Collective Bargaining

Unions SEK and PEO, representing hotel workers, have warned hoteliers that they are ready to take industrial action, claiming that ‘negotiations have come to a dead end after 7 months and there is no point in continuing talks’. The two sides have been in negotiations since the end of December 2018 when the previous collective agreement expired. SEK and PEO sent a joint letter to the labour department of the Ministry of Labour, calling on the Ministry to declare a deadlock in the negotiation process if hoteliers do not substantially alter their stance by the end of the month.

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The International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) and the European Transport Workers’ Federation (ETF) declare that a minimum of three directors on Ryanair’s board should be elected by its workforce. Despite a number of labour conflicts since two years, Ryanair has begun to engage with labour unions more constructively. The ITF and ETF believe the next step towards sustainable industrial relations is for chosen representatives to take seats in the boardroom.

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Tackling social disruption in the online platform economy

July 2019

FEPS published a Policy paper in which it makes the case that regulation of the activities of online platforms is necessary at EU level. Especially the precarious position of their workers needs to be regulated. Much online platform work is vulnerable and the current regulatory responses at national level have so far been insufficient to protect online platform workers. The paper concludes that it is important to shift the narrative away from ‘harmful rules’ that ‘hamper’ technological ‘innovation’ and instead to argue for a socially sustainable technologically supported economy that benefits everyone involved.

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A planned strike at the national carrier Alitalia, set to cause travel chaos for passengers flying through Italian airports on Friday, has been postponed. The strike has now been rescheduled for 6 September, unions said. Unions are now debating whether or not the airline strike will last 24 hours as initially planned. The strike was called in protest over new transport plans drafted by the government, which unions said they weren't consulted on.

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Workers are protesting against a Spanish company in Söğütlü town of Sakarya province after it unlawfully dismissed six trade union members on 29 May 2019. The company is refusing to recognize the union, even though the Turkish Ministry of Labour issued official certification on 29 April stating that Selüloz-İş has a sufficient majority for being a bargaining partner.

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The newly appointed Minister of Labour and Pension System, announced that he would officially invite unions to sit down together and continue social dialogue regarding common topics, including the "67 is too much" referendum related to the pension reform.

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Labour shortages have become an acute problem in the youngest member state of the EU. After the country’s accession to the EU in 2013 workers got free access to better paid jobs in western Europe which caused a brain-drain. Another cause for the shortage lies in the (too) early retirements. These were used as a means to buy social peace after the breakup of Yugoslavia and the privatization of many state-owned companies. Now employers recruit more foreign workers to fill vacancies. These come from the countries of the former Yugoslavia, but the suggestion is to look for workers in India, Pakistan and the Philippines. The trade union movement opposes this easy attraction of foreign workers and suggests to pay higher wages in better, long-term contracts.

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Commuters in Rome and throughout Italy expected two public transport strikes as the result of nationwide action by trade unions representing transport workers. The strike action has been called by trade unions protesting over the ‘absence of strategic responses’ in the transport plan being put forward by the government which, they claim, has excluded union representatives from talks.

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Heavy lifting and carrying, regular stooping and up to 61 hours overtime per month and still not regarded as hard work? The Pension Insurance Institution (PVA, Pensionsversicherungsanstalt) has rejected this. After taking over the right of representation by the Arbeiterkammer, it was possible for a former employee of a chemical merchandise trade company to obtain the hardship pension.

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IndustriAll Europe has written to the management of multinational motor manufacturer Suzuki, in protest at their repeated violations of basic trade union rights in their dealings with the Hungarian affiliate, metalworkers’ union VASAS. Earlier this year, VASAS established itself at Suzuki’s large plant in north Hungary having successfully recruited hundreds of workers there. The majority of those workers have not openly identified themselves as union members for fear of losing their jobs.

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Millions of flexible workers will benefit from new rights and extra protections if they lose out on work, under proposed government reforms. New rights for flexible workers giving them enhanced protections and control over their working lives. The plans include compensation for shifts cancelled at short notice. This is the second phase of the largest upgrade in workers’ rights in a generation, through the government’s Good Work Plan.

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One-sided flexibility - addressing unfair flexible working practices

19 July 2019

The proposals made by the Low Pay Commission were published on 17 December 2018 to address the issue of ‘one-sided flexibility’. This issue exists within some parts of the labour market, where employers misuse flexible working arrangements, creating an unpredictability in working hours, income insecurity and a reluctance among workers to assert basic employment rights.

Read on: in English ... The consultation paper: in English ...