France
The FNME energy section of the CGT federation organised a day of demonstrations and industrial action on 7 June in protest at the failure of electricity producer EDF to agree to proper negotiations covering workers in the nuclear power sector. EDF management had proposed a new agreement on social dialogue setting out a wide range of issues to be discussed. However, the union rejected this agreement as it failed to cover the key issues of pay and jobs.
Read more at > FNME-CGT (FR)
The STAL and STML trade unions organized a demonstration outside the interior ministry on 7 August in protest at planned changes to the employment conditions of firefighters. The unions argue that the government wants to make changes to the pay and career paths of firefighters along with changes to working time. The unions are demanding that the government comply with the constitutional right of these workers to a process of consultation over the proposed changes. Read more at > STAL (PT)
EPSU has written a letter of protest to the Portuguese government for its failure to negotiate properly over proposed changes to workers' rights and pay and conditions in public administration. As part of its long-running campaign against government policies the FNFSP public sector trade union federation has organised a demonstration on 18 October taking advantage of the presence in Lisbon of government leaders from the rest of the European Union. Read more at > EPSU (EN) And at > FNSFP (PT)
The FSP-UGT public service federation has said it will not participate in negotiations with public sector employers unless they are proper negotiations that benefit workers. The union's announcement came after a meeting with the health ministry over the ebola virus which the ministry simply used to inform unions of actions on which it had already decided. Meanwhile the FSC-CCOO and other federations have complained about the failure to convene the CIVEA committee that monitors the implementation of the public sector agreement. [Read more at > FSP-UGT (ES)->http://www.fspugt.es/salud/803-ugt
