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April 2006

• 27 Apr 2006
  Italy: Confindustria presents programme for national development

  In March 2006, the main Italian employer organisation, Confindustria, presented its programme for national development. As is outlined in the programme, employers are calling on policymakers to intervene in five main areas: competitiveness, innovation, taxation, employment and energy.

• 27 Apr 2006
  Greece: General strike in public and private sectors

  On 15 March, the Greek General Confederation of Labour (GSEE) and the Confederation of Public Servants (ADEDY) called a 24-hour national strike in the private and public sectors. Although the industrial action was widespread, the government has so far not given any reaction.

• 27 Apr 2006
  United Kingdom: Strike over local government pension reform

  In March 2006, more than one million public sector workers took strike action over planned changes to the local government pension scheme. The ongoing disputes are the result of controversial changes to the pension scheme in relation to the retirement age for current and future employees. If union concerns are not addressed, industrial action is scheduled to continue in the run-up to the local elections in May.

• 27 Apr 2006
  Greece: Talks on social insurance reform to begin

  In February 2006, the government announced its intention to commence dialogue the following month on reform of the country’s social insurance system. The reforms are expected to cover a wide range of measures, including increasing the retirement age, reorganising pension funds, and creating a centralised computer system to reduce costs and fight tax evasion.

• 27 Apr 2006
  Belgium: Protest action over restructuring of beer company

  The international brewery, InBev, faces mounting union protest against its restructuring plans in Belgium. Unions condemn the company’s continuous series of downsizing projects and the lack of information on the long-term plans for the brewing multinational. As part of their protest, the unions have used innovative campaigning methods.

• 27 Apr 2006
  Poland: Employers’ complaint on pension benefits dismissed

  The Constitutional Tribunal has decided not to consider a complaint concerning pensions for miners, lodged by the Polish Confederation of Private Employers ‘Lewiatan’. The employers had complained that amendments to the legislative Act regarding disability and pension benefits financed from the social insurance fund contravened the Polish constitution. However, the Tribunal has concluded that since employers are not responsible for pensions funding, they do not have the authority to question the legislation.

• 21 Apr 2006
  Hungary: Renewed tensions at Suzuki car assembly plant

  In January 2006, the Democratic League of Independent Trade Unions (LIGA) established a union at the Suzuki plant, which protested against breaches in Labour Code working time regulations, and demanded higher wages and better working conditions. The company’s management refused to recognise the union and dismissed the union leader. In response, the Prime Minister refused to participate in the ceremony to launch the plant’s new car model, and called on the company to respect the right to freedom of association of employees.

• 21 Apr 2006
  United Kingdom: Commission proposes measures to tackle gender pay gap

  In February 2006, the government-appointed Women and Work Commission published a report setting out recommendations for combating job segregation and the gender pay gap. Although trade unions welcomed its recommendations, they criticised the report for not proposing mandatory equal pay reviews.

• 21 Apr 2006
  Germany: Collective agreement regulates closure of Electrolux site

  After six weeks of strike action, workers at Electrolux’s AEG site in Nuremberg agreed in a ballot, on 6 March 2006, to accept a collective agreement regulating the conditions under which the plant will be closed at the end of 2007. The plant closure affects 1,700 workers. This agreement provides for severance payments, an early retirement scheme, and the temporary transfer of workers to a training agency.

• 21 Apr 2006
  United Kingdom: Anti-age discrimination regulations published

  In March 2006, the government published the final version of regulations to outlaw age discrimination in the workplace, aimed at implementing the age discrimination provisions of the EU equal treatment framework directive. Subject to parliamentary approval, the regulations will come into effect in October 2006.

• 21 Apr 2006
  United Kingdom: Publisher required by law to disclose company data

  In February 2006, the Central Arbitration Committee upheld a complaint under the United Kingdom’s employee consultation regulations that Macmillan Publishers had failed to respond adequately to a trade union’s request for information on company structure and employment levels.

• 21 Apr 2006
  Ireland: Four-year agreement in state electricity company

  A four-year deal in Ireland’s state-owned electricity company, ESB, covering pay, pensions and change has been backed by a two-to-one majority of the company’s 9,000 employees across five main trade unions.

• 21 Apr 2006
  Malta: Public transport strike over subsidies and bus routes

  On 28 February 2006, the Public Transport Association resorted to industrial action affecting all bus services, after negotiations with the government and the Malta Transport Authority reached deadlock over reform measures and outstanding subsidies. The strike ended on 3 March 2006 as an agreement on subsidy payment was reached.

• 21 Apr 2006
  Norway: 2006 pay negotiations commence

  In spring 2006, most national collective agreements related to work in Norway are due to be renegotiated. Negotiations on pay commenced in March. Other issues on the agenda, in addition to pay, include early retirement, and the rights and powers of shop stewards in relation to the hiring of labour and outsourcing.

• 21 Apr 2006
  Germany: Controversy over works council election at SAP

  On 14 March 2006, employee representatives on the supervisory board of SAP decided to organise a works council election in order to prevent a court ruling. Two weeks before, the majority of employees had rejected a proposal to initiate a works council election. This rejection resulted in an appeal to the labour court by those backing the establishment of a works council.

• 21 Apr 2006
  Poland: Financial crisis at Tonsil Polska

  For several months, Tonsil, the largest manufacturer of loudspeakers in Poland, has paid employees only a portion of their wages. To maintain the company’s production process over the coming months, a restructuring programme is required in conjunction with securing permission for a state-owned financial company to become a strategic investor.

• 21 Apr 2006
  Poland: Act establishing works councils to be enacted

  The legislative Act on works councils is to be considered by the upper chamber of the Polish parliament, after its adoption by the lower chamber in March 2006. The new statute complies with the European Parliament and Council Directive 2002/14/EC, establishing a general framework for information and consultation with employees.

• 21 Apr 2006
  Poland: Union opposed to flexible working time at Fiat plant

  In early February, the executive board of Fiat GM Powertrain announced that it wanted to introduce flexible working hours. Management argued that this would help boost production and meet new demand for the company’s products. Yet, the largest of the four trade unions active in the plant, NSZZ Solidarnosc, viewed the proposal unfavourably.

• 21 Apr 2006
  Belgium: Debate on representation thresholds in SMEs

  Implementation of the European Directive on information and consultation of employees has relaunched the debate on trade union representation thresholds in small and medium-sized enterprises in Belgium. At the end of February 2006, a new bill was filed in the House of Representatives, and the social partners are currently debating the issue.

• 21 Apr 2006
  Denmark: Pressure on employers in wage negotiations

  Collective bargaining at company level for spring 2006 began at the end of March in Denmark and the result is awaited with great interest. Unemployment levels are at their lowest in 30 years and economists, therefore, expect employees to demand a significant pay rise. However, new figures from the Confederation of Danish Industries (DI) reveal that Danish wage earners are the highest paid in the EU, and DI warns local employers not to agree to unsustainable increases. The trade union counterpart of DI, CO-industri, accuses DI of undue interference in local negotiations.

• 21 Apr 2006
  Estonia: Dispute over ban on strikes in the public sector

  A long-running dispute over the right of employees in the public sector to strike remains unresolved. A new draft bill attempting to specify and extend the right to strike, put forward by the opposition party and supported by the trade unions, has been rejected by the Ministry of Justice. The stand-off led to protest action on 1 March.

• 21 Apr 2006
  Italy: Report assesses continuing vocational training policy

  After a slow start, intersectoral vocational training funds, set up four years ago, have now become fully operational. This is highlighted in the 2005 Report on continuing training in Italy, presented by the Italian Ministry of Labour and Social Policies and Isfol in February 2006.

• 21 Apr 2006
  Malta: Teachers’ union protests against violence in schools

  The Malta Union of Teachers ordered its members to take industrial action in protest against repeated incidents of violence in schools. The union felt that the Ministry of Education, Youth and Employment was not addressing this issue properly.

• 21 Apr 2006
  Greece: Strike action by maritime workers leads to civil conscription

  The government’s decision to implement civil conscription in the maritime sector, aimed at terminating the eight-day strike by crew members on all ships, led to vehement opposition and political confrontation.

• 21 Apr 2006
  Germany: Company-level alliance for jobs agreed at Ford

  On 6 March 2006, a company-level alliance for jobs was agreed at Ford Germany between management and the works council. The deal will, in return for wage concessions, prevent dismissals at German sites until 2011. Both sides hailed the alliance as a success.

• 21 Apr 2006
  Slovakia: Healthcare workers threaten strike action over wages

  Healthcare reform in Slovakia has resulted in a new management system, including changes in remuneration levels in public healthcare institutions. As a result of the move away from a standard pay increase system, wages have become the subject of collective bargaining at sectoral and company level. However, collective bargaining for 2006 has not yet been concluded because the social partners disagree on the proposed wage increase for employees. If agreement is not reached soon, the trade unions have threatened strike action.

• 21 Apr 2006
  Portugal: Delay in renewal of collective agreements

  Despite the bilateral agreement signed in 2005 by all confederations in relation to delays in renewing collective agreements, the number of workers covered by renewed agreements remains at a level far below the average of previous years. At present, the majority of delayed negotiations are in the manufacturing sector. In the context of the Labour Code, agreements that have not been renewed for one year are at risk of losing validity. This may result in a period of conflict in certain sectors.

• 12 Apr 2006
  EU Countries: Employment relations in SMEs

  This comparative study examines employment relations in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in 13 of the old15 EU Member States (the exceptions being Luxembourg and Portugal), three new Member States (Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia) and Norway. It looks at: the economic role of SMEs (including employment trends); pay and employment conditions (including working hours, training and HRM practices); interest representation, collective bargaining and social dialogue; and regulation and public policy.

• 12 Apr 2006
  Belgium: Active ageing and the exit from work

  During 2005 the Belgian government and the social partners discussed the subject of older workers and the exit from work. The government has widened the debate beyond the issue of older workers to include the employment of young people and social security funding. Despite numerous difficulties and a lack of consensus, the Prime Minister wishes to introduce a strategy of 'active ageing', which aims to encourage people aged over 50 years into employment.

• 12 Apr 2006
  France: New rules for government spending and borrowing

  While the government pursues its programme of income tax cuts which will extend into 2007, a new instrument for controlling public spending has been put in place. Although the government's budget deficit was contained in 2005, the national debt exceeded 60% of GDP. As a result, the government announced a further programme of spending cuts. Moreover, the fall in direct taxation (income tax) may be suspended after 2007, as the government seeks to control and regulate its spending.

• 12 Apr 2006
  Bulgaria: The potential for self-employment among the unemployed

  The 'Social finance for the support of self-employment' project is part of an International Labour Organisation (ILO) contribution to support Bulgaria in its preparation for EU accession. Supporting self-employment is one of the most effective ways of counteracting the high levels of unemployment that can be adopted and promoted.

• 12 Apr 2006
  Spain: Agreement on work-life balance in the public sector

  The recently signed Concilia Plan establishes a series of measures for civil servants in the general state administration with regard to flexible working time, work-life balance, care of dependants, and sexual harassment. The plan is intended to be applicable to the whole of Spain, and has received considerable trade union support. However, the agreement on the plan was not signed by the Trade Union Confederation of Workers' Commissions (CCOO) - the trade union with the greatest representation among civil servants of the general state administration - because it was accompanied by a pay increase for 2006 that CCOO considers insufficient.

• 12 Apr 2006
  Spain: Figures show high rate of temporary employment and fall in unemployment

  According to Eurostat, Spain showed the third highest reduction in the unemployment rate in the EU in 2005. The largest trade unions, however, consider that the high rate of temporary employment and an insufficient fall in unemployment, affecting women in particular, were the main problems of the Spanish labour market in 2005. They call for changes in the production model and measures to favour gender equality.

• 12 Apr 2006
  Spain: Housing and the labour market in Spain

  The sharp increase in property prices in Spain, in addition to problems of low pay and unstable employment, makes it difficult for many workers to enter the housing market, and is proving an obstacle to labour mobility. Young people and immigrants are the groups most severely affected by these issues.

• 12 Apr 2006
  Latvia: Employers active in industrial relations issues

  Both the trade unions and the main employer organisation, the Latvian Employers’ Confederation (LDDK), have a shared interest in improving industrial relations and strengthening social dialogue. In 2005, the LDDK made several proposals for changes to the labour law, supported increases in wages and the minimum tax-free threshold, and was involved in various activities connected with the European Social Fund. Despite the fact that the views of the unions and employers do not always converge, the LDDK uses the mechanism - or at least the principles - of social dialogue to achieve its aims. The social dialogue mechanism has played a key role in preventing several proposals unfavourable to workers from being instigated.

• 12 Apr 2006
  Romania: Employers object to proposal to amend the Employers’ Law

  In late 2005, the Romanian government launched a public debate on a proposal to amend the 2001 Employers' Law to ensure more effective participation of employers in sectoral and national social dialogue. In January 2006, several employer organisations criticised the new legislative proposal, which they see as infringing certain fundamental rights as well as disregarding their views. Discussions are still ongoing and it is hoped that the government will approve the amendments soon while remaining as faithful as possible to the original provisions.

• 12 Apr 2006
  Sweden: Part-time employment an issue for policymakers

  In Sweden, the situation of part-time workers, particularly those who are part-time unemployed or involuntarily working part time, remains problematic, according to several research reports and a report from the Swedish National Audit Office. So far, no straightforward solutions or agreement on how to solve the problems have been found.

• 12 Apr 2006
  Poland: The role of Voluntary Work Teams in getting young people into employment

  Poland's Voluntary Work Teams, although often judged by critics as a legacy of the communist era, have managed to maintain an important position among institutions aimed at getting young people onto a professional career path and into employment. This position has been further strengthened by provisions in the National Action Plan for the Enhancement of Employment and other legislative acts promoting employment in Poland.

• 12 Apr 2006
  Poland: Doctors clash with the National Health Fund over healthcare agreement

  At the end of 2005, the situation for public healthcare patients remained uncertain as the conflict escalated between the National Health Fund and the employer organisation of general practitioners (GPs) over the Zielona Góra Agreement. The agreement covers the primary medical care contracts for 2006. The GPs' organisation boycotted rate proposals by the National Health Fund, arguing that they were too low. In the case of the contracts not being signed, GPs would have kept their practices closed from 1 January 2006 onwards. Although the conflict was diffused, it is far from being resolved, as the affair is not an isolated case.

• 12 Apr 2006
  Greece: Bank article criticises lack of flexibility in the labour market

  A lack of flexibility as well as government interventionism and protectionism characterises the Greek labour market, and this tends to encourage unemployment, according to a recent article by the Greek private bank Alpha Bank. The article reviews the regulations governing the Greek labour market and the way it functions, highlighting issues related to flexibility and employment protection.

• 11 Apr 2006
  Ireland: AIB and bank union sign career framework agreement

  AIB (Ireland's largest bank) and IBOA - The Finance Union have reached agreemnt on a new career framework agreement,which gives pay rises and introduces new parformance systems It builds on the 'second generation' partnership agreement they concluded six months ago.

• 04 Apr 2006
  EU Countries: Délocalisation de la production et relations industrielles

  Le transfert par les multinationales des activités de production d’un pays vers un autre constitue désormais une question importante en matière de relations industrielles dans toute l’Europe, et plus particulièrement dans les pays d’Europe occidentale ayant connu, ces dernières années, un certain nombre de cas très médiatisés de délocalisation sortante. La présente étude comparative examine la nature et la portée de la délocalisation de la production, ainsi que son importance pour les relations industrielles, avant d’analyser les débats que soulève cette question à l’échelle nationale et de voir quelle influence ont les relations industrielles sur les décisions de délocalisation et sur leur mise en œuvre. Cette étude porte sur 23 États membres de l’UE, ainsi que sur la Bulgarie, la Norvège et la Roumanie.