The Secretary General of CCOO, one of the two major union confederations, has told a press agency that his confederation will likely sign an accord with employers about labour reforms in the first half of May. Ignacio Fern ndez Toxo said that the agreement will focus on a reduction in working hours, an overhaul of hiring incentives as well as measures to incorporate youth workers and the long-term unemployed into the workforce, adding "We have more than four million unemployed in Spain and at least some of them could have been spared if some measures such as a reduction of the working day had been introduced earlier." An initial agreement between unions and employers is seen as a first step for the introduction of labour reforms by the government.
English: http://www.forexyard.com/en/news/Spains-largest-union-expects-labour-accords .
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The ballot concerning the main private sector collective agreements, covering about 240,000 employees in manufacturing, transport, construction and other sectors, has ended up in a clear `Yes', with overall 64% of unionists in favour. This implies that the agreements will enter into force retroactively from 1 March 2010, lasting until 1 March 2012. The agreements will provide minimum pay increases of 1.2% in 2010 and 1.8% in 2011, though the actual wage formation on top of these amounts will be realised in decentralized local negotiations, normally once a year, depending on initiatives of the local shop stewards (See also this Collective Bargaining Newsletter Year 3 February 2010).
English: message of EUCOBAN network of EMF / EFFAT / ETUF-TCL / EMCEF;
Danish: http://www.foa.dk/Forbund/Presse.aspx?newsid={EFF117AC-8F42-4802-A238 ...
On 21 April, European transport workers expressed their anger over the liberalisation of the railways and its impact on public services and jobs at a rally in Luxembourg. Some 375 unionists representing transport unions in Belgium, France, Germany and Luxembourg joined forces under the banner of the European Transport Workers' Federation (ETF). The rally, part of the ETF's European railway workers' action day, was calling for an end to liberalisation. This, the unionists stated, was responsible for deteriorating public services and a lack of job security. Luxembourg union leaders also met with the minister of development and infrastructure, Claude Wiseler, to send home the anti-liberalisation message.
English: http://www.itfglobal.org/news-online/index.cfm/newsdetail/4393
The FNV Bondgenoten union and the Corus steelworks, subsidiary of the Tata Steel Group and employing 9,500 workers, have reached a basic collective agreement prolonging job security and excluding forced dismissals till 1 October 2012. According to Aad in `t Veld, FNV Bondgenoten officer, "This accord is of crucial importance in view of the major reorganisation Corus is actually planning." He emphasized that the union prioritised job security over wage hikes. The agreement includes a wage increase for 2010 of 0.75%, as of 1 July 2010, and a lump sum payment of Euro 200. Pay and conditions for 2011 will be negotiated later (See also this Collective Bargaining Newsletter Year 3 March 2010).
Dutch: http://www.fnvbondgenoten.nl/branches_bedrijven/branches/metaal/fnv_metaal/corus ...
The IF Metall union has concluded new collective agreements in manufacturing (engineering, steel, and chemicals) and mining. These agreements cover 22 months, from 1 April 2010 to 31 January 2012. Pay increases will be 0.9% by 1 June 2010 and 2.3% by 1 June 2011, implying 1.7% increase on an annual basis. In those sectors where companies still have problems due to the crisis, temporary agreements as of March 2009 are prolonged until 31 October 2010. This means that local parties can negotiate a temporary reduction of working hours with 20% and reduced wages, in order to avoid losing skilled workers. In order to be prepared for a new recession, parties agreed to create a training system within the agreement period. Concerning gender issues, it was agreed to take further steps to diminish the gender pay gap, through common information, training, common recommendations for wage analysis, and finding common measurement instruments. Parties also agreed to expand the extra benefit of 10% for one more month for workers on parental leave, thus up to six instead of five months.
English: message of EUCOBAN network of EMF / EFFAT / ETUF-TCL / EMCEF
On 6 April, the SKTF municipal union has announced that it is pulling out of an agreement because its members are not getting the pay increases that have been negotiated. The union has signed three agreements in the private health sector, two of which expire this year. The third agreement should run until 2011 but SKTF has found that around 30% of its members in health companies have not had pay increases that are due to them. The union accuses the Almega employers' organization of failing to monitor implementation of the agreement.
English: http://www.epsu.org/cob/363;
Swedish: https://www.sktf.se/Templates/Page____35669.aspx
The VPD/SSP public services union is considering what action it can take to improve pay and conditions of childcare workers ("Kitas"). The union argues that the responsibilities and physical strains of the job are not properly recognised. VPD/SSP has noted the success of the German ver.di union last year in its campaign to win higher pay and improved working conditions for childcare workers; meetings at the end of April in Zrich and Bern will discuss strategy with contributions from colleagues in ver.di.
English: http://www.epsu.org/cob/363;
German: http://www.vpod.ch/aktuell/nachrichten/ansicht/article/kitas-unsere-arbeit .
Unions organising workers in the non-profit sector are planning demonstrations in Brussels, Liege and Charleroi in protest at the fact that neither the French community government nor the Wallonian regional government have budgeted for pay increases. The non-profit sector covers a range of health and social services including childcare and housing. Unions have put forward a range of key demands some of which they have been pursuing for several years. Among other things they want the difficulty of their professions recognised and salaries brought in line with those in the health sector at federal level.
English: http://www.epsu.org/cob/363;
French: http://www.setca.org/News/Pages/Pourunnouvelaccorddanslessecteursnonmarchandsdes2010.aspx
Following strike action on 8 April, the CGT local and regional government federation is continuing its campaign against new regulations on childcare. The union argues that the changes will reduce the level of trained staff required at a crche, a matter of concern not just for the workers in the sector but also for parents. The union is preparing for further strike action on 6 May and a national demonstration on 29 May and is also urging local councils to protest against the new regulations and to refuse to implement them. The CFDT is also campaigning against the changes and has attacked Minister for the Family, Nadine Murano, for making false claims about the impact of the regulations.
English: http://www.epsu.org/cob/363;
French: http://www.spterritoriaux.cgt.fr/spip.php?article3938; http://www.cfdt.fr/rewrite/article/25614/salle-de-presse/communique:la-federation-interco ...
The waste sector of the ver.di services union has agreed a set of collective bargaining guidelines to provide a framework for its negotiations in the industry. The union argues that in the past it has had to react to continuing pressure from the employers to cut jobs and keep wages low. Instead of reacting to events, the union wants to develop a more strategic approach to its collective bargaining work in a sector characterised by intense wage competition a trend for employers to pull out of the private sector industry agreement. The 11 guidelines include maintaining the industry agreement, securing collective agreements with employers who are not covered by that agreement, ensuring that recruitment of members is a key element of any disputes with employers, and getting increases to the new sectoral minimum wage.
English: http://www.epsu.org/cob/363;
German: https://ver-und-entsorgung.verdi.de/abfallwirtschaft/tarifarbeit_tarifpolitik/tarif .