EPSU - Europe - local government and utilities Collective Bargaining update

http://gmpsiaprec.blogspot.com.au/2012/07/epsu-europe-local-government-and.html

UK	Research undermines regional pay arguments Public services union Unison has welcomed research commissioned by the TUC confederation that counters government arguments in favour of regional pay in the public sector. The report, produced by the New Economics Foundation, highlights the loss to regional economies arising from cuts to the purchasing power of public sector workers. It also examines the arguments about pay levels in the private sector and concludes that there is little evidence to support the idea that lower pay in the public sector in some regions would create private sector employment. Read more at > Unison
Switzerland	Regional government pushes for pay cuts The cantonal (regional) government of St.Gallen in the North East is planning a range of budget cuts that include a 1.5% cut in public sector workers’ pay. The canton claims that pay cuts are needed in order to avoid redundancies. This is being challenged by the vpod public services union which is criticising the canton for not trying to raise more tax revenues. Read more at > VPOD (DE)
Ireland	National agreement continues to deliver Public services union IMPACT reports that the national agreement on public service reform (the Croke Park agreement) continues to deliver savings and has been praised by the International Monetary Fund. Trade unions negotiated the agreement in order to prevent further cuts in pay and avoid compulsory redundancies. It provides a framework for negotiating efficiency savings and has delivered targets set so far. Read more at > IMPACT
France	Social conference indicates whats to come but disappoints some unions A major conference took place on 9-10 July involving the government, social partners and other organisations with the aim of discussing a range of social issues. Unions welcomed the intentions behind the conference to break with the policies of the previous government, however, there was some disappointment that concrete measures were not put forward. Instead there was an indication of a range of issues that would be the subject of discussions with unions mostly from the autumn, including gender equality, health and safety and trade union rights among others. The unions are still looking for an increase in basic pay in the public sector but there will be no change on the pay freeze for 2012 and only the prospect of negotiations in 2013. Read more at > CGT services publics (FR) And at > CFDT (FR) And at > FO Fonctionnaires (FR)
Netherlands	New agreement for water authority workers After lengthy negotiations the unions FNV Abvakabo, CNV Publieke Zaak and CMHF have signed a new agreement covering water authority employees. The unions see this as a modern agreement which will allow for long-term investment in the employability of workers. A key element of the two-year agreement is the individual choice budget which increases by 1% in 2012 and 2% in 2013. This allows employees to choose what element of their pay and conditions they want to increase. There are also new provisions on flexibility which allow workers more control over their working time. Read more at > FNV Abvakabo (NL) And at > CNV Publieke Zaak (NL)
Germany	Bremen passes minimum wage law Bremen is the first regional government in Germany to adopt a law on minimum wages that covers regional government employers as well as organisations funded by the regional government. Organisations will risk losing their funding if they infringe the new law which takes effect from 1 September this year. A Senate committee will review the level of the minimum rate, initially set at €8.50 an hour, every two years. Read more at > DGB (DE)
Finland	Government reaffirms job security agreement The JHL public services union has welcomed the statement by the coalition government that a five-year job security agreement will apply to municipal workers who face the prospect of major restructuring in the near future. The union emphasises the fact that the agreement will help ensure the trust of employees and their commitment to develop municipal services. Read more at > JHL (EN)
Sweden	Political agreement on gender pay initiative Local government union Kommunal has welcomed the fact that most parties in parliament would support action on equal pay and a different approach by the National Mediation Institute. Until now the Institute has monitored pay developments with a view to ensuring that pay develops across sectors in line with pay in export industries. Consequently, it has said that it cannot take issues of equal pay into account. This may change now if the government reviews the remit of the Institute so that it can address the structural inequality that is one of the main blockages in closing the gender pay gap. Read more at > Kommunal (SE)
Advice  EPSU  www.epsu.org