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Public Sector

• 01 Nov 2011
  Greece: Permanent status for fixed-term workers in public sector

  A ruling by the Greek Supreme Court marks the end of rolling short-term contracts for public sector workers. The judgment, by the court’s Plenary Session in April 2011, directly affects only a few hundred workers but is expected to pave the way for thousands of employees, hired before 2001, to claim permanent contracts. Unions hailed the decision as a vindication of their long battle for justice and called on the Government to enforce the judgment. The Government did not comment on the ruling.

• 21 Oct 2011
  France: Reports critical of the new public employment service

  Reform of the French public employment service resulted in the merger of Assédic, the agency responsible for paying benefits to the unemployed, with the National Employment Agency (ANPE), the public service for supporting jobseekers. The merger created ‘Pôle emploi’, a single agency responsible for benefits and jobseeker support. Three years on, reports highlight the difficulties faced by the new agency as it attempts to improve and simplify services for jobseekers.

• 12 Oct 2011
  Malta: Social partners oppose pension reform proposals

  A pensions working group set up by Malta’s government has recommended the immediate creation of an additional mandatory scheme to complement the present ‘pay as you go’ pension, which is widely agreed to be unsustainable. However, employers say an additional pension system would undermine their competitiveness and suggest instead that the best solution would be to raise employment levels. Unions say workers would struggle to pay additional pension contributions.

• 07 Oct 2011
  Slovenia: Public sector union calls for strike action

  An announcement that 160,000 workers in the Slovenian public sector could have their pay cut by 4% has led to union calls for strike action. Prime Minister Borut Pahor says the parliamentary committee for local self-management independently added the cut to a draft package of measures drawn up to address the budget deficit. He says he will respect agreements with the unions, but they suspect the government is trying to bypass dialogue and confrontation with social partners.

• 07 Oct 2011
  Luxembourg: Major reform of civil service to affect status and pay

  On 18 July, the trade union representing public sector workers, the General Public Sector Confederation, reached agreement with the government on two significant collective agreements. Both agreements will lead to profound changes in the status of civil servants and the way they are paid. They address the way public sector employees are trained, how they progress up the career ladder, how they are helped to address weaknesses and how their pay scale is structured.

• 07 Oct 2011
  Poland: Regional railway workers go on strike over pay

  In August 2011, trade unions in the Polish regional railway passenger transport company PKP PR announced a one-day strike, following a stalemate in pay talks with management and the unequivocal result of a strike referendum. The strike proved an effective means of pressure, as the company board eventually agreed to the unions’ demands. However, industrial relations in PKP PR remain tense, as the firm’s financial crisis deepens and it battles to keep its regional services.

• 02 Sep 2011
  United Kingdom: Talks over public service pension reform continue

  In July 2011, following a one-day strike by four unions over public service pension reform, the UK government and union leaders agreed to continue discussions over proposed changes. The government subsequently announced increased pension contributions for civil servants, health workers and teachers, prompting strong criticism from unions. Public service pensions are the focus of a number of draft resolutions to be debated at the annual conference of the Trades Union Congress in September.

• 11 Aug 2011
  Romania: Police continue protest against government

  Romania’s police protested in the streets at government plans to restructure the Ministry of Administration and Interior Affairs by cutting around 10,000 jobs. The plans were outlined in a bill drafted at the end of 2010 and approved by government in March 2011. The National Union of Police Workers and Ancillary Personnel continues to protest, though parliament has dismissed the bill and amended police bylaws. Minister of the Interior Traian Igaş agreed to talk to the union on 2 June.

• 11 Aug 2011
  United Kingdom: Strikes highlight union concerns over public sector pension reform

  In June 2011, four trade unions staged one-day strikes over the UK coalition government’s proposed changes to public sector pension schemes. The strikes primarily affected schools and functions performed by the Civil Service. Talks over pension reform between the government and public sector unions are continuing. Although government sources question the impact of the strikes, more unions are thought likely to hold ballots over industrial action in the autumn.

• 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
  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.

• 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.

• 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
  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
  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%.

• 21 Jun 2011
  Poland: Discontent growing among fire fighters with government plans

  At the end of 2010 the Polish government introduced changes in the law that were expected to resolve problems regarding overtime and working hours of fire fighters. The problem arose after Polish accession to the EU in 2004 when working time standards were introduced. But trade unions are not satisfied and have been considering a class action lawsuit against the government, as the changes cover only a fraction of unpaid overtime hours and threaten to increase working hours.

• 16 Jun 2011
  Denmark: Classic compromise agreement in public sector

  The outcome of the 2011 collective bargaining round in the public sector in Denmark was a classic compromise settlement, where both parties could claim they got the best deal possible in the context of the economic crisis. The new ‘minimum agreement’ maintains the status quo, with nothing much new. The agreed pay rises will probably not be enough to secure a real wage increase, because of an adjustment scheme regulating the balance between public and private sector wages.

• 15 Jun 2011
  Italy: Italy: Representativeness study of the European social partners organisations – Public administration sector

  Representativeness in public administration, unlike in the private sector, is regulated by law. In fact, bargaining, in the public sector is only open to trade union organisations that reach a certain level of representativeness. The employer side is represented by an agency or by a delegation of the principal ministries. All public workers can join trade union organisations except military personnel, for whom there are elective representative bodies which, however, have no bargaining power.

• 15 Jun 2011
  Germany: Germany: Representativeness study of the European social partners organisations – Public administration sector

  In 2008 there were 2,793,000 people working in Germany’s public administration sector, which is one of the country’s biggest employers. There are two categories of workers in the sector: employees and civil servants. Both have the freedom of association, but whereas employees are covered by collective bargaining, the terms and conditions for civil servants are determined by law. Trade unions representing civil servants are consulted in the legislative process but have no proper bargaining rights. In collective bargaining, the United Services Union and the German Civil Service Association play the leading roles. Employers are mainly represented by the federal government, the Employers’ Association of German Länder, the Municipal Employers’ Association and the collective bargaining associations of the statutory social security insurers.

• 15 Jun 2011
  Slovenia: Slovenia: Representativeness study of the European Social Partners organisations – Public administration sector’

  Slovenia’s public administration has been changing rapidly since 1990. Numbering approximately 9,000 employees at the beginning of the 1990s, the sector now employs 50,000. In that period a number of regulations have been passed and the position of employees in the central government has improved. The Civil Servants Act regulates a social partnership which is unique in Slovene legislation (the law defines the responsibilities of the ministries and the government in relation to employees and trade unions). After years of negotiation a new wage system for 160,000 employees in the public sector came into force in 2008, causing serious discontent in certain groups of employees.

• 15 Jun 2011
  Romania: Romania: Representativeness study of the European social partners organisations – Public administration sector

  In the past decade the number of employees in the public administration increased more rapidly than in other economic sectors. Starting in 2003, the extension of the right to establish trade unions to various categories of public employees (such as public servants and police officers), coupled with the rise in the number of employees, led to an expansion in trade union membership and power in the sector. The financial and economic crisis is a catalysing factor for building new trade union alliances which increase bargaining power in relation to the government.

• 15 Jun 2011
  Hungary: Hungary: Representativeness study of the European social partners organisations – Public administration sector

  While the level of employment in Hungary’s public administration sector is stagnating, the sector still provides the greatest employment security, despite the economic crisis. Collective bargaining in the sector is unusual because legislation permits collective agreements to be concluded with respect to very small numbers of employees. There are many trade unions in the sector, usually covering a single segment of public administration (e.g. the military, law enforcement, water management, and so on). In the central public administration the most dominant employee organisation is the Federation of Hungarian Public Service Employees Unions (KSZSZ), which has 30 members.

• 14 Jun 2011
  Greece: Greece: Representativeness study of the European social partners organisations – Public administration sector

  Workers in the Greek public sector had their right to collective bargaining recognised relatively recently, in 1999. The relevant legislative framework is framed in such a way that areas such as wage levels, retirement, and the method of recruiting staff lie outside the scope of collective bargaining. In Greece there is no employer organisation in the public sector, whereas there are two representative employee organisations. The criterion of demarcation is the employment relationship between employees and the state.

• 14 Jun 2011
  Finland: Finland: Representativeness study of the European social partners organisations – Public administration sector

  In 2007 there were about 127,000 employees in Finland’s public administration sector. Two employers’ organisation (VTML and KT) represent the central and local public administration sector. There is a high level of union membership among employees in the sector, and stiff competition among the public sector trade unions, because an employee has a choice between several unions. Members of JHL, Pardia and Jyty could be members of any of these three trade unions.

• 14 Jun 2011
  Estonia: Estonia: Representativeness of the European social partners organisations – Public administration sector

  The public administration sector represents about 6% of total employment in the Estonian economy, with 38,400 employees in 2008. The sector is covered by two trade union organisations, but there is no distinct or formalised employer organisation formed for public sector negotiations. Collective bargaining in the sector is still rather problematic due to the low level of representativeness in the sector. Because of the lack of information, it is not possible to assess collective agreement coverage in the sector.

• 14 Jun 2011
  Lithuania: Lithuania: Representativeness of the European social partners organisations – Public administration sector

  There are two sectoral trade union organisations in Lithuania’s public administration sector. One of them unites civil servants and the other one represents statutory civil servants. These two organisations represent some 7% of public sector employees. There is no sectoral employer organisation in Lithuania. Consequently, there is no collective bargaining in the sector or sectoral collective agreements. According to trade union representatives, there are about 20 collective agreements signed on enterprise level, but all basic employment conditions for this sector are regulated by public legislation.

• 14 Jun 2011
  Malta: Malta: Representativeness of the European social partners organisations – Public administration sector

  The public administration sector employed around 11,593 employees in 2007. This figure represents about 7% of the total Maltese workforce. Trade unions are traditionally strong within this sector. Four trade unions take part in collective bargaining, namely the General Workers’ Union, the Union of United Workers, the Union of Public Services Architects and Engineers, and the Professional Union-Planning Authority. All the employees engaged in this sector are covered by collective bargaining, with the exception of those in the armed forces and the police force, who have no legal right to join a registered trade union.

• 14 Jun 2011
  Czech Republic: Czech Republic: Representativeness study of the European social partners organisations: Public administration sector

  Current legislation gives only a very limited space for collective bargaining on pay and pay demands in the public administration sector. Collective bargaining in the Czech Republic takes place only in the private sector, as the public sector lacks partners to bargain for higher-level collective agreements on the part of the employer. The NACE occupations relevant to this study are represented by four main trade unions. However, other trade unions may represent individuals working in the public administration sector, as trade unions accept members from sectors and professions other than those for which they were originally established.

• 14 Jun 2011
  Austria: Austria: Representativeness study of the European social partners organisations – Public administration sector

  The public administration sector in Austria covers 7–8% of the country’s workforce. The vast majority of the sector’s employees are excluded from the right to conclude collective agreements. Nevertheless, informal wage negotiations between the authorities and the relevant trade unions take place in a highly centralised manner, with the results subsequently ratified by the authorities at all levels of government. Due to this lack of bargaining rights, there is no employer organisation dealing with industrial relations issues. Single-employer bargaining occurs only in organisations or companies which have been hived off from public administration in a narrow sense, and in compulsory social security.

• 14 Jun 2011
  Slovakia: Slovakia: Representativeness of the European social partners organisations – Public administration sector

  The public administration sector plays a significant role in the country with an almost 7% share of total employment. Organisation of the social partners in the sector is diverse, mainly on the unions’ side where more than 10 trade union associations operate. However, there are no conventional employers’ organisations in the sector – representatives of central and regional governments and the Association of Towns and Villages of Slovakia sign the multi-employer collective agreement for civil and public servants. Social dialogue is well developed and collective agreements cover almost 90% of employees in the sector.

• 05 May 2011
  Austria: Government sets female quota for board representation

  On 15 March 2011, the Austrian government agreed on the implementation of female quotas for supervisory boards of state-owned companies. A quota of 25% is to be brought in by 2013 with an increase to 35% by 2018. The new regulations will affect 55 companies, including the Austrian National Bank and Austrian Railways, and the government hopes private companies will follow their lead. Employers and unions generally welcome the regulations – although for different reasons.

• 02 May 2011
  Italy: Agreement on public sector salaries

  The Italian government reached an agreement with unions on 4 February 2011 over productivity-linked pay increases in the public sector. The agreement also covers negotiations for a framework agreement on industrial relations in the public sector until 2012, as collective bargaining is frozen until then. The General Confederation of Italian Workers did not sign the agreement because it is based on the 2009 reform of the bargaining system, which they had also not signed.

• 02 May 2011
  Latvia: Ministry of the Interior starts talks on collective agreement

  Talks on setting up a collective agreement for employees of the Latvian Interior Ministry began in December 2010. Linda Mūrniece, Minister of the Interior, wants to establish cooperation with the relevant unions while state organisations are being forced to cut expenditure on salaries, long-service bonuses and early retirement at the age of 50. There has been a long-standing conflict between the minister and the police union which has repeatedly called for her to resign.

• 29 Apr 2011
  Ireland: Agreement to reform state laboratory service

  Health sector employers and unions have agreed on the modernisation of the state laboratory service under the Public Service Agreement (the ‘Croke Park Agreement’). About 3,000 staff are now working longer, and have had cuts in their ‘out of hours’ payments since March 2011. The employer body, the Health Service Executive (HSE) estimates this could save about €5 million annually. The Public Service Agreement aims to achieve efficiencies and reform in all state sectors.

• 29 Apr 2011
  United Kingdom: New proposals for public service pensions

  Controversial reforms to UK public service pensions have been recommended by an independent commission, set up by the UK government. The commission reported on the future of public service pension arrangements in March 2011. Its suggestions, affecting around six million people, include replacing final-salary schemes with ones linked to employees’ average earnings, and raising the retirement age to 65, rising to 68. Several unions are contemplating industrial action.

• 19 Apr 2011
  Czech Republic: Police and firefighting unions want minister to resign

  Police and firefighters in the Czech Republic are being asked to sign a petition calling for the Minister of the Interior to resign. Unions feel he has lost credibility by failing to secure enough funds to pay wages and running costs. They add that, if he does not go, they will consider copying the recent ‘Thank you, we’re leaving’ action by the nation’s doctors. Public sector workers’ pay has been cut by 10%, and unions say the effect of this has been made worse by cuts in bonuses.

• 10 Mar 2011
  EU Level: New sectoral social dialogue committee for central government administrations

  A new sectoral social dialogue committee for central government administrations was set up in December 2010. Within the context of this new committee, employee and employer representatives from across the European Union will have the opportunity to deliver opinions, statements and documents to the European Commission on areas of European social and employment policy that may have consequences for all central government administrations at national level.

• 08 Mar 2011
  Denmark: Economic crisis weighs on 2011 wage bargaining round

  As social partners begin a new bargaining round in 2011, the repercussions of the economic crisis still hamper collective bargaining in Denmark, as does a formula for public sector pay agreed in 2008 which encouraged wage rises to outstrip those in the private sector. New strategies to resolve these problems are being explored but there is little economic room for manoeuvre and for the first time in decades it may be difficult to safeguard public employees’ real wages.

• 02 Mar 2011
  France: Act on renewal of social dialogue in the public sector

  The law on the reform of collective bargaining in the public sector has finally been approved by the French parliament after two years of discussions. The law alters the way trade unions’ representativeness is assessed in the public sector, in line with regulations already in place in the private sector. Workplace elections will now determine the extent to which trade unions are involved in negotiations, can sign agreements and hold seats on tripartite advisory bodies.

• 11 Feb 2011
  Czech Republic: Public servants strike against government budget cuts

  An all-day strike of public sector employees on 8 December 2010, organised by the Czech-Moravian Confederation of Trade Unions (ČMKOS) in protest at government budget cuts, involved some 148,000 strikers and was supported by many more people. Protest meetings were also held in Prague and other Czech regions. There was widespread support from other trade unions (national and international) and opposition politicians, but the strike did not produce any tangible results.

• 20 Jan 2011
  Poland: Pension reforms proposed for police, prison officers and armed services

  Discussions are taking place in Poland between the government and trade unions about reform of the pension system for those employed in the public uniformed services, including the police force and various branches of the security forces. Reform of these pensions, which currently cost the state about €2 billion a year, is scheduled to come into effect in 2012 and the government wants them brought into line with the pension schemes for other public sector workers.

• 20 Jan 2011
  Romania: Public institutions blocked by protests

  Huge cuts in the wages of thousands of Romanian tax officials and finance workers sparked spontaneous protests on 13 October 2010, which spread to workers in pension, health insurance and employment offices. The National Trade Union Confederation ‘Cartel Alfa’ called for a total strike by public employees and the National Trade Union Bloc expressed solidarity with them, while the Alliance of Employers’ Confederations warned the protests could harm economic stability.