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Sweden | |
| Union challenges minister over wage increases | Blue-collar local government union Kommunal has attacked the government for calling for wage moderation in the public sector. The union is particularly angry about the fact that this will mean a sector dominated by women will be getting lower increases than sectors dominated by men and so will increase the gender pay gap. Official government projections for wage increases in industry and construction for the years 2012-2015 are 3.5%, 3.7%, 3.8% and 3.8%. In contrast, the projections for the municipal sector are all below these figures, at 2.8% in 2012 and then 3.2% in each of the following years. Read more at > Kommunal (SV) |
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Germany | |
| Employer uses divide and rule tactics | After a six-month break in negotiations, the GDF-Suez energy company has returned to the bargaining table with a proposal that all new starters would be on a different collective agreement. Ver.di has rejected the idea, emphasising that a company agreement covering only new starters would leave them in a very weak position and make it very difficult for the union to mobilise across the company to defend their pay and conditions. The company also wants to apply a 40-hour week on the new starters rather than the current agreement for 38 hours. Read more at > ver.di (DE) |
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UK | |
| Waste workers take action over bullying and harassment | Around 100 employees of the SITA waste services company in Kirklees in North East England took strike action on Wednesday 27 April in response to what the Unite trade union calls “staggering abuse” and a culture of harassment and intimidation. A second day of action planned for 5 May was postponed to allow for talks with the company but a potential third day of action on 9 May could still go ahead. SITA, part of the Suez Environnement transnational company (35% owned by the GDF-Suez energy giant), runs the waste contract for Kirklees local authority. Read more at > Unite And more at > local news website |
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France | |
| Three-week strike by control centre workers | Employees of the Lyonnaise des Eaux water company, part of the Suez Environnement group, have been on strike since 8 April over the company’s refusal to discuss their salary levels. The employees work at the control centre in Montgeron, south of Paris, which is responsible for the 24-hour monitoring and surveillance of water services for part of the Ile de France region. The employees are claiming equal pay for work of equal value taking account of their working conditions and responsibilities in maintaining the service in such a key facility. Read more at > CGT (FR) |
