European update - Italian unions push for ' training and skills ' / Denmark local govt outsourcing win / EU skills and responsibilities not recognised / UK EDF commitment to wages / Ireland child care workers / Slovenia electricity industrial actions for not honoring commitments and more !!

2016 April epsucob@NEWS 05 epsucob@NEWS Collective Bargaining in the Public Services

Italy	Public service unions to strike across Lombardy region The public service unions - FP CGIL, CISL FP, UIL FPL and PA - are organising a strike in the Lombardy region on 7 April. The mobilization will call for increased investment in public services and in the resources for training and improving skills, along with unfreezing collective bargaining in the public sector. The unions want to see the end of years of mismanagement and to the cuts that have produced a dramatic decline in the quality of services to communities. Read more at > FP CGIL Lombardia (IT) And at > CISL FP (IT)
Denmark	Union wins important outsourcing case  The FOA public services union has won a case against a private care company that had cut certain parts of the salary package when 60 employees had transferred from the Bøgeskov municipal care centre in Aarhus. The tribunal made clear that various payments relating to evening, night and weekend work and increased holiday supplements should be protected in the transfer. The FOA sees this as an important ruling that will be relevant to other cases of outsourcing. Read more at > FOA (DK)
Europe	Report highlights need to revalue care jobs An international analysis of pay in care occupations once again shows that these jobs, dominated by women, are often paid less than other sectors and below average wages. In an international comparison the study also found pay in the Germany care sector lagging behind many other countries. The report by the trade union linked Hans Boeckler Foundation underlines the urgent need to revalue pay in these occupations and properly recognise the skills and responsibilities required in many jobs across the health and social care sectors. Read more at > Hans Boeckler (DE)
Global	US unions relieved after court deadlock Public sector trade unions in the US have welcomed the outcome of a Supreme Court case that leaves intact their right to charge non-members who choose not to join but who benefit from the unions’ collective bargaining work. This right had been called into question by a member of the teachers’ union supported by a group of rich individuals and trusts. The case was referred to the Supreme Court whose deliberations ended in deadlock. Read more at > PSI Read more at > AFSCME
Ireland	Ambulance workers ballot for strike action  Ambulance workers, members of the SIPTU trade union, are being balloted for strike action in protest at the failure of the government to produce a key report on the sector. It is over two years since the government said it would publish a capacity review that the union sees as essential for a proper debate about what is needed to ensure a fully funded and operational service. Read more at > SIPTU
UK	Unions welcome energy firm’s living wage commitment  Unions at EDF Energy have welcomed the company’s commitment to pay at least the living wage to all its employees and to work towards ensuring that all its contractors also pay the living wage. The rate is calculated by the Living Wage Foundation and is currently GBP 9.40 (EUR 11.80) in London and GBP 8.25 (EUR 10.40) outside London. This is not to be confused with the new rate for the official minimum wage. The government has introduced a new minimum wage rate of GBP 7.20 (EUR 9.00) and has called it the "living wage". This applies only to workers aged 25 and over. Workers aged 21-24 continue to get the minimum wage rate of GBP 6.70 (EUR 8.45). Read more at > UNISON And at > GMB
Greece	Unions continue fight against social security cuts  The ADEDY public sector confederation has called a national strike for 7 April to follow up the action on 4 February. The confederation is protesting against government measures to cut the welfare bill, in particular pensions, and introduce higher direct and indirect taxes. According to the union the planned cuts to pensions in 2016 will be EUR 1.8 billion. Read more at > ADEDY (GR)
Ireland	Unions call for higher pay in childcare The ICTU confederation has published a report on childcare highlighting low pay in the sector. Unions organising in the sector, including IMPACT and SIPTU, have welcomed the report and the call for a living wage of EUR 11.50 an hour as a starting wage in the sector. Read more at > IMPACT And at > IMPACT And at > SIPTU
Sweden	New regulations should help tackle stress and overwork  Regulations that came into force on 31 March should help tackle the growing problems of stress and overwork in the welfare sector. Data on sickness absence reveal a growing trend related to stress and fatigue particular in welfare occupations dominated by women. The regulations set out clear responsibilities for employers to address issues of working time and working conditions in relation to reducing stress and overwork. Read more at > Vision (SV)
Spain	Health unions plan legal action over lack of negotiations  Unions representing health workers (CCOO, UGT and CSIF) met on 30 March to plan a legal challenge over the lack of social dialogue in the sector. They cite in particular the Pact for Health and decisions on clinical management and nurse prescriptions which have been implemented without negotiations with the trade unions. Read more at > CCOO Sanidad (ES)
Finland	Competitiveness pact negotiations get underway  Trade unions are in the midst of challenging sector negotiations on measures agreed at cross-sector level. For the public sector this will involve a 24-hour increase to annual working time without a commensurate pay increase and a 30% cut in holiday pay for the next three years. If these measures are agreed then the government should withdraw its proposals for public sector cuts. Read more at > JHL (EN)
Slovenia	Energy union plans strike action  The SDE energy union is planning to take strike action from 4 to 21 April in protest at the government taking unilateral decisions and failing to honour social dialogue outcomes. The union is also concerned about precarious conditions facing many in the industry. SDE (SI)->http://www.sindikat-sde.si/" class="spip_out">Read more at > EPSU (EN)
UK	MPs debate low pay among care workers  A parliamentary debate on the pay and conditions of care workers has highlighted the fact that many care workers are being denied the minimum wage. Reviewing a report published last year MPs heard that many care workers are not paid for travel time between jobs and pressure of work means than many have little time to spend with clients. Read more at > Unison
Austria	Breakthrough in negotiations for doctors  Following last year’s landmark first collective agreement for doctors in non-profit, religious hospitals in Vienna, services union vida has negotiated a new agreement that begins to close the gap with doctors in Vienna’s public hospitals. Working with the doctors’ chamber in Vienna, vida has secured a 1.35% pay increase overall but with additional payments for different categories of doctor. Read more at > vida (DE)
Greece	Wages hit by deregulation of collective bargaining  A report from the INE research institute of the GSEE private sector trade union confederation reveals the rapid impoverishment experienced by many as a result of the the crisis, labour market deregulation, the decline in collective wage agreements and wage cuts. Half of private sector workers take home less than EUR 800 a month, according to the research. Read more > Macropolis news website (EN)