Collective Bargaining

Kaufland, the biggest retail network in Romania and one of the biggest local employers, will increase the minimum gross income of its employees, including wage, meal vouchers and bonuses, by 10.6%, starting in March. The minimum income level will vary depending on the social and economic particularities of each region, which means that employees in regions with higher-than-average wages and a low unemployment rate will probably receive higher minimum wages than those in poorer regions.

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Teachers, school leaders and other employees in education have been striking for higher wages and lighter workloads. Over 4,000 primary and secondary schools remain closed, with 59% of primary schools and 28% of secondary schools participating in the strike.

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An Italian labour court will hear on 6 February 2020 the case presented by the Italian unions Fistel-CISL and SLC-CGIL against Sofidel for the company’s repeated refusal to establish a European Works Council (EWC). The unions of the tissue paper industry in Italy, together with UNI Europa, started the process of establishing an EWC in Sofidel in 2015.

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The parliament is expected to approve a pension reform, which will make the so-called second pillar, the private pension back-up fund, voluntary in the future. Until now all employees have had to pay 2% of their salary into savings accounts, with the state adding another 4%. Under the reform employees will be allowed to withdraw the money from their account.

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Global translation company Jonckers is offering its employees, including those in Belgium, unlimited paid vacation days, starting in March. All 172 employees of the company will be able to take paid time off whenever they like. At the very least, they are obliged to take 20 paid days of vacation. The aim of the programme is to improve employee well-being at work and address long-term absences but also to attract a talented workforce.

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Many young Bulgarians graduating from secondary school do not want to work in industry, but prefer to work in the service sector. These are the results of a PISA survey conducted for the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Massive changes in the labour market and the emergence of new professions have made virtually no impression on young people in Bulgaria.

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A new social security bill will lead to varying increases in pensions according to Labour Ministry officials. The ministry stated that any cost will be covered for 2020 by the social budget. The main pension increases will only concern those who retire after 30 to 44 years of insured labour.

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Because the metal industry is going through hard times, the metalworkers’ union, IG Metall, will not make concrete wage demands in the upcoming collective bargaining round. The union’s key focus will instead be on employment protection by negotiating a “future package” that includes shorter working hours instead of layoffs.

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Trade unions Vida and GPA-djp organised company meetings for nursing, health and social workers to inform employees about the ongoing negotiations on the 35-hour week with full salary and staff compensation. The latest round of negotiations took place at the end of January 2020.

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Spain’s new government have announced a 5.5% rise in the minimum wage from 1 January. The government’s move is part of a plan to boost the net minimum wage to 60% of the average monthly pay of €1,944 by the end of its four-year term. The new government has also announced rises in pensions and civil servant salaries.

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