November 2009
- 27 Nov 2009
Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Railways sector – SloveniaThe aim of this representativeness study is to identify the respective national and supranational actors (i.e. trade unions and employer organisations) in the field of industrial relations in the railways sector in Slovenia. In order to determine their relative importance in the sector’s industrial relations, this study will, in particular, focus on their representational quality as well as on their role in collective bargaining. The study is divided into two parts: the first part deals with railway transport operations, based on research carried out in 2006; the second part focuses on rail infrastructure based on research completed in 2007.
- 20 Nov 2009
United Kingdom: Trade union welcomes General Motors’ decision not to sell OpelIn November 2009, General Motors announced that it would not after all sell Opel and Vauxhall its main European operations, to Magna and Sberbank. The planned sale had been controversial because of perceptions that subsequent restructuring would favour German manufacturing plants and that job cuts would fall disproportionately on plants elsewhere in Europe. The UK trade union Unite welcomed GM’s change of heart, believing that the move would promise a better future for the two Vauxhall plants in the UK.
- 20 Nov 2009
Italy: All parties agree to renewal of collective agreement in food industryOn 22 September 2009, an accord was signed renewing the industry-wide agreement for the food industry. This is the first sectoral agreement signed by all three trade union confederations since the rift caused by the interconfederal agreement of January 2009 on changes to the collective bargaining structure. The new accord provides for pay and legal aspects. The social partners have welcomed the settlement, citing it as a model for other sectors to follow.
- 20 Nov 2009
EU Level: General Motors ditches plan to sell Opel and Vauxhall to MagnaAfter months of negotiations, on 3 November 2009 General Motors abandoned the plan to sell its European subsidiaries to the consortium composed of the Canadian-based automotive supplier Magna International and Russia’s Sberbank. At this point, the European Metalworkers’ Federation insists that General Motors should enter into talks with the European Works Council and the European trade unions without delay.
- 20 Nov 2009
France: New law widens scope of Sunday tradingA new law increases the possibilities of obtaining dispensation from Sunday being a rest day in retail outlets in tourist zones and areas of ‘exceptional consumption’. In some cases, exemptions are automatic and the law does not provide for any special compensation for the employees affected. In other cases, administrative authorisation is given under certain conditions. The government is hoping to boost consumption; however, trade unions are among those opposed to the bill.
- 20 Nov 2009
Finland: Election funding generates controversy among social partnersControversy over the funding of the election campaigns of Finland’s political parties has resulted in a serious political crisis. The major right-wing political parties have received notable donations from the TT Foundation of the Confederation of Finnish Industry, whereas the left-wing parties received substantial funding from the trade unions. Owing to the controversy, calls have been issued for the parliament’s dissolution and for a premature election.
- 20 Nov 2009
Ireland: Second time around Irish vote yes for LisbonOn 2 October 2009, Ireland voted yes for the Lisbon Treaty by a margin of just over two (67.1%) to one (32.9%). One of the main areas of debate between the yes and no sides has been the perceived industrial relations impact of the treaty on pay and employment conditions. Ireland’s deep recession has clearly had an impact on the scale of the yes vote, following the original no vote in the first referendum, which took place in 2008.
- 20 Nov 2009
Austria: New liability rules to tackle ‘social fraud’ in constructionIn September 2009, new liability regulations came into effect in Austria’s construction industry. Accordingly, construction companies that are subcontracting work to other companies are now liable for the subcontractors’ social insurance payment duties. The new legislation aims to encourage companies to use only credible subcontractors, thus preventing the practice of ‘social fraud’. The social partners, who were involved in the drafting procedure, appear to be highly satisfied with the new regulations.
- 20 Nov 2009
Belgium: Use of ‘ecocheques’ a feature of current sectoral bargainingCollective bargaining for Belgium’s new sectoral agreements for 2009–2010 has been underway in the spring and summer of 2009. This follows the conclusion of the intersectoral national agreement for the private sector. Although coverage remains high and the usual bargaining topics have been addressed, the sectoral agreements can be defined as atypical: for instance, almost all of the agreements follow the intersectoral guideline to limit nominal wage increases to two premiums, with the newly created possibility of ‘eco-cheques’ being used extensively.
- 20 Nov 2009
Norway: Study examines state of corporate democracyArrangements that ensure worker participation and co-determination in Norwegian workplaces have received substantial support. This is one of the conclusions of a new report by Fafo, published in August 2009, which was conducted among 3,300 employees in companies with 10 or more employees. Although workers’ awareness of the various schemes is low, the arrangements seem to function properly regardless of whether or not they are formally established.
- 10 Nov 2009
EU Level: Court grants right to compensatory holiday leave in cases of sicknessWorkers who fall ill while on annual leave or whose sickness prevents them from taking annual leave have the right to compensatory holiday leave, according to a ruling of the European Court of Justice (ECJ). The ECJ has concluded that neither national laws nor collective agreements can deny an entitlement to deferred annual leave where a worker requests it. The case raises important issues regarding interpretation of the working time directive and also builds on a previous ECJ ruling.
- 10 Nov 2009
United Kingdom: Employers issue business agenda for next UK governmentIn September 2009, the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) published a ‘business agenda’ aimed at the next UK government, due to be elected by mid 2010. The 12-point agenda sets out the CBI’s vision for the new administration in terms of putting the economy on a path to sustainable growth. For example, the agenda calls for the next government to tackle youth unemployment, improve skills among students and reform public sector pensions.
- 10 Nov 2009
Estonia: New national action plan to tackle economic crisisThe Ministry of Social Affairs in cooperation with the Estonian Unemployment Insurance Fund has introduced a new national action plan for 2009–2010 to tackle the economic crisis. The aims of the plan are to reduce unemployment and support the creation of new jobs. About €45 million will be directed to the employment programme, which should help to create over 5,000 jobs and boost the economy. Employers have welcomed the plan but trade unions have expressed some concerns.
- 10 Nov 2009
Norway: More optimistic forecast for Norwegian labour marketNew figures from Statistics Norway in September 2009 indicate that the downturn in the Norwegian economy is levelling out. The various measures implemented during the autumn of 2008 and spring of 2009 helped to alleviate negative developments in the economy; however, the recession will still have an effect until 2012. Unemployment is estimated at 3.3% in 2009 and 3.9% in 2010, and gross domestic product is expected to grow in 2010 following a drop in 2009.
- 10 Nov 2009
France: Telework agreement signed at France Télécom OrangeTowards the end of June 2009, the France Télécom Orange group signed an agreement on telework with four trade unions. Under the agreement, employees will be able to become teleworkers on a voluntary basis while maintaining their direct links with the company. The signatory parties expressed their overall satisfaction with the agreement. However, two large trade unions did not sign the accord and criticised its provisions.
- 10 Nov 2009
Ireland: Main opposition party backs new collective bargaining modelIreland’s main political opposition party, Fine Gael, has expressed support for collective bargaining rights, a move that represents an important shift for the party. Fine Gael proposes that employers should establish employee representative committees. If these are undemocratic or fail to deal with disputes, trade unions should be allowed to apply for a union recognition ballot. Such a model could be more amenable to multinational investors in Ireland.
- 10 Nov 2009
Hungary: Dispute over tackling recession at ISD Dunaferr steelworksThe steelworks company ISD Dunaferr, once the flagship of Hungarian socialist industrialisation, faces falling demand driven by the economic crisis and cash flow problems due to excessive advance dividends paid to shareholders. Although the trade unions accepted the company’s first wave of austerity measures, they rejected a second wave of proposed salary cuts. As negotiations with the government on possible assistance have also ceased, the company dismissed over 500 workers.
- 10 Nov 2009
Hungary: Constitutional Court ruling paves way for new social dialogue lawHungary’s parliament has passed several acts that regulate the operation of national tripartite forums and the bipartite sectoral social dialogue committees, reducing their previous functions of public power to consultation. The move followed a Constitutional Court ruling that revoked the co-determination right of social partners on certain issues. With the passing of these acts, the criteria of representativeness have also been enacted.
- 10 Nov 2009
United Kingdom: Government makes concessions to employers on employment law agendaPolicy announcements made during September and October 2009 indicate that the government has adjusted its employment law agenda in response to pressure from employer groups and adverse economic circumstances. This includes delaying UK implementation of the EU directive on temporary agency work. Trade unions have expressed disappointment at the government’s move, while the employers have welcomed it. Meanwhile, the employers have criticised the enhanced paternity leave plan.
- 10 Nov 2009
United Kingdom: TUC calls for urgent revision of EU posted workers directiveThe annual conference of the Trades Union Congress, held in September 2009, voted for a resolution that criticised the UK’s application of the EU posted workers directive. The resolution calls for the urgent revision of UK law and practice and the EU directive itself, so that existing collective agreements are not undermined. However, it seems unlikely that the government as well as employer organisations will support such measures.
- 10 Nov 2009
United Kingdom: Trades Union Congress targets homophobia in sportThe Trades Union Congress is looking at ways to tackle the problem of homophobia in the UK sports industry. In a parallel development, the Football Association has started a campaign to address the problem of homophobia in English professional football. Homophobia remains a problem in professional football and sport generally in the UK, although some evidence suggests that concerted action against it could lead to a decline in its incidence.