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July 2011

• 29 Jul 2011
  Netherlands: The Netherlands: EIRO CAR on ‘Helping young workers during the crisis: contributions by social partners and public authorities.’

  Youth unemployment is about twice as high as general unemployment in the Netherlands. Both employers as well as employees see this situation as a matter of their concern. Employers have an interest in keeping young people connected to the labour market in sight of the expectation of labour market shortages in the (near) future. The government has taken a broad package of measures to fight youth unemployment. The measures are to be executed in regional public-private partnerships. Both employers and employees have criticised the way in which the measures are organised and financed. Beside a regional approach they also advocate a sectoral approach.

• 29 Jul 2011
  Italy: Italy. EIRO CAR on ‘Helping young workers during the crisis: contributions by social partners and public authorities’

  There are a number of initiatives devoted to young people in Italy and the issue of their employment has gained prominence through the economic crisis. However there are no significant effects so far on the relatively weaker position of young people on the labour markets. The focus on the reform of the education and training systems and school to work transitions has probably privileged a relevant long-term perspectives rather than short term results.

• 29 Jul 2011
  Ireland: Ireland: EIRO CAR on ‘Helping young workers during the crisis: contributions by social partners and public authorities.’

  This CAR considers the labour market situation of young workers in Ireland, and some of the policy contributions by the state and social partners, as the economic crisis maintains a firm grip on the country as of October 2010. Above all, the Irish government has been preoccupied with trying to repair a failed financial system, and in the process massive debts have been accrued. The government has responded by unleashing a successive wave of public spending cuts. Unemployment has risen sharply since 2008, but the government has not devised a jobs plan of a large enough scale to stem the number of young people losing their jobs, being left outside the labour market or exiting it to go elsewhere. Further, tripartite and bipartite social dialogue on labour market activation has been substantially restricted since the breakdown of national-level social partnership in early 2010.

• 29 Jul 2011
  Greece: EIRO CAR on ‘Helping young workers during the crisis: contributions by social partners and public authorities.’

  Despite the serious labour problems and the increase in unemployment that young workers are facing in Greece, as a result of the recent financial crisis, the initiatives and the policies dealing with them are limited.

• 29 Jul 2011
  Spain: Final Questionnaire for the EIRO CAR on ‘Helping young workers during the crisis: contributions by social partners and public authorities.’

  Young workers have been particularly affected by the crisis. The unemployment rate for workers between 16 and 25 years old is almost double that of the whole population, being also more exposed to precarious work. Low-qualified young workers are the most vulnerable to unemployment and precariousness, being Spain one of the countries with higher drop out rates and school failure (which specially affect young males).s Under these circumstances, social partners and government have not been able to reach an agreement on specific measures addressed to young workers, owing to different views and position of unions and employer organizations.

• 29 Jul 2011
  Germany: Germany: EIRO CAR on ‘Helping young workers during the crisis: contributions by social partners and public authorities.’

  Since the mid 2000s, the unemployment rate and non-standard employment of young workers have been increasing. This is adressed by trade union campaigns, but public focus is on the training market. Since 2007, the long-standing problem of the training market has improved because of a significant decline in school-leavers. The 2007 Apprenticeship Pact by the federal government and the employers also minimized the problem and was prolonged in 2010. Collective bargaining in crisis-hit sectors aimed at expanding the number of vocational training posts and of employment contracts after completion of training.

• 29 Jul 2011
  Estonia: Estonia: EIRO CAR on ‘Helping young workers during the crisis: contributions by social partners and public authorities.’

  Youth unemployment is a significant problem in Estonia. Since the beginning of the crisis, the youth unemployment has risen significantly from 10% in 2007 to 27.5% in 2009. Unemployment is especially high among young men (aged 15-24) due to their lower educational level and the fact that the sectors most affected by recession were mostly occupied by men. While there are many measures implemented to help the unemployed, there are no specific measures targeted specifically at youth. Also, the measures and initiatives that have been developed are so new that their success has not yet been evaluated.

• 29 Jul 2011
  Denmark: Denmark: EIRO CAR on ‘Helping young workers during the crisis: contributions by social partners and public authorities.’

  Since 2008 the challenges faced by young people due to the economic crisis were in particular connected to decreasing possibilities to get an internship as part of their vocational training. In fact, education rather than unemployment in itself has been seen as the most central problem of the young workers. Lack of education and training increases the risk of unemployment and the social partners including the government have taken initiatives aimed at helping young people into education or a job at a very early stage.

• 29 Jul 2011
  Czech Republic: Czech Republic: EIRO CAR on ‘Helping young workers during the crisis: contributions by social partners and public authorities.’

  The global trend of a worsening young people’s employment rate has hit the Czech Republic too. In the period prior to the economic crisis the Czech Republic managed to increase the employment rate significantly, in particular thanks to its strong economic growth (4.5-6.8% in years 2004-2007), which helped to create new jobs. The positive development was interrupted by the onset of the financial and economic crisis, when the unemployment rate grew significantly. The crisis had an adverse impact on the supply of job opportunities for young people entering the labour market. In 2009 the unemployment rate of young people rose to 16.6%, whereas in the period prior to the economic crisis it decreased even to a level below 10%.

• 29 Jul 2011
  Cyprus: Cyprus: EIRO CAR on ‘Helping young workers during the crisis: contributions by social partners and public authorities’

  A particularly worrying aspect of the economic recession has been the level of youth unemployment rate (under 25) that rose from 17.2% in October 2009 to 20.8% in September 2010. Against this background, although the government promoted a number of prevention and action measures with beneficial effects on youth employment as well, the involvement of the social partners is almost exclusively limited to the enunciation of positions with regard to measures to be taken by the government.

• 29 Jul 2011
  Austria: Austria: EIRO CAR on ‘Helping young workers during the crisis: contributions by social partners and public authorities’

  The employment situation of young workers has been high on the government’s and social partners’ agenda for many years. Young workers were among the employment groups hit hardest by the global financial and economic crisis. The unemployment rate of 15-24 year old workers increased significantly, reaching a high of 10.6% in 2009. Numerous programmes targeted towards qualifying and helping young workers into employment had been in place already before the onset of the crisis; those initiatives were intensified with the economic downturn and new measures were implemented by the government after extensive tripartite negotiations.

• 29 Jul 2011
  Belgium: Belgium: The representativeness of trade unions and employer associations in the banking sector

  The banking sector is an important activity in the country. As in other sectors of the Belgian economy it is characterised by an insitutionalised model of social dialogue and mutual recognition of employers’ organisation and trade unions in two joint sector committees (no. 310 and 308). Collective bargaining is a mix of a sectoral framework (for small banks) and further implementation at company level (in the large banks). The financial crisis has hit Belgium’s banking sector hard, but so far had little effect on the structure of social partner relations.

• 29 Jul 2011
  Slovenia: SLOVENIA: EIRO CAR on ‘Helping young workers during the crisis: contributions by social partners and public authorities.’

  The situation in the Slovenian labour market has deteriorated in the past two years by the economic crisis. One of the most vulnerable segments is the young population which is predominantly affected by the termination of fixed term contracts and the flexibilisation of the labour market, especially through the use of student work. Recent changes of the legal documents, which should improve the overall situation in the Slovenian labour market and consequently also for the particular segments, are not approved by the student organizations and the trade unions representatives. They fear that such changes would decrease further the social security of the young population.

• 29 Jul 2011
  Luxembourg: Luxembourg: EIRO CAR on ‘Helping young workers during the crisis: contributions by social partners and public authorities.’

  Young people have been adversely affected as a result of the impact of the crisis on the labour market. In response, youth employment became a subject to social dialogue at national level, and the government adopted three key measures aimed at integrating young people into the labour market. Two of these measures were adaptations of existing initiatives, specifically targeted at young people with low qualifications. A third was a new measure targeted towards young people with qualifications. In sum, these measures will actively cover about 25 per cent of all the unemployed and they have been given a positive evaluation. Initially the measures were intended to operate until the end of 2010, but they have recently been extended until the end of 2011. In addition the social partners have developed other specific initiatives for the young.

• 29 Jul 2011
  United Kingdom: UK: EIRO CAR on ‘Helping young workers during the crisis: contributions by social partners and public authorities’

  The labour market position of young workers in the UK has worsened dramatically since 2008. With the new coalition government (May 2010), much of the funding for stimulus initiatives developed by the previous government, has been withdrawn. All social partners agree that increased provision of apprenticeships is desirable and growth in availability of apprenticeships has been strong in recent years. However, the combined impact of changes to social welfare, changes to the structure and funding of careers support, changes to benefits encouraging young people to remain in education, and predictions for continuing rises in unemployment are likely to have a particularly negative effect on young workers in the short to medium term.

• 29 Jul 2011
  Portugal: Portugal: EIRO CAR on ‘Helping young workers during the crisis: contributions by social partners and public authorities.’

  Portuguese young workers are particularly vulnerable in relation to unemployment and precarious work relations. Collective bargaining is at the beginning of a broader process of change and has not given a major contribution to help young workers during the crisis. The same applies to tripartite concertation after the rupture in negotiations about a Pact for Employment in 2010. The government’s employment strategy has a strong focus on education and vocational training, thus benefitting in particular young people. This policy has produced some notable results, but the crisis and the constraints of austerity pose multiple threats to the prospects of young people on the Portuguese labour market.

• 29 Jul 2011
  Romania: Romania: EIRO CAR on ‘Helping young workers during the crisis: contributions by social partners and public authorities’

  The disadvantaged status of youths on the labour market and its trend towards worse due to the economic crisis is reflected in the unemployment rates: the 2008 overall unemployment rate was 5.8%, with an unemployment rate of 18.6% for 15 – 24 age group; in 2009, the national unemployment average rate went up to 6.9%, and the rate among persons aged 15 – 24 rose to 20.8%. Also, in the second quarter 2009, the rate of insertion on the labour market for the persons aged 15 to 34 years who left education was 24.4% in the first six months and 33.6% one year after leaving education. Although positive, the initiatives of the Government and of the social partners cater for a diminutive number of young persons, and seem to ignore the needs of a large number of youngsters who enjoy neither the protection of trade unions nor the care afforded to workers by employer organisations.

• 29 Jul 2011
  Poland: Poland: EIRO CAR on ‘Helping young workers during the crisis: contributions by social partners and public authorities.’

  In the last decade, the unemployment rates of young workers have been consistently higher than those noted in the general population. The economic crisis in 2008 only intensified labour market problems faced by young workers. In Poland, government plays the most important role in helping them. The significance of collective bargaining and social dialogue institutions in addressing the problems of young workers during the crisis has been limited. Activities of social partners were mostly focused on awareness raising campaigns, trainings in soft skills and consultation of legislative acts aimed at increasing employability of young people.

• 29 Jul 2011
  Slovakia: Slovakia: EIRO CAR on ‘Helping young workers during the crisis: contributions by social partners and public authorities.’

  Unemployment significantly increased in Slovakia during the economic crisis - from less than 10% in 2008 to more than 14% in mid 2010. The share of young people on total unemployment increased even more. In late 2008 and early 2009, the government adopted a package of anti-crisis measures. Some of them were aimed at maintaining employment in enterprises hit by the crisis. Representatives of trade unions and employer associations participated in consultations on their adoption and implementation. Those measures were, however, not aimed at the employment of young people in particular. Specific measures to support employment of young people were adopted by public employment services. Most of them entered into effect in late 2009.

• 29 Jul 2011
  Malta: Malta: EIRO CAR on ‘Helping young workers during the crisis: contributions by social partners and public authorities’

  Faced with this crisis the Maltese Government has set-up a ‘Rapid Reaction Unit’ to specifically assist the mostly affected organisations, whilst assuring that for the young generation employment is the best social policy. Indeed, for the last two years the government together with the social partners has been working harder to increase the number of active young workers in the labour market. The measures and incentives adopted by the government to assist industries have contributed to the maintenance of relatively high employment levels even when the crisis was at its peak in 2009.

• 29 Jul 2011
  EU Countries: Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Education

  This study sets out to provide the necessary information for establishing and assisting sectoral social dialogue in the education sector. The report has three main parts: a summary of the sector’s economic background; an analysis of the social partner organisations in all EU Member States, with special emphasis on their membership, their role in collective bargaining/employment regulation and public policy, and their national and European affiliations; and an analysis of the relevant European organisations, in particular their membership composition and their capacity to negotiate. The aim of the EIRO series of representativeness studies is to identify the relevant national and supranational social partner organisations in the field of industrial relations in selected sectors. The impetus for these studies arises from the goal of the European Commission to recognise the representative social partner organisations to be consulted under the EC Treaty provisions. Hence, this study is designed to provide the basic information required to establish and evaluate sectoral social dialogue.

• 29 Jul 2011
  Bulgaria: Representativeness study of the European social partner organisations: Education sector – Bulgaria

  The 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 education sector in Bulgaria. 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.

• 29 Jul 2011
  Poland: Representativeness study of the European social partner organisations: Education sector – Poland

  The 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 education sector in Poland. 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.

• 29 Jul 2011
  Hungary: Representativeness of the European social partner organisations: Education sector – Hungary

  The 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 education sector in Hungary. 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.

• 29 Jul 2011
  Finland: Representativeness study of the European social partner organisations: Education sector – Finland

  The 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 education sector in Finland. 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.

• 29 Jul 2011
  Ireland: Representativeness study of the European social partner organisations: Education sector – Ireland

  The 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 education sector in Ireland. 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.

• 28 Jul 2011
  EU Countries: Working time developments – 2010

  In 2010, average collectively agreed weekly working time in the European Union stood at 38 hours. The figure was 0.4 hours lower in the pre-2004 EU15 and 1.7 hours higher in the new Member States. Agreed normal annual working time averages around 1,708 hours – around 1,693 hours in the EU15 and 1,797 in the new Member States. Of three sectors examined, agreed weekly hours are longest in metalworking and local government (37.8 hours), and shortest in banking (37.3 hours). Average collectively agreed paid annual leave entitlement stood at 25.4 days across the EU in 2010, being higher among countries in the EU15 (where it was 25.6 days) than in the 12 new Member States (24.1 days).

• 27 Jul 2011
  Germany: Female employees and managers wanted

  A new study by the Institute for Employment Research analyses the working hours and current employment situation of women. Though women account for nearly half of the total workforce in Germany, they often work reduced hours. However, such female part-time workers do represent great potential for the German economy. The issue of how to activate this potential and better integrate women into the workforce has been debated by the social partners in different sectors.

• 27 Jul 2011
  France: Cross-sectoral agreements improve prospects for young people

  Social partners in France held cross-sectoral negotiations to try to find solutions to the problem of youth employment. Three employers’ organisations and four trade unions signed what is the first agreement of its kind, aimed at improving the employment situation for 65,000 young people in 2011. It offers training and help matching vacancies with young people in need of work. In a second agreement, measures have been put in place to help young people access housing.

• 27 Jul 2011
  EU Level: ETUC sets out priorities for 2011–1014

  At its congress in Athens in May 2011, ETUC presented its manifesto for 2011–2014, setting out its work priorities for that period in response to the financial crises in several EU Member States. These include promoting a social Europe, combating unemployment, rising inequality, precarious work and austerity governance, promoting growth and stability, increasing trade union strength and membership, and developing a joint response to an increasingly integrated Europe.

• 27 Jul 2011
  Cyprus: Ministry announces further minimum wages increases

  In April 2011, the Minister of Labour in Cyprus announced new increases in the national minimum wage, which covers workers in nine specific occupations, sparking strong opposition from employers. The 2011 increase was made as part of the work of the Labour Advisory Board and has reignited a debate over readjusting minimum wages. A small proportion of workers have demanded even bigger increases, along with greater coverage for more occupations, and other benefits as well.

• 27 Jul 2011
  United Kingdom: Government consults on ‘modern workplaces’

  In May 2011, the UK conservative-liberal government launched a consultation on changes to employment law aimed at encouraging ‘a more fair and flexible approach at work’. The modern workplaces proposals notably include a new system of flexible shared parental leave, which increases the amount of paternity leave fathers are entitled to after birth or adoption. The proposals have received a broadly positive reaction from the main employer and trade union organisations.

• 19 Jul 2011
  Finland: Social partners disagree on fines for illegal industrial action

  The Finnish Labour Court has imposed fines on two trade unions for industrial action taken in spring 2010. During the past decade, the curbing of illegal strikes has been an important issue for employers and the Confederation of Finnish Industries (EK). The employers’ side believes that fines should be larger to deter illegal strikes and to reflect the heavy financial losses caused by illegal strikes. So far, attempts to amend strike legislation have proved very difficult.

• 19 Jul 2011
  Spain: Catalan government cuts public health and education spending

  The Catalan government has announced cuts in health and education spending to decrease its public deficit by €2 billion in 2011. However, the plan to reduce the deficit will not achieve goals set by the Fiscal and Financial Policy Council, which asks the autonomous communities to bring down their deficit to 1.3% of gross domestic product this year. The Catalan government has asked Spain’s central government for €1.35 billion, while unions and employers have demonstrated against the cuts.

• 19 Jul 2011
  Malta: Unions split over FORUM application to join ETUC

  The application by Forum Unions Maltin (FORUM), a loose confederation of trade unions set up in 2004, to become an affiliate of the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), has once again revived the sharp divisions that exist within the Maltese trade union movement. The Confederation of Malta Trade Unions opposed the application, straining its bitter relationship with the General Workers’ Union. However, since the FORUM application was accepted, relations have calmed.

• 15 Jul 2011
  Bulgaria: Social partners discuss implementing temporary agency work directive

  A tripartite discussion forum including representatives of the unions, employers, temporary employment agencies and the government was launched on 14 April 2011 to try and reach an agreement on how the EC directive on temporary agency work should be applied in Bulgaria. This followed lengthy failed attempts by social partners to draw up a relevant legislative framework. The government has now taken on the job, as the autumn deadline for implementation approaches.

• 15 Jul 2011
  Italy: Unions agree to talk on civil service changes

  Trade unions and government bargaining agency ARAN have signed an agreement to negotiate the renewal of unitary workplace union structures in the civil service by March 2012. These combined trade union bodies are to be streamlined as part of reforms being pushed through by Civil Service Minister Renato Brunetta. The parties will also have to modify rules governing trade union representativeness and to define new collective bargaining divisions within the civil service.

• 15 Jul 2011
  Estonia: Wage increase for railway workers

  Estonian railway workers are in line for a pay rise, plus a 7.5% bonus after concluding a new collective agreement with Estonian Railways. It comes after heated negotiations, sparked by the discovery that the salaries of the executive personnel of Estonian Railways had been increased, with a 17% bonus, while the wages of other workers were frozen. The Trade Union of Estonian Railway Workers threatened strike action, but the parties reached an agreement by the end of April 2011.

• 15 Jul 2011
  France: French trade unions confront the far right

  During local elections in March 2010, several trade union members stood as candidates for the far right National Front (FN) party, which claims common ground with the traditional role of unions in protecting the interests of French workers. However, France’s unions have been quick to respond, uniting to declare that the values of trade unionism and those of the far right are totally incompatible, and to exclude a number of trade union members who have chosen to become FN candidates.

• 15 Jul 2011
  Norway: 2011 wage talks draw to a close

  In the course of spring 2011, Norway’s social partner organisations negotiated pay rates for both private and public sector workers, which will be part of the biennial collective agreements made for the period 2010–2012. The results of bargaining are expected to generate overall wage growth for 2011 of between 3.65% in the private sector to 4.25% in the municipal sector. Negotiations in Oslo, and in the finance sector, broke down and will now proceed to compulsory arbitration.

• 15 Jul 2011
  Slovakia: Government approves changes to Labour Code

  An amended Labour Code has been voted through by the government in Slovakia, although by only one vote. Changes to the code were thrashed out after intense debate over almost 90 suggestions, between social partners and at sectoral level. It was even submitted to the International Labour Organization in Geneva. However, a last minute amendment on the minimum wage, not approved by the unions, was agreed at the government meeting. Unions are now threatening a protest campaign.

• 15 Jul 2011
  Czech Republic: Škoda Auto pay deal halts strike threat

  The threat of strike action by workers at car manufacturers Škoda Auto in the Czech Republic was lifted when the company and unions agreed a 4% wage increase on 31 March 2011. Unions had asked for a 7% rise, with the company originally offering 0.5%. They were also given a one-off performance bonus, plus some other bonuses. Unions were determined to hold out for more money after hearing that bonuses had been paid to workers in other factories owned by parent company Volkswagen.

• 15 Jul 2011
  Czech Republic: Czech ministers disagree on company kindergartens

  The Czech government is looking for a way to promote the establishment of company kindergartens by helping businesses overcome the hurdles of high cost and strict regulation. It is responding to an alarming lack of capacity in pre-school childcare operated by the municipalities. Nevertheless, government ministers in different departments cannot agree on what practical state support should be offered or about what form financial help from the government should take.

• 15 Jul 2011
  Finland: Union says temporary agency workers need representation

  Service Union United has criticised employer associations representing companies that employ temporary agency workers, for not reaching collective agreements at company or sector level over union representation. The union says improving the position for temporary agency workers is particularly important and challenging, and that giving shop stewards the right to represent these temporary agency workers in the workplace would be an important first step.

• 15 Jul 2011
  Luxembourg: Government launches pension proposal

  Luxembourg Finance Minister Luc Frieden and the Minister of Social Security, Mars Di Bartolomeo, presented a plan for the reform of the state pension system on 17 March 2011. The government wants to maintain the current value of pensions by extending the period over which employees contribute. The reform, nicknamed ‘pensions à la carte’, because individuals can choose when to retire, has been criticised by employers and trade unions, although for very different reasons.

• 08 Jul 2011
  Luxembourg: Collective agreement collapses in woodwork sector

  Negotiations to renew the collective bargaining agreement for Luxembourg woodworkers were thrown into chaos on 22 March 2011, when the employer association pulled out. The two trade unions involved say they discovered what happened through the press. The talks had begun in January 2011 and affect 2,000 employees. Deadlock over index-linked pay lies at the heart of the disagreement, with the unions saying it is essential, and the employers refusing to make concessions.

• 08 Jul 2011
  Poland: New wave of spring protests sweeps across the country

  In April and May 2011, protests took place in Poland’s largest mining and copper companies. A demonstration over pay was organised in the copper mining holding company KGHM, and in the Jastrzębie Coal Company trade unions went on strike to protect jobs during its planned privatisation. Meanwhile, the independent trade union Solidarity (NSZZ Solidarność) announced street protests in response to declining living standards and the lack of social dialogue with the government.

• 08 Jul 2011
  Sweden: New industrial agreement to strengthen norm-setting role

  Since 1997, industrial agreements have served as a framework for wage setting in Swedish industry, with the manufacturing industry given a norm-setting role. However, due to the increasing weakening of this role, the Association of Swedish Engineering Industries decided to leave the agreement in 2010. Industry partners have now reached a new agreement, with stricter negotiation rules and stronger incentives to maintain the manufacturing industry’s norm-setting role.

• 08 Jul 2011
  Norway: ESA approves Norwegian measures against social dumping

  Since the EU enlargement in 2004, the Norwegian government has introduced a number of measures to combat low-wage competition in the Norwegian labour market and to ensure that the wages and working conditions of foreign workers match standards in Norwegian working life. Several of the measures, which have been introduced under the General Application Act, have been assessed and approved by the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) Surveillance Authority (ESA).

• 08 Jul 2011
  Estonia: New collective agreement to increase wages of oil shale workers

  Eesti Energia, one of Estonia’s biggest employers, and the Estonian Oil Shale Producers Trade Union Confederation have concluded a collective agreement covering the next two years. The new agreement will increase the wages of around 1,500 people whose wages are the lowest in the company and which have remained unchanged for the past three years. The agreement also regulates holidays, occupational environment and safety issues, and includes support for family values.

• 08 Jul 2011
  Austria: Austrian labour market opens for new Member States

  On 1 May 2011, the Austrian labour market opened for workers from eight new central and eastern European Member States. A recent study estimates that between 21,000 and 26,000 new employees from these countries will work in Austria each year, the majority being cross-border commuters. Most are expected to work in construction and tourism. A new law aimed at preventing anticipated wage dumping came into effect on 1 May and the social partners are content with the preparations.

• 08 Jul 2011
  Italy: Company-level agreement signed at Carrefour Group

  After 16 months of difficult negotiations, the Carrefour Group in Italy and the sectoral trade unions have signed a company-level agreement covering more than 25,000 workers. The new agreement comes more than 18 months after the employers’ unilateral cancellation of the previous agreement, and it sets out the company’s investment plan, including guarantees of vocational training, clear rules about working time allowances and the strengthening of labour relations.

• 08 Jul 2011
  Netherlands: Dutch government announces major defence cutbacks

  The Dutch cabinet has announced heavy cutbacks in defence spending, with €1 billion less to be spent on personnel and equipment over the next four years. Up to 12,000 full-time jobs will have to go, half of which forced redundancies. The Minister of Defence and Prime Minister claim the cutbacks will not prevent the armed forces from playing a meaningful role internationally. The trade unions are outraged at the consequences for personnel and are planning protest meetings.

• 08 Jul 2011
  Ireland: Aer Lingus agrees €29.5 million ‘leave and return’ tax settlement

  The airline Aer Lingus has concluded a tax settlement worth €29.5 million with the Irish tax authorities arising from a controversial ‘leave and return’ redundancy scheme in 2008, which was part of a €92m million company-wide cost reduction plan. The scheme saw 1,073 airline staff leave the company on attractive terms and 715 return shortly after on lower terms and conditions. Government investigations finally concluded that the scheme did not comply with redundancy laws.

• 08 Jul 2011
  Hungary: Extension of governmental power in Hungary

  Following the election of Hungary’s new government in May 2010, it submitted 70 bills for parliamentary discussion and approval in the autumn session, of which the majority seemed likely to extend the influence of government on civil society and social partners. Such bills include changes to media law, pension schemes and the pay and working conditions of public servants. Social partners and opposition parties have been publicly very critical about these new laws.

• 06 Jul 2011
  Portugal: Trade unions against austerity plans in railways

  The state budget 2011 includes a number of measures which impact on the publicly owned railway companies: cuts in employees’ gross monthly payments over €1,500 (including those due to overtime work, work on rest days and holidays), a measure encompassing all public sector workers; plans for restructuring which may include redundancies; and further privatisation of segments of the sector. Trade unions reacted strongly to these plans, in particular to cuts in wages.

• 06 Jul 2011
  Italy: Electrolux and unions agree on 2011-14 restructuring plan

  At the end of March 2011 Electrolux and the sectoral trade unions reached an agreement on the 2011-14 reorganisation plan. The company envisages 740 job losses in plants located at Porcia and Susegana, in the North of Italy. The agreement includes both traditional and innovative measures to reduce the negative effects for redundant workers and the areas they live in, including incentives for workers to take redundancy or set up as entrepreneurs, as well as outplacement services.

• 06 Jul 2011
  Austria: Decline in trade union membership slows down

  Although the seven affiliated trade unions of the Austrian Trade Union Federation (ÖGB) together lost some 11,000 members between 2009 and 2010, this was the second smallest decline in the past 20 years. GPA-djp (Union of Salaried Employees, Graphical Workers and Journalists) and GÖD (Union of Public Employees) even increased their membership numbers. A new agreement has increased the payments by the affiliated unions to ÖGB from 16 to 19% of their income from members.

• 06 Jul 2011
  Belgium: Bargaining for a new sectoral agreement in education

  A new sectoral agreement has been proposed for the education sector in the French community covering the years 2011–2012. The main issues of the agreement concern end-of-career retirement planning, including adjustments to the part-time early retirement scheme (DPPR) to raise the qualifying age from 55 to 58, and wage increases. Ministers have devoted €10 million to future measures under this agreement, although it seems that even this amount is not going to be enough.

• 06 Jul 2011
  France: Wage negotiations provoke conflict as companies return to profit

  French workers are facing real cuts in their standard of living as pay increases fail to keep pace with inflation. Workers have, on the whole, refrained from taking action against their employers throughout the worst of the global economic crisis. However, recent union protests and a few local strikes called in response to a series of below-inflation pay increases have demonstrated the impatience of workers, and their apparent willingness to participate in strike action.

• 06 Jul 2011
  France: Negotiated redundancies and French law

  The Ministry of Labour has launched its first assessment on a voluntary procedure for terminating a permanent employment contract, which was introduced by law on 25 June 2008. This method of ending an employment contract has become increasingly popular. While it is clear that this new method is useful, it has evidently been used by employers to avoid their obligations under existing redundancy law, which requires them to consult representatives over redundancies.

• 06 Jul 2011
  France: The 22nd Congress of Force Ouvrière

  At the 22nd Congress of Force Ouvrière (FO), held between 14–18 February 2011, Secretary General Jean-Claude Mailly called on members during the closing session to ‘fight, resist, negotiate, act!’. FO is France’s third largest trade union, and it does not seem downcast about losing the fight with the government over pension reform. A reinvigorated FO declared that it would overcome difficulties placed in its way by approaching changes to trade union representativeness.

• 06 Jul 2011
  Norway: Adecco allegations put focus on public procurement and social dumping

  Following claims in February 2011 that it had systematically violated work environment legislation in Norwegian nursing homes, the recruitment agency Adecco has ended all its nursing home operations in the country. The case also prompted debate over the role of temporary worker agencies and similar enterprises, privatisation, the role of the Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority and the need for improved measures to combat social dumping in the municipal sector.

• 06 Jul 2011
  Latvia: Austerity measures provoke protests

  Latvia’s programme for stabilising its financial system is based on widespread austerity measures. During the first two years of austerity, the annual deficit led to the government aiming to cut spending by 4% of gross domestic product, with a reduction of more than 2% in 2011. These measures have almost exhausted possibilities for more cuts, and the government’s suggestions for further measures have been increasingly met by national protests, supported by unions and employer organisations.

• 06 Jul 2011
  Malta: Football players join General Workers’ Union

  More than 80 Maltese footballers have joined the General Workers Union. This came after players’ pay for training sessions with the national team was stopped. Players also want the union’s help to resolve issues over medical insurance and sickness payments. However, this will prove a complex task for the union. It will have to deal not only with a player’s club and agent, but also with the Malta Football Association which has sole power, given by FIFA, to decide disputes.

• 06 Jul 2011
  Finland: New collective agreements for public sector employees

  New collective agreements for state and municipal employees were reached in February. In the municipal sector the agreement affects about 430,000 local government employees and around 88,000 workers in the state sector. Municipal workers have been offered a general pay increase of 1.2%, an additional 0.8% to be allocated following local negotiations and a one-off bonus of €100 for many employee groups in May. Central government workers will receive an increase of 1.3%.

• 06 Jul 2011
  Hungary: Wage and Tax Monitoring Committee set up

  In February 2011, the Hungarian government established a Wage and Tax Monitoring Committee, to ensure public and private companies actually pay a 4%–6% gross wage increase agreed by the National Interest Coordination Council at the end of 2010. It believes many workers have not yet received the increase. Social partners agree with the wage increase on principle, but say such government pressure is unnecessary and other factors, such as job security, must be considered.

• 06 Jul 2011
  Slovakia: V4 countries address employment issues

  Labour ministers of the Visegrád 4 (V4) countries addressed shared employment issues in Bratislava at an international conference organised by the Slovak Ministry of Labour held on 22 March 2011. László Andor, the European Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion attended the conference. He pointed out that the economic crisis was testing the European social model while also acknowledging that the EU labour market needs reforming.