, stated he was "looking for something above what the employers say they cannot give". He said the unions would be seeking increases that covered inflation - which he estimated would not abate very much - and that made up for a 1.7% shortfall in wages under the current deal. Jimmy Kelly of the Unite union said it would be seeking increases of above inflation as well as improvements in pensions, union representation rights and equal treatment for agency workers.
(English: http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/frontpage/2008/0425/1209072888288.html,
via http://www.laborstart.org/europe)

The UK government was urged to review its pay policy April 25 as up to 400,000 teachers, lecturers, and civil and public servants went on strike. Members of the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) walked out of government offices in a dispute which also closed benefit offices and driving-test centres, and left the coastguard with only emergency cover. Mark Serwotka, the general-secretary of the PCS, said: "This action illustrates the depth of anger over the government's insistence to cut the living standards of hard-working civil and public servants, some of whom earn just above the minimum wage. The government must review its discredited policy of using public-sector workers as an anti-inflationary tool." Union leaders warned that unrest in the civil service would intensify unless the government changed its policy of pegging pay rises to 2% a year in each of the next three years.
(English: http://news.scotsman.com/education?articleid=4019889, via http://www.laborstart.org/europe/)

A ballot of ver.di members in federal and local government produced a 76.5% majority in favour of the final pay offer from the employers. Around 189,000 members took part in the vote with 145,000 supporting the deal that will mean a 7.11% pay rise for the lowest paid workers. However, unions representing employees of the regional government in Berlin are backing a series of strikes by different groups of workers in support of a new pay agreement. Berlin is not part of the regional government employers' association and so the agreement covering regional government workers does not apply. The unions point out that most regional government workers around the country have received a 2.9% pay increase this year. Workers in citizens' offices, the IT centre and parks maintenance are among those taking action. In the meantime the strike on the Berlin transport system is over with unions agreeing a two-year deal, including a Euro 500 lump sum to cover January - July 2008. From 1 August workers will get monthly increases of either Euro 100 or Euro 60, depending on when they started with the company, the higher increase going to newer employees. There will then be a 1% increase for all workers from 1 August 2009. On average the agreement is worth 4.6%. (See also this Collective Bargaining Newsletter Year 1 No's 1, 2 and 3).
(English: http://www.epsu.org/spip/cob.php3?id_mot=257;#a3760; http://www.epsu.org/spip/cob.php3?id_mot=258#a3785;
German: http://bb.verdi.de/presse/pressemitteilungen/showNews?id=7d8daefe-1c1f-11dd-62ff-0019b9e321e1)

A local demonstration in LiŠge on 10 April and a march in Namur on 17 April reflect trade union discontent with local and regional social dialogue in Belgium. In LiŠge the local government unions were protesting over problems that were piling up because the municipality had failed to negotiate with them. Understaffing, pay and failure to regulate employment conditions were among the list of grievances. Meanwhile trade unions were also planning the Namur demonstration on 17 April in protest at the Walloon government's failure to meet a commitment to increase the number of civil service posts in local government organisations across the region.
(English: http://www.epsu.org/spip/cob.php3?id_mot=257;#a3760;
French: http://csc-services-publics.csc-en-ligne.be/Nouvelles/Sectorielles/administrations_locales_et_regionales/actualites/manif_alr_17_avril_2008.asp;
http://csc-services-publics.csc-en-ligne.be/Nouvelles/Sectorielles/administrations_locales_et_regionales/actualites/manif_liege.asp)

The ABVAKABO FNV civil servants union reports that a new collective labour agreement covering nurseries should make working in this sector more attractive. Along with higher pay, more training possibilities and improved career prospects comes there is also an increase in annual leave entitlement. The collective agreement runs from 1 May 2008 to 1 May 2009, with pay increases of 2% on 1 May 2008 and again on 1 January 2009. A lump sum payment worth 0.5% of pay will be paid in October 2008. Leave entitlement rises to 210 hours a year, up by 35 hours with part timers having a pro-rata entitlement. The agreement covers around 65% of nurseries and some 55,000 workers.
(English: http://www.epsu.org/spip/cob.php3?id_mot=257;#a3760;
Dutch: http://www.abvakabofnv.nl/cao/bericht/kinderopvang/)

The UNISON, GMB and Unite trade unions, jointly representing Scotland's 220,000 local government workers, have rejected the employers' offer of a three-year pay deal with increases of 2.5% in each year. Unions were looking for a 5% increase or UKP 1,000-a-year, whichever was greater. There will be a consultation of branches to decide over how to proceed and whether there should be a ballot for industrial action. Meanwhile, UNISON will be balloting its health sector members to see if they support the employers' pay offer. This is worth 8.1% over three years and includes a number of measures to improve pay at the bottom end of the pay scale, setting a minimum wage of UKP 6.77 (Euro 8.44) an hour, just above UNISON's UKP 6.75 target. UNISON's Dougie Black, who is also trade union side secretary, said there was "a great deal of anger" at the employers' insistence on a three-year deal and their continuing refusal to agree a reopener clause linked to inflation. (See also this Collective Bargaining Newsletter Year 1 No's 1, 2 and 3).
(English: http://www.epsu.org/spip/cob.php3?id_mot=257;#a3760; http://www.unison.org.uk/news/news_view.asp?did=4168)