Collective Bargaining

The management of Malta International Airport and the two unions representing its workforce, GWU and UĦM, signed a collective agreement. The agreement covers the period between 1 January 2018 and 31 December 2022. The agreement will lead to improved benefits for workers, with year-on-year increases in salaries, which amount to a 17.5% increase by 2022. The package includes performance bonuses and wellbeing benefits. In return, the agreement foresees a more agile operation linked to quality management and the company's strategic goals. It introduces a better shift structure to allow the company the flexibility it needs to continue to manage the ever-increasing operational demands of the airport.

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After a call-out by the country’s two biggest trade unions thousands of workers went on strike on 30 May in protest against austerity, high taxes and a new wave of reforms. The GSEE union and its public counterpart, ADEDY, organised the one-day walkout. The walkout disrupted flights and urban transport and knocked out train and ferry services across the country. Journalists also walked off the job, leading to a dearth of news bulletins.

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Because of anticipated personnel shortages the government plans to hire foreign doctors and drafted a regulation listing 29 specialties in which foreign specialists could be hired on more lax requirements. The Latvian Health and Social Care Workers' Trade Union (LVSADA) responded with anger stating that the way to address anticipated staffing shortages is to start paying decent salaries to local medics.

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After a meeting in Madrid, trade unions representing the cabin crew workers based in Spain, Portugal, Belgium and Italy at Ryanair announced in a statement that they would go on strike this summer unless the low-cost airline accepts their demands. The unions demand that Ryanair workers are employed according to the national legislation of the country they operate in, rather than that of Ireland as is currently the case. Furthermore, the airline should give subcontracted workers the same working conditions as its own employees. Finally, Ryanair should recognise unions for pilots and cabin crew and negotiate with a representative chosen by the unions and not by the company.

Read on: in English … Read the statement: in Spanish …

Long and intense negotiations between the management of the automaker, since August 2017 owned by French car giant PSA, the central works council and the IG Metall union on the future of Opel’s plants has resulted in an agreement in principle. Opel has promised to start significant investment programs at the production plants and at the R&D centre. According to a statement by the works council and trade union IG Metall, the workers at the production sites in Rüsselsheim, Kaiserslautern, Eisenach, Dudenhofen and Bochum will have their jobs guaranteed until the summer of 2023 and investments have been budgeted for each site. In exchange, the workers’ representatives have agreed with pay concessions.

Read on: in English … The statement: in German …

The Chamber of Labour AK produces since 2016 an annual welfare study. In the current edition, AK provides the reader with an interesting chapter on the distribution of income, the wage development and inequality. Additional parts underpin the gender pay gap, labour productivity and the distribution of wealth. The report has other chapters on employment and fair and decent work, the quality of life, sustainability and economic stability. The authors expect over a 5-year period, ending in 2019, a relatively positive development of the welfare situation. They are critical about the indicators ‘full and decent employment’, ‘fair distribution of wealth’ and a ‘sustainable environment’.

Read on: in German … The report: in German …

With the lowest unemployment rate of Europe and a shortage of workers, wages are rising steadily. According to the country’s trade union confederation this upward trend will continue for several more years as labour costs lie far below those in the richer West. On average three Czech workers cost as much as one German worker. The union believes that in the next three or four years the country can realistically expect real wage growth of 3 percent to 5 percent per year.

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SIPTU representatives have called on members to participate in a ‘day of action’ on 30 May organised by the Standing4Women campaign in solidarity with the 209 women affected by the CervicalCheck scandal. The ‘day of action’ will include events in communities across the country. Cervical Check is a free smear test offered to women aged 25 to 60 years. This screening is not an exact science and it can throw up false positive, or false negative results.

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Workers at Megasa steel plan are on a strike that is affecting up to 25% of the total production at the Megasa-owned Megasider Zaragoza plant. The strike will continue indefinitely as negotiations between management and trade unions are deadlocked. The workers began their actions in January due to dissatisfaction with the new management, which took over operations of the plant in 2016 from ArcelorMittal. Main points of conflict are managements’ proposals to reduce pay and increased and extended working hours.

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According to the Confederation of Slovenian Trade Unions plans for a strike at Štore Steel, one of the country’s biggest steel producers, were cancelled after management threatened to fire anyone who would participate in the strike. The workers were planning to go on strike because they want a 25% pay rise. The trade union believes the management of the company is guilty of violating the law on strike, so the case was reported to the labour inspection.

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