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May 2008

• 29 May 2008
  Greece: Social partners and opposition parties oppose government reform of pensions system

  In March 2008, Greece’s conservative government unveiled a major reform of the private sector state pensions system. The changes, to be implemented in stages from 2009, include higher retirement ages, particularly for working mothers, fewer early and supplementary pensions, and mergers of existing social insurance funds. The government argues that the reform is necessary for the survival of the social security system. All parliamentary opposition parties are against the changes and have called for a referendum. The trade unions, too, have begun collecting signatures on a petition in favour of a referendum, and have in recent months organised major protests and strikes in all sectors of the economy to oppose the reform.

• 29 May 2008
  Greece: Union opposes Deutsche Telekom’s purchase of stake in OTE

  In March 2008, Deutsche Telekom acquired an initial 20% stake in Greece’s OTE telecommunications company and entered negotiations with the government, which is the largest single shareholder in OTE, over a new management and shareholding structure in which Deutsche Telekom would take a major role. This sparked strong opposition, including a series of strikes, from the enterprise-level trade union, fearing changes in industrial relations and the loss of OTE’s ‘Greek’ character. Opposition political parties have criticised the government for allowing Deutsche Telekom to obtain a stake in OTE through an ‘opaque’ procedure via a Greek investment bank.

• 29 May 2008
  Bulgaria: Bulgarian and UK trade unions cooperate to support migrant workers

  In April 2008, Bulgaria’s two largest trade union organisations, CITUB and LC Podkrepa, signed a cooperation agreement with the UK’s Trades Union Congress. Unions in each country will provide union members from the other country with support and information while working on their territory, and offer membership to long-term migrant workers .

• 29 May 2008
  Czech Republic: Migrant workers could offset skills shortage under proposed green card scheme

  A recent survey carried out by the Confederation of Industry of the Czech Republic reveals that, if foreign workers could be issued green cards to work legally in the country, there would be plenty of demand for their services from local employers. In the next two years, Czech companies will require about 5,000 foreign workers, many with a secondary school or higher qualification. However, trade unions have concerns about the proposed green card system.

• 29 May 2008
  Netherlands: Gender pay gap among highest in Europe

  With a gender wage gap of 18% in 2005, the Netherlands tops the European average, according to a report by the International Trade Union Confederation. The disparity in wages experienced by Dutch women can to a large extent be explained by the fact that they often work part time. Moreover, relatively fewer women can be found at higher management levels. A government taskforce aims to achieve a target of 80% of women in employment by 2016; in 2006, this figure stood at 56%.

• 29 May 2008
  Netherlands: Collective agreement for teachers after far-reaching concessions by education minister

  A collective agreement was reached in the education sector in mid April 2008 following far-reaching concessions by the minister of education. It is hoped that the agreement will resolve the dissatisfaction felt among the teaching staff and also the looming shortage of teachers. Despite fears that the agreed employment conditions will not resolve a shortage of teachers, the negotiating parties are pleased with the outcome. Trade union members have approved the agreement.

• 29 May 2008
  Luxembourg: IT training needs of companies

  In recent years, Business Federation Luxembourg (FEDIL) has been conducting research into the requirements of companies regarding qualifications, in order to ascertain their recruitment needs and desired profile types in terms of basic qualifications. FEDIL has recently published the results of a survey into skills needs in information and communication technology (ICT), aimed at providing a better match between companies’ requirements and the training provided – both initial and continuing training.

• 29 May 2008
  EU Level: European Court rules that pay terms cannot be fixed in public tenders

  In the recent case of Dirk Rüffert versus Land Niedersachsen, the European Court of Justice ruled that it is unlawful and contrary to EU law to set out, within tender requirements, obligations beyond those established by law regarding the pay and conditions of public contract workers. Trade unions have strongly criticised the judgement, arguing that it prioritises the free movement of services over national labour regulations.

• 29 May 2008
  Ireland: Report on public service sets out agenda for reform

  New ways of working are needed in the Irish public service in order to meet increased public expectations at a time of reduced resources, according to a special review of the public service by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. The report suggests that the government must maximise the public service by adopting a citizen-centred approach and increasing the chances for workers’ mobility, managerial delegation, as well as better budget control.

• 29 May 2008
  EU Level: European Court ruling upholds applicability of EU law on fixed-term workers at national level

  A ruling by the European Court of Justice (ECJ) in mid April 2008 sets out the jurisdiction of national specialised labour courts and their obligations to decide on claims based on EU law. The ECJ ruling also impacts on the definition of ‘employment conditions’, which includes pay and pensions that are dependent on an employment relationship. Both the European Trade Union Confederation and the Irish Municipal Public and Civil Trade Union welcomed the ECJ ruling.

• 29 May 2008
  Malta: General Workers’ Union proposes reform of Industrial Tribunal

  The General Workers’ Union (GWU) has launched a campaign to create awareness regarding the need for a reform of the Industrial Tribunal. GWU is concerned about the composition and constitution of this tribunal. The driving force behind the trade union’s argument is that the government is not distancing itself enough from the operations of the tribunal. Hence, the principle of impartiality is undermined.

• 29 May 2008
  France: Impact of collective bargaining law assessed

  In January 2008, three years after the implementation of the law of May 2004 which sought to make collective bargaining more dynamic, the Ministry of Labour, Social Relations and Solidarity compiled a report assessing the legislation’s impact. While the law has resulted in several changes to the legal principles used for validating collective agreements, the report concludes that little has changed in practice – a finding which the relevant employer organisations and trade unions agree with.

• 29 May 2008
  Slovenia: General warning strike goes ahead in private sector

  On 12 March 2008, a general warning strike was held in Slovenia’s private sector. The strike was organised by all six representative trade union confederations in the private sector and was the third such strike in Slovenia’s history. The trade unions demanded pay adjustments due to high inflation levels and in line with productivity growth in the particular economic sectors.

• 29 May 2008
  Ireland: Health union threatens protest action over staff cuts and non-filling of vacant posts

  The Irish Municipal Public and Civil Trade Union (IMPACT) has served notice of industrial action in protest against the prospect of redundancies, recruitment restrictions and the non-implementation of agreements across the entire health service. The government is putting pressure on the Health Service Executive (HSE) to rationalise the organisation in order to improve public health services. Meanwhile, the HSE is calling on IMPACT to engage in dialogue.

• 29 May 2008
  Ireland: Social partners foresee tough talks on national agreement

  In late April 2008, the social partners were due to commence negotiations on the next national agreement under the overall framework of the ‘Towards 2016’ social partnership agreement. The social partners expect that the talks will be tough and may even continue until the end of July. Contentious issues are set to include those concerning pay, trade union representation and temporary agency workers.

• 29 May 2008
  France: Findings show that few companies comply with gender equality rules

  In March 2008, the Higher Council for equality in employment in France examined the proposals of a working group set up to improve company reporting on the comparative employment and training conditions of male and female staff. Currently, less than a third of companies prepare such a report, and few company agreements on gender equality exist. The proposals form part of the government’s plan of action for promoting equality in employment.

• 29 May 2008
  Germany: Collective agreement finally reached for German engine drivers

  In mid April 2007, after about a year of negotiations, the rank and file members of the German Engine Drivers’ Union (GDL) finally approved the results of the collective bargaining round with the German rail company Deutsche Bahn (DB). In July 2007, the rail workers’ trade unions had already negotiated a collective agreement with DB, covering 134,000 employees, However, GDL secured an independent collective agreement for about 20,000 engine drivers at DB in the spring of 2008.

• 20 May 2008
  United Kingdom: Government accepts recommendations for increase in national minimum wage

  The latest report of the Low Pay Commission was published in March 2008. The government has accepted its recommended increases in minimum wage rates in a move broadly welcomed by the trade unions and employer representatives. From 1 October 2008, the adult hourly rate for workers aged 22 years and over should increase from GBP 5.52 (€7.06) to GBP 5.73 (€7.33), which represents a 3.8% increase on the current rate of the national minimum wage.

• 19 May 2008
  Sweden: Government to amend labour law in light of European Court ruling on Laval case

  The Swedish government has announced guiding principles for an investigation into the consequences of the Laval verdict by the European Court of Justice (ECJ) in relation to the country’s labour law. On this basis, the government will propose amendments to current legislation in order to fulfil the requirements stipulated by the ECJ. However, the social partners have criticised the announced guidelines for a number of reasons.

• 19 May 2008
  Portugal: Teachers protest against new performance-assessment system

  On 8 March 2008 in Lisbon, around 100,000 teachers held the largest demonstration ever organised by Portuguese teachers’ trade unions. They were protesting against the implementation of a performance-assessment system launched by the ministry of education. The so called March of Indignation was organised and supported by a common platform of all the teachers’ unions. The issue dominated political debate in the weeks following the demonstration, and the minister of education decided finally, a month after the protest, to meet the unions and listen to their concerns.

• 19 May 2008
  Norway: EU services directive should have limited impact on labour law

  A total of six reports, published in March 2008, have assessed the impact of the European Union services directive on different areas of Norwegian society. One important conclusion from the research is that the directive will not affect the measures introduced by the government to combat social dumping in Norwegian working life. The government has yet to make a decision on whether the services directive is to be incorporated into the European Economic Area agreement.

• 19 May 2008
  Netherlands: Trade unions criticise employer support for occupationally disabled workers

  The Dutch Trade Union Federation is dissatisfied with recent study findings on the reassessment of people with occupational disabilities. In 2004, the social partners agreed that more stringent medical examination criteria for occupationally disabled people would be compensated by increased efforts on the part of employers to encourage the resumption of work. However, despite some improvement, it appears that the level of employer support remains insufficient.

• 19 May 2008
  Malta: Pilots association and Air Malta sign collective agreement

  The Airline Pilots Association and Air Malta’s management have negotiated a new collective agreement covering the period from 1 August 2007 to 31 July 2010. This agreement, signed in January 2008 after seven months of discussions, was described as a win-win situation by both sides. The trade union’s threats to take strike action during the discussion period did not materialise. The proposed financial package was the main stumbling block during the talks.

• 19 May 2008
  Cyprus: Minimum wage to increase for certain occupational groups

  In April 2008, the Labour Advisory Board decided to further increase minimum wages for the five occupational groups covered by the Minimum Wages Law. The decision was made despite opposition from employer organisations. Meanwhile, apart from minimum wage levels, the trade unions again raised the issue of which occupational categories the legislation should cover, as well as the need to regulate working hours for the occupations already covered.

• 19 May 2008
  Slovenia: European trade unions call for better pay in collective rally

  In April 2008, the European Trade Union Confederation and its Slovenian member organisation, the Union of Free Trade Unions of Slovenia, organised a European demonstration for higher pay in Slovenia’s capital city, Ljubljana. The Slovenian trade unions expect that this mobilisation will support them in their fight for higher wages and in concluding the intersectoral collective agreement CAMPA 2008–2009 in the private sector.

• 19 May 2008
  Belgium: Flemish civil servants get extra pay rise in the wake of strike action

  In March 2008, the Flemish government and trade unions representing Flemish civil servants reached an agreement providing for an additional pay rise of at least 2% for the period 2008–2009. The agreement followed a coordinated campaign of industrial action which lasted five days and took place in various regions of Flanders at different times. The industrial action included in particular strike activity by lock controllers, resulting in the obstruction of traffic at inland waterways.

• 19 May 2008
  EU Level: European Employees Forum react to General Motors outsourcing plans

  General Motors (GM) is attempting to push through outsourcing plans that could lead to extensive redundancies within the company throughout western European countries. GM’s European Employee Forum has responded to such a move by demanding that management respect existing agreements and conclude a European framework agreement on restructuring – a demand first made by employee representatives in April 2007.

• 19 May 2008
  Denmark: Collective agreements in private sector concluded peacefully

  Between February and April 2008, the first private sector agreements were concluded peacefully, notably in the financial services, and agriculture and forestry sectors. Although negotiations in the large agricultural sector, including landscaping and gardening, ended with the assistance of the Public Conciliator, the bargaining atmosphere was favourable. Noteworthy outcomes included increases in pay and pensions in the agricultural sector and a breakthrough for company agreements in the insurance sector.

• 19 May 2008
  Sweden: Government proposes new regulation on migrant labour

  In March 2008, the Swedish government proposed a new regulation for migrant workers from countries outside the European Union and the European Economic Area, and Switzerland. The regulation aims to simplify the process for employers to locate skilled workers and will be implemented by mid December 2008. The social partners have given mixed reactions to the legislative proposal.

• 19 May 2008
  Netherlands: Union backs Labour Party proposal for quota for women in management positions

  In April 2008, Labour Party representatives were due to present a legislative proposal to statutorily establish a quota system for the number of women in private-sector management positions. The parliamentary group will be compelled to take such steps if the so-called Frijns Committee fails to propose targets in this respect. Although the proposal is supported by trade unions, it is has failed to generate support from the Christian Democratic Appeal party and employers.

• 19 May 2008
  Hungary: Majority vote ‘yes’ in referendum to abolish medical and higher education fees

  A referendum was held in March 2008 on whether to abolish doctor visit and hospitalisation fees in the health service, as well as tuition fees in higher education. The referendum resulted in an overwhelming victory for the opposition party, the Alliance of Young Democrats, which initiated the referendum against the government’s plan to introduce co-payment schemes. Thus, the outcome of the referendum represented a devastating failure for the governing socialist-liberal coalition.

• 19 May 2008
  Hungary: Strikes at Budapest Transport Company in bid to protect services and jobs

  Public transport in Budapest came to a virtual standstill on two occasions in April 2008, when trade unions at the Budapest Transport Company held general strikes. Although the strikes were mainly called in protest against planned service cuts and subsequent job losses, they also sought to draw attention to the company’s growing debts and uncertain future. On 7 April, railway workers also ‘coincidentally’ organised a strike, further complicating the situation.

• 19 May 2008
  Italy: New act entitles workers engaged in difficult work to early retirement

  In March 2008, the outgoing centre-left government passed a decree concerning workers who are engaged in hard physical and psychological work. The decree encompasses the provisions foreseen in the Welfare Protocol of July 2007 and allows three new categories of workers to retire three years earlier than the original time stipulated. The decree has received a mixed response and, in particular, reservations have been expressed about the provisions for night workers.

• 19 May 2008
  Italy: New act aims to improve workers’ health and safety

  On 6 March 2008, the outgoing centre-left government approved a decree which modifies the regulations regarding health and safety at the workplace. The decree facilitates administrative procedures for companies and reinforces the role of worker representatives in health and safety matters at the workplace. In addition, the act foresees the extension of these rules to self-employed and flexible workers and increases sanctions against companies failing to respect the new code.

• 19 May 2008
  Slovakia: Trade unions demand wider ratification of revised European Social Charter

  Although the Slovakian Confederation of Trade Unions supports the government’s decision to ratify the revised European Social Charter, it demands wider ratification of the charter by proposing to extend the scope of the ratification to cover a number of additional articles. The Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family will assess the trade unions’ proposal and the feasibility of wider ratification, and will present a new proposal for tripartite discussion in June 2008.

• 19 May 2008
  Norway: Commission proposes pay rise for female-dominated occupations and extended parental leave

  The Norwegian Gender Equality Commission presented its final report in February 2008. Among its recommendations, the commission proposes reserving one third of the parental leave period for fathers. In addition, the commission is calling on the national authorities and labour market parties to consider a special pay increase for female-dominated occupational groups in the public sector. The proposals received a mixed response from the parties involved.

• 19 May 2008
  Portugal: Minimum wage to increase by 5.7% in 2008

  At the end of December 2007, the Portuguese government and social partners signed an agreement to increase the statutory minimum wage by 5.7% in 2008, the highest annual increase since 1992. The agreement also provides for a 5.6% increase in 2009. The increases set out to meet the objectives of a 2006 tripartite agreement, which aims to increase the minimum wage to €500 per month in 2011.

• 19 May 2008
  United Kingdom: Union accepts takeover by Tata of Jaguar and Land Rover

  In March 2008, Ford announced the sale of Jaguar and Land Rover to the Indian conglomerate Tata Group. Although the trade union Unite was originally against the sale, it said it was pleased that Tata had become the new owner. In taking over the two British luxury car marques, Tata also endorsed the current five-year business plan which includes €890 million of investments in carbon dioxide emission reductions.

• 09 May 2008
  Cyprus: Framework agreement reached in semi-state sector

  In February 2008, a framework agreement was finally reached regarding the renewal of collective labour agreements in semi-state organisations. Apart from setting the term of collective agreements, the accord stipulates the amount of overall pay increases that will be granted. Employers, however, have criticised the agreement, arguing that the increases provided for are many times higher than productivity levels.

• 09 May 2008
  Romania: Pay deal follows major strike at Automobile Dacia

  On 24 March 2008, more than 7,500 workers at the Automobile Dacia car manufacturer in Romania launched an indefinite strike in support of pay demands. After several rounds of negotiations, and after a court ruling that the strike was legal, on 11 April Dacia management and the trade unions signed an agreement that ended the strike and awarded substantial wage increases.

• 09 May 2008
  Norway: Highest wage growth in five years reported

  The latest annual report of the Norwegian Technical Calculation Committee for Wage Settlements estimates the average wage growth of Norwegian workers from 2006 to 2007 at 5.4%, compared with 4.1% in 2006. The 2007 increase in real wages is estimated at 4.5%, compared with 1.9% in the previous year. Moreover, the report highlights that the gender wage gap has decreased in most sectors, with the exception of a few.

• 09 May 2008
  Netherlands: Court inquiry into equity fund practices in publishing group

  In January 2008, the Enterprise Section of the Amsterdam Court of Appeal called for an examination of matters surrounding PCM Publishers – the country’s third largest newspaper and magazine publishing group. In 2004, PCM was taken over by the UK-based private equity company Apax, after which its financial situation worsened. At the request of two trade unions, the court ruled that the corporate policy pursued is open to question and ordered an investigation.

• 09 May 2008
  Netherlands: Police force get pay rise under new collective agreement

  The trade unions representing the police force in the Netherlands agreed with the final collective bargaining offer tabled by the Minister of the Interior at the end of March 2008. Having rejected earlier proposals, the trade unions reluctantly accepted the minister’s latest proposal. The conditions of the collective agreement correspond with the general trend for higher collectively agreed salaries in the first quarter of 2008 compared with 2007 as a whole.

• 09 May 2008
  United Kingdom: TUC’s organising academy celebrates 10th birthday

  The year 2008 marks the 10th anniversary of the Organising Academy training programme set up by the Trades Union Congress. Recent research on the experience and impact of the academy’s graduates indicates that, despite some very positive changes within the trade union movement, it has yet to deliver the broad-based union renewal which was hoped for when it was first established.

• 09 May 2008
  United Kingdom: Government plans to abolish Learning and Skills Council

  In March 2008, the UK government announced plans to reform England’s skills infrastructure. The plans include a proposal to abolish the country’s Learning and Skills Council and restore the local authorities’ role in delivering further education for 16–19 year-olds. At the same time, the government is proposing the establishment of a new Skills Funding Agency in charge of adult training.

• 09 May 2008
  Belgium: Belgian Post gears itself for liberalisation process

  In the context of extensive restructuring of Belgian Post’s internal organisation ahead of the future liberalisation of the market, the postal operator has decided to replace 40% of its traditional postal workers operating mail rounds with ‘delivery workers’. The latter will work part time and only be in charge of the delivery of standard, light mail. Belgian Post expects that these changes will reduce costs by several million euro without leading to any direct dismissals.

• 09 May 2008
  Bulgaria: Social partners debate flexicurity issues

  In March 2008, the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy and the Friedrich Ebert Foundation held a meeting to discuss labour market flexicurity. At the event, the government and social partners outlined their (often differing) views on how to achieve flexicurity in Bulgaria.

• 09 May 2008
  Bulgaria: Deal ends strike at CEZ electricity supplier

  On 9 April 2008, over three-quarters of the workforce of the two largest electricity providers in western and central Bulgaria, owned by the Czech-based energy giant (CEZ), started strike action in a dispute over pay and planned job losses. After three days, CEZ management and trade unions reached an agreement to end the strike, including a 25% wage increase.

• 09 May 2008
  Germany: New collective agreements for public service employees

  In March 2008, the United Services Union signed a new package of agreements on pay and working time for the public services sector with representatives of the German government and municipal employers. The agreements, which cover the period 2008–2009, provide for an average wage increase of about 5% for all federal and municipal employees in public services. In exchange for the pay rise, the trade unions had to accept an increase in the standard weekly working time in western Germany.

• 09 May 2008
  Finland: Unions to agree rules of industrial action

  Finland’s three main trade union confederations are preparing a joint settlement regarding the country’s rules of industrial action. The work is being undertaken in light of the government act which made it possible to order healthcare professionals to continue working even if the person in question has resigned. The confederations are willing to agree on joint rules, particularly regarding protected work, before the government takes any legal measures to restrict the right to industrial action.

• 09 May 2008
  Hungary: Changes to working time provisions in Labour Code

  After years of non-compliance of Hungarian companies with European Court of Justice rulings on working time, the government brought in legislation to modify several working time provisions of the country’s Labour Code. The provisions in Act LXXIII of 2007 include on-call work, the duration of working time breaks, the mandatory duration of the reference period, and the annual maximum amount of overtime. The social partners’ reactions to the new provisions have been mixed.

• 09 May 2008
  Italy: Confindustria elects first-ever female president

  In March 2008, the executive board of the Confederation of Italian Industry (Confindustria), the largest Italian employers’ association, nominated Emma Marcegaglia as the new president for 2008–2112. Ms Marcegaglia will be the first-ever female president of Confindustria. Her mandate will officially start on 21 May during the organisation’s annual assembly. Ms Marcegaglia is currently the Chief Executive Officer of the successful family-owned Marcegaglia iron and steel enterprise.

• 08 May 2008
  Bulgaria: Information and consultation process slow to develop

  Since the EU Directive (2002/14/EC) on information and consultation was implemented in Bulgaria in July 2006, the establishment of information and consultation arrangements at company level has been slow. According to data from the CITUB trade union confederation, by March 2008 employee information and consultation representatives had been elected in only 137 establishments with trade union organisations.

• 08 May 2008
  Austria: Government to introduce basic social security cover in 2009

  In April 2008, the Federal Minister for Social Affairs and Consumer Protection and representatives from Austria’s nine provinces agreed on the introduction of a ‘needs-oriented basic cover’ scheme from 2009. Accordingly, all people who are impoverished and willing to work are set to receive a minimum gross income of €747 a month, which will be payable 14 times a year and revaluated annually. The social partners’ response to the initiative has been largely positive, albeit somewhat mixed.

• 08 May 2008
  EU Level: Spring EU Summit prioritises social aspects of Lisbon Agenda

  At the annual Spring European Summit, held this year in March 2008, the priorities for the last three years of the Lisbon process were endorsed. These new priorities place a greater focus on the social aspects of the Lisbon Strategy and have been coined as a ‘social makeover’ of the strategy. Priority issues include an increased focus on flexicurity and greater efforts to increase social inclusion, education levels and lifelong learning.

• 08 May 2008
  Czech Republic: Unions claim Court’s repeal of Labour Code will diminish trade union role

  A group of parliamentary members and right-wing political party senators lodged an objection with the Czech Constitutional Court against the new Labour Code, which took effect from 1 January 2007. The court conceded to some of their objections and repealed the relevant provisions of the act. The judgement has generally been perceived as a measure which will restrict the power of trade unions. Employers agree with the decision while employee representatives are opposed to it.

• 08 May 2008
  United Kingdom: Teachers vote for strike amidst public sector pay disputes

  In March 2008, the National Union of Teachers balloted members on strike action over pay. The result was a three-to-one vote in favour of what would be the first national teachers’ strike since 1987. The strike was due to take place on 24 April 2008 against the background of wider trade union unrest over public sector pay restraint.

• 08 May 2008
  Austria: More stringent rules for employers on registering working hours

  In January 2008, a 2007 amendment to the Working Time Act came into force which provides for new obligations for employers with regard to registering employees’ working hours. Penalties for employers who violate these rules have been considerably tightened. While the trade unions have approved this legal initiative, the employers’ side contends that the new regulations would result in considerable administrative costs.

• 08 May 2008
  Estonia: Heated debate on cuts in state budget due to fall in economic growth

  As a result of Estonia’s rapidly declining economic growth, the government is being forced to reassess the state budget and reduce public sector expenditure to the extent of EEK 3.1 billion (about €198 million). This has generated intense debate over the possibility of reducing the social partners’ expenditure, a discussion which has revolved around public sector wages and a possible wage freeze.

• 08 May 2008
  France: Mass strike action in retail sector leads to sectoral pay agreement

  In February 2008, in the context of the sectoral bargaining round, workers in the large-scale retail sector took strike action in response to a call issued by all three majority trade unions in the sector. The main issue was the workers’ reduced purchasing power due to low salaries in the sector along with increasing consumer prices. A key element of the collective bargaining round concerned the payment for breaks and under the new agreement breaks will now be paid at the rate of 5% of the pay for hours actually worked, in addition to wages.

• 08 May 2008
  Finland: Social partners join forces to promote gender equality

  The Central Organisation of Finnish Trade Unions has declared 2008 as the jubilee year for gender equality, while the Confederation of Unions for Academic Professionals welcomed the agreed pay rises for highly-educated women during the public sector bargaining round in the autumn of 2007. Meanwhile, the Minister of Labour has proposed a parental leave scheme with fixed leave periods attributed to each parent of a child, in order to encourage more fathers to take such leave.

• 08 May 2008
  Lithuania: Teachers’ unions hold strike over pay

  On 3 March 2008, teachers’ trade unions organised a strike affecting secondary schools across Lithuania, in a dispute over pay. The strike was suspended on 26 March, after parliament addressed the pay issue and a working group was set up to draw up proposals for education sector wage increases in 2008.

• 08 May 2008
  Romania: New legislation will regulate continuing vocational training

  In April 2008, the draft of a new Romanian law on continuing vocational training has been completed, following extensive social partner consultation, and is undergoing the enactment procedure. The new legislation aims to: redefine the concepts related to continuing training, in line with European developments; set out institutional responsibilities regarding the organisation, licensing and supply of vocational training services; and regulate a National Qualifications Framework.

• 08 May 2008
  Ireland: Pensions Board wins case against employer for pension arrears in landmark ruling

  A recent High Court ruling ordered the company Limestone Construction to pay out pension contribution arrears amounting to €186,825. The case is likely to set a precedent in the construction sector and signals the tougher stance being taken by the Pensions Board against pension arrears. Compliance rates are also set to be improved through more effective enforcement measures, such as the establishment of the National Employment Rights Authority.