01 epsucob@NEWS 9 January 2006
Health workers demonstrate around the country
Health workers around the country took to the streets on 22 December in a series of regional demonstrations. The protests were calling for a renewal of the two-year pay agreement which expired in December 2003 and for provision of decent health services for all Italian citizens. Read more at > CGIL
Pay offer rejected
The CC.OO union federation has refused to endorse the agreement for the 2006 pay increase in the public sector. The basic increase for the public sector for 2006 negotiated in the summer was for 3.1%. Since then unions have negotiated an extra 0.3% for central government and 0.5% for local government. The CC.OO points out that in 2005 public sector workers lost out with a 3.0% pay increase while inflation rose to 3.5% by October 2005. The union also says the government has tried to confuse the negotiations over pay by mixing them up with discussions over other issues such as work-life balance
Unionisation still high in public sector
A recent study on social dialogue in Poland indicates that levels of union membership and coverage by collective agreements remain high in the public sector. However, workers in health and education are face worse pay and conditions than those available in the private sector. The study suggests that unions often form a common front with management in putting pressure on government to fund higher pay. Read more at > EIRO
UK civil service hit by strike action
Several sections of the UK civil service have been hit by strike action or face industrial action in the near future. Last month over 8,000 staff in magistrates courts were involved in a one-day national strike for the first time ever. The dispute is over pay with the unions involved arguing that a 2.2% increase to pay scales is a cut in pay in real terms. [Read more at > PCS->http://www.pcs.org.uk/Templates/Internal.asp?NodeID=899815] [Read more at > Prospect->http://www.prospect.org.uk/news/newsstory.php?news=325&prs=fea737a860201167a4852f1a95c53996] Earlier this month staff in the biggest
Minimum wage rises by 6.2%
The Slovakian government increased the minimum wage to 6,900 SKK (around 185 euros) from 1 October last year. The KOZ SR union federation had been calling for an increase to 7,280 in the tripartite negotiations but eventually agreed to 6,900 with one of the main employer federations. The KOZ SR target is to get the minimum wage increased to 60% of average earnings - it is currently worth around 40% of the average. Read more at > EIRO
Increase in minimum wage
The monthly minimum wage in Latvia increases to 128 euros this month. This puts it at 36% of average pay as at June 2005. However, rapidly rising earnings levels means that the minimum wage is likely to fall to only 30% of average earnings by June 2006. The report from the EIRO industrial relations observatory reveals that the minimum wage is lower now in proportion to average earnings than it was 10 years ago. Read more at > EIRO
Gas engineers win some pension concessions
Strike action by engineers employed by the Centrica gas company has won some concessions from management over their pension arrangements. The engineers took action to try to keep their final-salary pension scheme open to new recruits. Unfortunately, the union was unsuccessful in achieving this but has won some guarantees from the company to allow all current employees and new recruits to join up to the end of March this year. The company has also promised extra funding to ensure the scheme is maintained for current members. [Read more at > GMB->http://www.gmb.org.uk/Templates/Internal.asp
Widespread support for strike action
Around 70%-75% of workers in local administration supported the two-day strike last month in protest at government policies on the public sector. In particular the STAL union is calling for a 5.5% pay increase to compensate for a loss of purchasing power in recent years and a minimum 50 euro per month increase for all workers. [Read more at > STAL->http://www.stal.pt/artigo.asp?id=762] The SINTAP union has also attacked the government for offering a 1.5% pay increase for 2006 when inflation is at 2.5%. The union also estimates that public sector workers have seen their pay fall in real terms
Unions win decent conditions for ferry workers
Following the large demonstrations across Ireland last month, a settlement has been agreed at Irish Ferries ensuring that the migrant workers are paid at least the Irish minimum wage and other decent conditions. There were fears that Irish Ferries would set an example as another company attempting to exploit migrant workers and pay below European minimum standards. Pay levels and crew numbers will be higher than those originally proposed by the company and a framework agreement will ensure maintenance of these conditions irrespective of what flag the ferries are registered under. [Read more at
Doctors' union launches overtime campaign
The Marburger Bund doctors' union is running a campaign to highlight the massive amount of overtime worked by hospital doctors. The union argues that the 146,000 hospital doctors in Germany work a total of 50 million hours of overtime each year. This is compensated neither by overtime pay nor hours off in lieu. The union wants doctors to keep a record of their hours and the demand will be that no further hours of overtime will be worked unless paid for. Read more at > Marburger Bund
Union leader calls for government action on minimum wages
Michael Sommer, leader of the DGB union confederation, has identified action on low pay as a priority for 2006 and wants to see the government provide legal minimum wages across the economy. This might mean giving collective agreements wider applicability in sectors where they are already negotiated. However, Sommer also acknowledges that this will not work and direct intervention in the form of legal minimum rates would be necessary. For the DGB a key issue remains that any legal minimum should not interfere in the unions' right to collective bargaining. [Read more at > DGB->http://www.dgb.de
Long wait for negotiations to begin
Unions in the public sector were frustrated by the government's refusal to begin negotiations over pay at the end of last year and are concerned about what this means for any meaningful talks this month. They are still looking for the government to ensure protection of purchasing power for the current year, compensation for loss of purchasing power since 2000 and a revision of the salary scale. Read the joint communications from all the unions at > CGT
Union rejects further privatisation
The GDG municipal union has reacted angrily over plans by the Vienna local authority to outsource services such as refuse collection and parks maintenance. The union is particularly disappointed about the authority's plans since it had worked with the union in opposition to the Services Directive. The union is also angry that the Vienna municipality had not consulted with it over the proposals. Read more at > GDG