Collective Bargaining

In the light of the recent surge in inflation, unions at the EDF energy company have called on the company to start negotiations over pay in line with regulations that provide for a re-opening of collective bargaining. There is also a call for the company to provide compensation for travelling to work, with a demand for EDF to pay for 60% of each employee's monthly travel costs if they use public transportand a Euro 200 contribution per year towards fuel costs for those not using public transport.
(English: http://www.epsu.org/spip/cob.php3?id_mot=260#a3851;
French: http://www.fnme-cgt.fr/outils/sites.phtml?id=2)

Six public service federations jointly organised a day of demonstrations and strike actions on 15 May, in protest at the government proposals to reform the public services, the so-called RGPP - R‚vision G‚n‚rale des Politiques Publiques (General revisions of policies on the public sector). The unions believe that these plans imply job cuts of 35-40,000 per year, widespread privatisation and deterioration of the quality of education. Earlier, the CFDT confederation reported that prospects for social dialogue appear bleak with public service minister Herv‚ Morin saying there is nothing to discuss in terms of how the RGPP is to be implemented. On 15 May, hundreds of thousands of French teachers and civil servants, including potal, hospital and customs workers, staged a one-day strike. There were major demonstrations in Paris, Marseille, Toulouse and Strasbourg. Union leaders claimed that at least 60% of all French teachers were on strike, and though the government said this figure was about 35%, foreign press mostly concluded to at least 50%. Unions are already planning a bigger strike on 22 May.
(English: http://www.epsu.org/spip/cob.php3?id_mot=258#a3795; http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/05/15/europe/france.php;
French: http://www.ugff.cgt.fr/ftp/communiques/fonction_publique/25_04_08.doc; http://www.fo-fonctionnaires.fr/)

In March, Air France hostesses and stewards objected to a new salary plan. According to union sources, the salary plan for flight assistants that was drafted by the company after dealings with three unions - CGT, CFDT and Unac - was rejected by hostesses and stewards who carried out an internal referendum: 65% of those that voted said 'no' to the plan. Already in January, Air France had failed to reach an agreement with the body representing 60% of its workers (SNPNC, Unsa, FO, SUD, and CFTC).
(English: http://www.agi.it/business/news/200803212049-eco-ren0080-art.html; French: La Tribune, 20 March 2008).

The results of negotiations between the public service trade unions and the Public Service Minister have fallen short of union expectations. The government has made some concessions but not enough to get some of the main unions to sign an agreement that would end their campaign over pay. The government has moved on the need for annual negotiations and for a review of the public sector pay scale. However, the unions are unhappy about the failure to address the loss of purchasing power for public sector workers over recent years. The pay increase offered for 2008 is 0.5% from 1 March and 0.3% from 1 October, while inflation is forecast to reach 1.6%. The government is talking about providing an individual guarantee of inflation protection rather than one achieved through a general pay increase for all workers.
(English: http://www.epsu.org/spip/cob.php3?id_mot=253; French: http://www.spterritoriaux.cgt.fr/spip.php?article2231; http://www.fo-fonctionnaires.fr/uiafp_negociation_salariales_fevrier2008.html; http://www.cfdt.fr/actualite/fonctions_publiques/salaires_dialogue_social/dialogue_social_0079.htm)

The three major union confederations organizing staff in large-scale retail (FO, CGT and CFDT) expressed their satisfaction with the strike actions as of 1 February. The unions claimed 80% observance in hypermarkets, 65% in supermarkets, 50% in logistics, and 20% in the smaller chains. The strike was organized to put pressure on management in view of negotiations in February on wages and working conditions. As union officials observe, the broad response on the unions' call may well reflect growing concerns over rising prices and falling household spending power, but also over employment perspectives and working conditions in retail.
(English: Via http://www.laborstart.org/europe, to a.o. http://www.reuters.com/article/rbssConsumerGoodsAndRetailNews/idUSL0127934820080201; French: http://fr.news.yahoo.com/afp/20080201/tfr-distribution-social-salaires-dimanch-b7b6525_3.html)

In a joint declaration as of January 25, public service federations (CGT - FO - FSU - CFDT - CFTC - UNSA - Solidaires) stated to be delighted by the level of support across the country for strikes and demonstrations over pay and collective bargaining of the day before. They emphasized that hundreds of thousands expressed their dissatisfaction over wages and employment in the public sector. In response the government has offered to meet for talks on 18 February. Yet, unions are also concerned that at the same time the government is talking about restricting the right to strike in the education sector. They want proper negotiations to begin in the first week of February and are calling on members to maintain pressure on the government through local actions and in particular during the "week for public services" organized by the government between 1 and 8 February.
(English: http://www.epsu.org/spip/cob.php3?id_mot=245; French: http://www.spterritoriaux.cgt.fr/spip.php?article2144)