September 2005
- 29 Sep 2005
EU Countries: Industrial relations in the airline sector<#PDF_LINK>The European airline sector has experienced a significant level of upheaval and change over the past two decades, mainly due to liberalisation and the subsequent emergence of new low-cost airlines. This has had a considerable impact on employment and industrial relations in the industry. This comparative study looks at: the recent development of the airline industry; employment; the situation of national carriers; the main trade union and employers' organisations; the structure and content of collective bargaining; and the impact of low-cost airlines on industrial relations.
- 26 Sep 2005
EU Countries: Salaires minimums en Europe<#PDF_LINK>Près des trois quarts des États membres de l’UE appliquent une forme ou une autre de salaire minimum légal, tandis que dans les autres pays, ce sont essentiellement les accords collectifs sectoriels qui déterminent les taux de salaire minimum. Cette étude comparative (qui porte également sur la Bulgarie, la Roumanie et la Norvège) examine ces systèmes de salaire minimum et plus particulièrement les taux actuels (taux absolus et proportionnels aux salaires moyens) et leur évolution récente, les bénéficiaires, l'existence de taux différenciés (par exemple pour les jeunes travailleurs), les mécanismes de rajustement des salaires, la mise en application, le rôle et la position des gouvernements et des partenaires sociaux, ainsi que les débats théoriques actuels sur cette question.
- 26 Sep 2005
EU Countries: Étude comparative de l'EIRO sur les relations industrielles dans les services publics<#PDF_LINK>Les services publics en Europe on subi de grands changements au cours de ces dernières années, avec les processus de libéralisation, de privatisation et une présence croissante des entreprises multinationales. Cette étude comparative se concentre sur les secteurs de l’électricité et de la téléphonie fixe et examine les effets de ces changements sur les relations industrielles. Portant sur 19 États membres plus la Norvège, elle étudie l’évolution du statut des salariés, de la représentation des travailleurs et des employeurs, de la structure de la négociation collective et des conflits pour des questions telles que la restructuration, la délocalisation et la participation des employés.
- 23 Sep 2005
Italy: Negotiations resume on renewal of metalworking agreement<#PDF_LINK>Following two years of downward economic trends in the Italian metalworking industry, in February 2005 negotiations began between the social partners on renewal of the pay part of the sectoral collective agreement, which had expired at the end of 2004. After this first meeting, the metalworking social partners met a further five times between February and July, but without reaching agreement. The three main sectoral trade unions did not modify their initial demand for a EUR 130 monthly pay increase, while the Federmeccanica employers’ association stuck to its offer of an EUR 60 rise. In order to move the negotiations forward, both sides made proposals on matters besides pay, but without concrete results. After the summer break, the difficult negotiations resumed in early September, and the unions announced an eight-hour strike to be held on 29 September.
- 22 Sep 2005
Sweden: Social partners agree on treatment of foreign employers in Sweden<#PDF_LINK>At the end of August 2005, the Swedish Confederation of Trade Unions (LO) and the Confederation of Swedish Enterprise concluded a joint recommendation to their sectoral affiliates on the application and adaptation of Swedish sectoral collective agreements to foreign employers that bring their own workers to Sweden and become temporary members of an employers’ association.
- 22 Sep 2005
Belgium: Social partners concerned by labour migration from central and eastern Europe<#PDF_LINK>Labour migration to Belgium from central and eastern Europe has increased substantially since EU enlargement in 2004. However, much of this employment is illegal or performed under arrangements regarded by many as somewhat dubious, in sectors such as construction and transport. In summer 2005, the social partners in the building sector set up an unfair competitionworking party in cooperation with the government to address labour migration from central and eastern Europe and possible abuses.
- 22 Sep 2005
Italy: Conflict over Alitalia's suspension of flight attendant union's rights<#PDF_LINK>In August 2005, Italy's Alitalia airline unilaterally suspended recognition of the trade union rights of Sult TA., the largest union representing flight assistants. Alitalia justified its action on the grounds that Sult had refrained from participating in negotiations on renewal of the company's collective agreement. The airline’s action sparked widespread debate on its legitimacy and provoked a 48-hour strike by Sult members. Mediation by the government failed to resolve the dispute, and the union announced a wave of industrial action, thereby threatening the viability of Alitalia’s financial recovery plan. The dispute is taking place amid a climate of increasing unlawful conflict in Italian essential public services.
- 22 Sep 2005
Poland: Unions press for stock exchange listing of PGNiG<#PDF_LINK>During 2005, trade unions representing workers at PGNiG, Poland's state-owned gas company, joined forces with the company's board of directors in calling on the government to stick to the timetable for PGNiG's stock exchange listing, which had been called into question. The unions organised demonstrations and held a two-hour warning strike over the issue. After intensive lobbying by the unions and directors, it was agreed that the listing would occur in September 2005.
- 22 Sep 2005
United Kingdom: Disagreement over impact of right to request flexible working and wider employment regulation<#PDF_LINK>A survey published by the Confederation of British Industry in September 2005 highlights employer concern over the impact of the right for workers to request flexible working, and of employment legislation more generally. Other recent reports reach a more positive verdict.
- 21 Sep 2005
EU Level: European Parliament votes on optical radiation Directive <#PDF_LINK>In September 2005, the European Parliament amended a proposed Directive aimed at protecting workers against optical radiation, during a second reading of the text. The main amendment removes a controversial obligation on employers to take measures to protect workers against exposure to sunlight, devolving the regulation of this issue to national governments.
- 21 Sep 2005
Cyprus: New agreement reached for banking sector<#PDF_LINK>In September 2005, after eight months of bargaining, a new collective agreement was finally concluded for the Cypriot banking sector. While the total basic pay increase is only 2% over the next three years, the agreement has introduced important changes in non-pay areas, such as working time, staff training, participatory processes, social insurance and flexible forms of employment.
- 21 Sep 2005
Hungary: Court ruling on failure to consult may delay Budapest Airport privatisation<#PDF_LINK>The privatisation of Budapest Airport may be delayed due to a controversial labour court decision in August 2005, which ruled the exercise invalid because of failure properly to inform and consult the works council. Meanwhile, trade unions at the airport have threatened strike action in support of a demand for a pay rise.
- 20 Sep 2005
Germany: Premium system for union members in metalworking<#PDF_LINK>Since April 2004, the German Metalworkers’ Union (IG Metall) has been attempting to stem continuing membership losses by offering a premium systemto union members. The crucial point of this new collective bargaining policy is that the union accepts deviations from sectoral collective agreements at plant level only if the employer offers a premium (a payment or some other benefit) that is restricted to union members and cannot be obtained by non-union members. By autumn 2005, this strategy has, so far, been tried out only in North Rhine-Westphalia.
- 20 Sep 2005
Germany: New data on coverage of collective agreements and works councils<#PDF_LINK>In July 2005, the Institute for Employment Research (IAB) of the Federal Employment Agency published new data on bargaining coverage and the distribution of works councils, based on a representative sample of German establishments. It finds that 43% of establishments in western Germany and 23% of establishments in eastern Germany were covered by a collective agreement in 2004. These establishments covered 68% of employees in western Germany and about 53% in eastern Germany. In 2004, about 10% of establishments in both parts of Germany had a works council. These establishments represented 47% of employees in western Germany and 38% of employees in the east.
- 20 Sep 2005
Ireland: Pressure grows for EU ferries Directive to combat social dumping<#PDF_LINK>In August 2005, a major unresolved dispute over the outsourcing to an employment agency of crewing at Irish Ferries led trade unions and opposition politicians in Ireland to lobby the government to push for an EU Directive to combat social dumpingon ferries and set minimum labour standards.
- 20 Sep 2005
EU Level: Cross-sector social partner accord on gender equality<#PDF_LINK>The central EU-level social partner organisations concluded in March 2005 a joint text on gender equality. Aiming to enhance gender equality at the workplace, the framework of actionsfocuses on four priority areas, giving guidance on how to increase equality by means of concrete actions. The text also gives details of 20 best-practice case studies.
- 20 Sep 2005
United Kingdom: Survey reveals continued erosion of collective representation at the workplace<#PDF_LINK>First findings from the 2004 Workplace Employment Relations Survey, published in July 2005, show a further decline in collective representation in the UK since the previous survey in 1998. Fewer workplaces recognise trade unions; collective bargaining is less widespread; and the proportion of workplaces covered by representative-based consultative arrangements has fallen. Yet there are signs that the rate of decline may have slowed compared with the period before 1998.
- 20 Sep 2005
United Kingdom: British Airways’ Heathrow flights grounded by dispute at Gate Gourmet<#PDF_LINK>A bitter industrial dispute at British Airways’ catering supplier affected the airline itself in August 2005 as ground staff at Heathrow airport took unofficial strike action in support of dismissed catering workers.
- 20 Sep 2005
Finland: Low level of investment causes trade union concern<#PDF_LINK>Domestic investments in Finland appear to have become permanently lower then they were prior to the recession of the early 1990s. This has led trade unions to demand more domestic expansion by Finnish companies. They have also argued that more pension fund investments should be directed to Finnish companies. A tripartite working group was set up to investigate the possibility of the latter. However, in August 2005 the group announced that it is not in favour of such a move.
- 20 Sep 2005
EU Level: Global framework agreement signed at Schwan-Stabilo<#PDF_LINK>A global framework agreement was concluded between the German-based company, Schwan-Stabilo, the International Federation of Building and Wood Workers (IFBWW) and the German Metalworkers' Union (IG Metall) in September 2005. It acknowledges the company’s social responsibility and contains commitments to comply with ILO Conventions in a range of employee rights areas.
- 07 Sep 2005
Estonia: The legality of temporary agency work under discussion<#PDF_LINK>In August 2005, the question whether temporary agency work is legal, was raised by trade unions and the Labour Inspectorate. The position of employers is that temporary agency work should not be considered illegal just because it is not yet sufficiently regulated in Estonia. Though the elaboration of the corresponding regulation is going on, the implementation of the regulation will probably still drag on for some time.
- 07 Sep 2005
Austria: Subsidised wageto combat unemployment?<#PDF_LINK>The minister of economic and labour affairs, Martin Bartenstein, supported by Austria’s business and employer organisation WKÖ, intends to introduce subsidised wagesin low-wage sectors. Austria’s trade union federation, ÖGB, strongly opposes this measure, arguing that it is only advantageous for employers, and demands an active labour market policy.
- 07 Sep 2005
Norway: Dispute over paper mill closure<#PDF_LINK>In August 2005 the board of Norske Skog ASA proposed to close down its paper mill Norske Skog Union in Skien Norway, the result of which will be 380 redundant employees. Strong criticism from the trade unions, as well as from local and central politicians, has not led the management of Norske Skog to reconsider its decision.
- 06 Sep 2005
Czech Republic: Supplementary pension insurance in the Czech Republic<#PDF_LINK>In connection with the reform of the pension system in the Czech Republic, there is a debate over how it should be financed. Discussion particularly concerns the role of the pension system’s first pillar, i.e. the system routinely financed and guaranteed by the state, and the role and form of the second pillar, the involvement of the population itself, for instance by means of supplementary pension insurance.
- 06 Sep 2005
Poland: Collective Dispute at Screw Factory Resolved<#PDF_LINK>The collective dispute between the executive board and the trade unions at Śrubex, a screw manufacturer in the Polish city of Łańcut, has just been concluded with an agreement between the parties concerned. The agreement provides that redundancies to be effected at Śrubex will extend to less jobs than originally planned; in return, the employees agreed to abandon their demands for wage increases.
- 06 Sep 2005
United Kingdom: Unions sign partnership agreementwith disability charity<#PDF_LINK>In summer 2005, UK trade unions Amicus and Unison announced that they had signed a partnership agreementwith the disability charity Scope which guarantees union representation in the running of the organisation and is expected to boost union membership.
- 06 Sep 2005
United Kingdom: Union modernisation fund up and running<#PDF_LINK>In July 2005, the UK government launched the Union Modernisation Fund - a new grant scheme to provide financial assistance to trade unions to support projects designed to improve their organisational effectiveness.
- 06 Sep 2005
Sweden: A couple of new labour laws, adapting to the European Union law came into force at mid-year in Sweden<#PDF_LINK>A new law about working time for cabin staff in civil aviation and a new law about road working time at certain road transports came into force 1 July 2005 in Sweden. Also new rules in the Working Time Act took effect. The Co-Determination on the Work-Place Act was amended and a wider right to information and consent took effect.
- 06 Sep 2005
Germany: IW examines efficiency of active labour market programmes<#PDF_LINK>At the end of August, the Cologne Institute for Economic Research published data on the efficiency of active labour market programmes at the local level. Figures reveal that local employment agencies differ markedly in reintegrating unemployed persons back into the workforce efficiently. In its comment, the Federal Employment Agency emphasised that several measures had been put into place in order to improve the efficiency of local employment agencies.
- 06 Sep 2005
Slovakia: Nurses are protesting<#PDF_LINK>In summer 2005 the Slovak Chamber of Nurses and Midwives has organized several actions for improvement of their wages and employment conditions. The most significant activity was a protest meeting in front of the Slovak Parliament. The delegation of the Chamber was received by the President of the Slovak Republic, the representatives of the Parliamentary Committee for Health Care and the Minister of Health Care.
- 06 Sep 2005
Netherlands: Collective bargaining under downwards pressure<#PDF_LINK>Collective bargaining rounds initiated since the social agreement with government after winter 2004 are under downwards pressure. The unions are attempting to repair the negative impact of this agreement for employees in collective agreements. Employers find themselves compelled to look for the most economical solutions in the face of economic downturn. The social partners themselves acknowledge that there is little room for any real rejuvenation in the collective agreements.
- 06 Sep 2005
Italy: Fiat group presented 2005-2008 industrial plan<#PDF_LINK>In August 2005 the Italian Fiat group presented to the government and the trade unions the new industrial plan: investments for EUR 18 billion in three years, out of which EUR 7.5 for research and development and full employment of the current workforce in all Italian plants by the end of 2008.
- 06 Sep 2005
Italy: Chinese independent trade union movement finds Cisl support<#PDF_LINK>Italy’s Cisl trade union confederation supports the Chinese independent trade union movement. A meeting between Cisl secretary general, Savino Pezzotta, and Hang Dongfung is schedule for the end of 2005 in Hong Kong.
- 06 Sep 2005
Denmark: Trade union proposes social shop stewards<#PDF_LINK>The Danish Metalworkers Union proposes employees to elect so-called social shop stewards at the workplaces that can help employees back in the transition to work after long-term absence. The employees’ confederation, LO, and the employers’ conderation, DA, both supports the initiative as long as the tasks is keept within the existing shop-steward system.
- 06 Sep 2005
France: Solidarity Day Monitoring and Assessment Committee Presents Report<#PDF_LINK>In July 2005, the Solidarity Day Monitoring and Assessment Committee presented its report to the Prime Minister. It suggests that the idea of an extra working day be continued in principle, but that it should not be systematically set for Whit Monday.
- 06 Sep 2005
Finland: Court upholds Viking's right to negotiate with foreign unions on reflagged ship<#PDF_LINK>A court ordered in June 2005 that the Finnish Seamen’s Union and its international parent organisation, ITF, must respect Viking’s right to negotiate with foreign unions on a ship it plans to reflag to Estonia. According to Viking, the ruling represents a major victory of principle and a precedent for the whole industry while the Seamen’s Union deemed it an attack against the European trade union movement.
- 06 Sep 2005
Malta: Deadlock between government and Public Transport Association leads to industrial action<#PDF_LINK>The Public Transport Association resorted to industrial actions and threatened to dismiss 40 employees after negotiations with the government failed to increase subsidies to its members. The government adamantly refused to consider the issue of public transport subsidies unless discussions included its proposed reform of the public transport system.
- 06 Sep 2005
Romania: Cargo handling workers in Constanta port on strike<#PDF_LINK>On 18 August 2005, about 700 employees of stevedore Chimpex went on strike for an indefinite period of time, claiming a wage increase and higher redundancy pay. To persuade the company management to resume negotiations with the strikers, other trade unions intervened as did managers of others companies whose exports had been blocked by the strike.
- 06 Sep 2005
United Kingdom: CSC and Amicus agree offshoringdeal<#PDF_LINK>In August 2005, the UK trade union Amicus announced an agreement with the information technology services company CSC on consultation procedures over the implementation of the company’s world sourcingstrategy and on employment security in the event of work relocation.
- 06 Sep 2005
Ireland: Leaked HR document gives new Aer Lingus boss much to ponder<#PDF_LINK>A controversy over a leaked Aer Lingus HR strategy document has brought into sharp focus the often difficult and sometimes bitter industrial relations environment that has prevailed in the state-owned airline over the past decade.
- 06 Sep 2005
Bulgaria: Chartеr on ethical standards of the social partners in the brewery industry signed<#PDF_LINK>In July 2005 the social partners in the brewery industry signed a Charter on ethical standards of the social partners aiming at encouraging constructive social dialogue and jointly promoting the core ILO conventions, EU directives and national legislation on workers’ labour rights. The Charter is seen as a follow up to successful concluding of the branch collective agreement at the end of 2004 and as an important step towards the introduction of corporate social responsibility in this sector.
- 06 Sep 2005
EU Level: New international framework agreement at Röchling<#PDF_LINK>A new international framework agreement, concluded at the German-headquartered manufacturer Gebrüder Röchling KG, commits the company to adhering to ILO Conventions in a range of employee rights areas. It also commits the parties to working together in a spirit of cooperation. The company also encourages its business partners to adhere to the provisions of the accord.
- 06 Sep 2005
EU Level: European finance unions agree common approach to UniCredito-Hypovereinsbank merger <#PDF_LINK>The global union UNI Finance and its affiliates from Austria, the Czech Republic, Germany and Italy agreed in June 2005 on a joint approach towards the proposed merger between UniCredito and HypoVereinsbank Group.