Collective Bargaining

During the tripartite so-called autumn talks the government agreed to reduce the employee contribution to the unemployment benefit funds (currently averaging 3.75%) to zero for 2009, and promised to allocate Euro 460 million to repair negative purchasing power effects in 2009 for elderly and people on benefit. After earlier government promises to maintain employment protection for those earning less than Euro 75,000 early and to abstain from plans to raise VAT (from 19 to 20%), the FNV union confederation moderated its wage claim to maximum 3.5% in 2009. Both FNV chairwomen Agnes Jongerius and the employers' association president judged the outcomes of the autumn talks as constructive and restoring trust between social partners. The CNV union confederation will not make its wage target public until December 2008.
(Dutch: http://www.awvn.nl/smartsite.shtml?ch=&id=11497 (tripartite declaration); English: FNV information via EUCOBAN network of European Metalworkers' Federation; Watson Wyatt Data Services, New Industrial Relations Europe, 10/2008)

The largest ballot on the national pay deal has been postponed while unions seek an urgent meeting with the Taoiseach (Prime Minister) and the Finance Minister to demand to leave 700,000 low-paid workers, earning less than Euro 11 per hour, out of the new super levy. The SIPTU union announced that its 250,000 members will not begin a vote on the draft wage agreement for which the ballot was due to start the next day, until the government talks take place. ICTU confederation president David Begg said it must be possible for the government to introduce a threshold in the levy that would mean the lower paid workers were not hit.
(English: http://www.independent.ie/national-news/ballot-is-halted-as-unions-demand-change-to-new-tax-1499635.html, via http://www.labourstart.org/)

On 17 October a large strike against government reforms called by so-called grass-roots unions brought public transport in a number of big cities to a halt. Protest marches paralysed traffic in Rome, Milan and Turin. In Rome unions claimed some 300,000 people took part in a rally at Piazza San Giovanni to protest against low salaries and temporary contracts for workers across various sectors as well as school reforms and health cuts.
(English: http://www.forbes.com/afxnewslimited/feeds/afx/2008/10/17/afx5568925.html; Agenzia ANSA, 17/10/2008, via http://www.labourstart.org/)

After a collective bargaining conflict in spring 2008, leading to the first strike in the Dutch IT industry, IT firm Atos Origin (8,800 employees in the Netherlands) obviously tries to get rid of the four unions involved in collective bargaining. When Atos Origin only offered a 2% pay increase instead of the industry average of 3.5% and the unions retreated temporarily, the employer made advances to the Central Works Council (COR). The president of the bank employers' association, asked by the COR to mediate, concluded that the COR better take over collective bargaining. Now the unions are planning talks with the various works councils about their position. If they support the COR, the unions envisage that this will be the end of one of the oldest and largest agreements in the IT sector.
(Dutch: AutomatiseringGids, 3 October 2008; http://www.eengoedecaovooratosorigin.nl/)

Six trade union confederations are cooperating to try to secure pay increases for health and social care workers employed in the private and non-profit sectors. The CFDT, CFTC, CFE-CGC, CGT, FO and UNSA unions organised a series of demonstrations on 30 September, including a national demonstration of 15,000 workers in Paris. The unions are not just claiming a pay increase for 2008 but higher minimum rates in the relevant collective agreements and higher increases to compensate for a loss of purchasing power in recent years. CFDT information indicates that public sector workers already experienced a decline of their real earnings in 2008.
(English: http://www.epsu.org/r/174; French:ÿhttp://www.fed-cfdt-sante-sociaux.org/article/actualite/assoc_sanitaire/action_bass_bmad_080930.php3; http://www.sante.cgt.fr/spip.php?article3338)

The ABVAKABO and CNV Publieke Zaak unions have agreed a new basic collective agreement for workers in the social services, child welfare and nursery sector. The agreement runs from 1 May 2008 to 1 January 2011 and includes pay increases of 2.5% backdated to 1 May 2008 and then 2% on 1 May 2009 and 1 May 2010. There will be lump sum payments of up to Euro 200 on 1 June 2008 and 1 December 2009 while the end-of-year payment in 2009 will be increased by between 2% and 5.5% and then again by between 2.8% and 8.35% in December 2010. There will also be a 1.25% pay increase on 1 January 2009 that will coincide with abolition of the contribution to the "life course" scheme that allows workers to save towards extra leave.
(English: http://www.epsu.org/r/186; Dutch: http://www.abvakabofnv.nl/cao/bericht/principe_akkoord_cao_welzijn)

A majority (54%) of members of the PCS civil service union who voted in the recent ballot on pay agreed to support a campaign of industrial action. Collective bargaining in the civil service is decentralised and PCS has been involved in a range of local pay conflicts over the last year. However, the union wants to co-ordinate this in a national campaign in protest at the government's imposition of a 2% limit on public sector pay increases.
Earlier in October, the PCS union revealed that six government departments have had to increase minimum rates in their collective agreements in order to comply with the national minimum wage. The UK statutory minimum wage increased to UKP5.73 (Euro 7.37) an hour for all workers aged 22 and over as from 1 October. Among the departments that need to adjust their lowest rates is the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, where PCS members have recently been on strike for higher pay.
(English: http://www.epsu.org/r/197; http://www.pcs.org.uk/en/news_and_events/news_centre/index.cfm/id/DE3B3CD2-5AEA-4A42-A8A212FA93B9CC10; http://www.pcs.org.uk/en/news_and_events/news_centre/index.cfm/id/4E23D726-E045-414A-960DA38745C4A7CB)

Negotiations covering over 400,000 workers in the public sector will get underway on 27 October. The initial meeting, involving both the G™D public service union and GDG local government union, normally involves a discussion about the main economic indicators. The aim is to finalise an agreement before Christmas. Last year the agreed increase was 2.7% plus a Euro 175 lump sum. The pay increase is implemented on 1st January each year. GDG chairman Christian Meidlinger has stressed that the current financial crisis should not be used to try to keep pay rises low but ensuring an increase in real incomes is a crucial part of an economic response to the crisis.
(English: http://www.epsu.org/r/163; German: http://www.goed.at/14727.html)

The dispute over the 2008 pay increase for local government workers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland has not yet been resolved. However, the employers have agreed to increase pay rates by 2.45% (backdated to 1 April 2008) plus UKP100 for the lowest paid workers. The increase will be implemented in November while both sides wait for the results of arbitration that should lead to a final settlement of the dispute. Meanwhile local government unions in Scotland, who are covered by a separate agreement, are being balloted over the employers' latest offer. The unions are recommending rejection of that offer, implying a 3% pay increase in 2008 and 2.5% in both 2009 and 2010.
(English: http://www.epsu.org/r/197; http://www.unison.org.uk/news/news_view.asp?did=4921;
http://www.unison-scotland.org.uk/news/2008/septoct/1010.htm; http://www.gmb.org.uk/Templates/Internal.asp?NodeID=97686)

Following a demonstration on 15 October the CGSP/ACOD trade union federation has said it will suspend its strike action in the prison service until 21 November. Any further strike action will depend on the outcome of negotiations over working conditions that are due on 3 November and on increases to pay that are set for 15 November. The CSC federation has also called off any strike action, informing its members that the priority now is to negotiate over the agreement covering the period 2007-2011.
(English: http://www.epsu.org/r/164)