Collective Bargaining

The statistical office published its latest data on the labour market evolution. Labour market participation is still low and the unemployment stays at a very high level (14.7% by the end of 2017). Compared to the third quarter 2017, employment decreased in the fourth quarter by 118 300. The highest part (86%) was due to the seasonal character of the jobs in agriculture, forestry and fishery and in households producing goods and services. Unemployment increased, compared to 2016, with 1.6%.

Read on: in English …

The government reformed the re-employment assistance system to prevent companies from abusing the system. Before the reforms, the system would compensate worker who, after being declared redundant, found a new but lower paying job to 90% of their previous earnings for a four-year period. In the new system the re-employment fund will only pay up to 50% of the salary and furthermore it will only be granted to employees aged 45 and over who have been victim of a collective redundancy or bankruptcy or who have been part of a retention plan.

Read on: in English …

Following strikes last month (see our February newsletter) teachers went on two more strikes in March after failing to reach a deal with the government on higher wages. Teachers want their salaries - around 920 euro monthly for junior teachers and 1,200 euro monthly on average - to be in line with those of other public workers. After the resignation of Prime Minister Miro Cerar, the public-sector trade unions demanding higher pay are divided. The trade union of teachers will probably suspend its strike plans and wait for a new government while the group of 16 public sector unions wants the outgoing government to finish the talks.

Read on: in English …

After a complaint by an individual public-sector worker, the Ombudsman ruled that public sector workers are unfairly excluded from pension increases that private workers do get when they continue working during retirement. When people chose to work longer and do not apply for pension when they are entitled to, their pension will be increased by a percentage for every additional year they stay in employment. Public sector workers are denied the right to work when they have reached the retirement age; they cannot apply for this pension increase program.

Read on: in English …

The primary school teachers continue with their strike actions for a higher salary and a lower work load. In March they organised the fourth primary school teacher strike in the past five months. The education minister stated last year that there was no extra money available. The incoming government promised primary school teachers 500 million euro to reduce workload and 270 million euro to increase salaries. The government committed in March an additional 236 million euro to reducing workload in primary education.

Read on: in English …

Trade unions at the supermarket giant Carrefour have called a strike and warned of supermarket closures and possible goods shortages after the group announced the future loss of thousands of jobs. The unions Force Ouvrière (FO) and CFDT called the strike for 31 March, in an attempt to influence the plans for the Carrefour supermarkets, warehouses and offices. According to the unions the plans are due to ‘shareholders’ attacks on jobs and rental-management, and the ‘hold up’ on profit-sharing’.

Read on: in English … Union press release: in French …

Global union Public Service International (PSI) expressed its concerns about the recently issued tenders by Hôpitaux Universitaires de Genève for private ‘partners’ to run its ambulatory operation services, through a public-private partnership. In a solidarity letter to Swiss union Syndicat des Services Publics (SSP), the general secretary of PSI states that the public-private partnership is a ‘surreptitious introduction of privatisation of surgical care’.

Read on: in English …

A strike for higher wages at Railway infrastructure (IP) saw 90% of the workers participating. The arbitration court had stipulated that 25% of services had to be maintained as a minimum service. The wage increase the company offered was in some cases less than 2 euro a month. The IP workers are on strike demanding a 4% wage increase which would guarantee at least another 40 euro a month for each worker.

Read on: in English …

Unions want to shorten the standard working week that at the moment is 42.5 hours a week. Inspired by the experiences in Germany and France, they want to cut the present working hours by half an hour a day without lowering salaries. The unions are optimistic about their demands since the unemployment rate in the country is the lowest in the European Union and firms lack employees.

Read on: in English …

According to Eurostat data, Luxembourg is at the top of the wage ranking with an hourly wage of €43.8 in 2016. Denmark (€38.7) and Belgium, (€37.9) offer the second and third best hourly wages for workers across the EU. Workers in countries such as Bulgaria, Romania, Poland, Hungary, Croatia, Lithuania or Latvia are paid under €10 for an hour of work. Eurostat revealed that the hourly employee compensation increased in 2017 in all EU member states, with the EU average standing at €23.1 and €26.9 in the euro area. Compared to 10 years ago, hourly wages increased significantly across the EU.

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