Collective Bargaining

While the current collective agreement is still valid until June 2019, pilots of Lufthansa Groups’ Edelweiss organised in the aviation trade union Aeropers demand a pay rise. The pilots want to renegotiate their agreement and are pushing for their pay to improve. In a letter of aviation union Aeropers it is said that the pilots made the current growth of Edelweiss possible through years of exceptionally high commitment and deferral of personal and private needs. In the view of the pilots there can be no further growth for the airline without sustained investment in the flying personnel.

Read on: in German …

A Eurofound report reviews the history of the digital revolution to date. Furthermore, it examines three key vectors of change: automation of work, the incorporation of digital technology into processes and the coordination of economic transactions through the digital networks known as ‘platforms’. In another report, Eurofound also publishes the latest developments in working life in the European Union. Main topics of interest are the commission’s social fairness package, the provisional agreement on the revision of the posting workers directive and discussion at the spring tripartite social summit for growth and employment.

Read on: in English (1) … in English (2) … The Platform Work report online: in English …

Trade union SIPTU want agency staff at Tullamore Hospital to be offered more secure employment. The trade union held a protest outside the facility to highlight what they call understaffing. Management has advertised around 20 full-time and temporary ‘multi task attendants’, however SIPTU claims the hiring process will take months. In reaction to the actions the management of the Midlands Regional Hospital in Tullamore has announced that approval has been received for the recruitment of 19.5 Multi Task Attendant (MTA) posts at the hospital.

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Trade unions GPA-djp and Vida launched a joint campaign to protest government plans for social reforms. With the campaign ‘My Heart for a Social Austria’ the unions want to promote the preservation of what they see as ‘one of the best social systems in the world’. Part of the social reform plans of the government that the unions see as ‘anti-worker policy’, is to save 1 billion euro. At a conference of the trade union confederation ÖGB 800 representatives of all unions agreed that a restructuring of the domestic social security system will only be carried out under heavy protest from the unions. The ÖGB threatened indirectly with strikes.

Read on: in German (1) … in German (2) …

Amazon workers are celebrating a historic victory. The company gave in under trade union pressure and agreed to end inhumane work schedules. The agreement between Amazon Italy and trade unions is a first in the entire company’s history. Amazon is known for its anti-union policy. The deal that supplements the nationwide sectoral collective labour agreement, ensures fairness in scheduling through reductions in mandatory night shifts and distributing weekend work in a just way. Amazon is notorious for long hours, punishing quotas, and little break time during shifts

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Employees at Zastava Arms company have called a strike, demanding that the state exempts their company from recently-adopted legislation aimed at privatising the arms industry. The workers’ call for the change of the management and better privatisation position. So far negotiations with both government as the company’s management remain deadlocked.

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A report based on a regular survey and published by the consultancy company Work Service concludes that around 11.8% of the (future) workforce considers labour migration. The percentage of potential labour migrants has decreased by 2 points in the last twelve months, showing the lowest reading since the survey was first conducted. Germany remains the most popular destination (31.4%), followed by the Netherlands (15%), which has overtaken the UK (5.7%). The most important drivers for migration are higher earnings (82%), higher standard of living (36%), ability to travel and explore the world (24%) and better career prospects (24%). A report by the Dutch statistical office CBS revealed that a majority of Polish migrants were employed on a flexible and temporary basis, even after a stay of several years.

Read on: in English … The CBS data: in English …

During a visit to the Ukraine the labour minister has examined why employers complain they can’t recruit Ukrainians quickly enough to fill gaps in the labour force. Employers say that the period between starting the recruitment process based on a long-term visa of one year or more and finally settling all the paperwork and bureaucratic hurdles can take nine months or even up to a year. The unemployment rate was 3.2 percent in April 2018 and, according to statistics, there are around 25,000 vacancies at labour offices that cannot be fulfilled. Shortages are especially high in jobs that are very physically and mentally demanding.

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The statistical office published the final wage data for 2016. The median gross wage in 2016 landed at 6603 Swiss francs, an increase 0ver two years with 1.2%. The gender wage gap in 2014 was 15.2%. This gap slowly decreased in the two-years period that the office applied. Another report revealed that the number of households depending on social and economic protection has reached a record high level. The necessary budget increased from 3.5 million Swiss francs in 2007 to 9.8 million Swiss francs in 2017 (an increase of 181%).

Read on: in German … Read on: in German …

The Institute for Trade and Social Studies of trade union CITUB came up with the latest data (for the first quarter of 2018) on the necessary living wage. A four-person household with two adults and two children needs BGN 2340 per month (1196 euro). This is necessary to cover the cost of food, housing, health, transport and leisure. The study shows substantial regional differences with the necessary funds for a normal living of a four-person household in Sofia at BGN 3055 (1562 euro). The capital exceeds the average levels of life support in the country by 30.5%. In total, 73.3% of households live with a total income under the necessary means of subsistence.

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