Developments in working life in Europe - Q3 2019

What has taken place during the third quarter of 2019 in the industrial relations and working conditions landscape in European countries? There is no need for readers to look further: you can get up-to-date information as reported by our Network of Eurofound Correspondents who, on a quarterly basis, chart the latest developments in those fields of observation. Which country negotiated the world’s first collective agreement for bicycle couriers (Norway)? What is the solution proposed by the government in Malta to tackle employment shortages in education? Which protective measures for employees have been repealed by the newly elected Greek government?

Be informed at a glance about the following issues and actions: • the major campaign launched in Bulgaria against informal economy • the uncertain future facing the automotive sector in Germany • the debate surrounding the latest minimum wage increase in Poland • developments in France in occupational health and safety. Read these updates and more in the following areas:

Actors and institutions

• Ireland: Women union members in the majority

• Italy: Political crisis leads to new coalition government

• Malta: Mandatory trade union membership under discussion again

• Poland: Trade union pluralism allowed in uniformed services

• Portugal: Political parties ask Constitutional Court to review some Labour Code provisions

• Slovenia: Government to abolish welfare bonus

• United Kingdom: Government launches consultations in response to Taylor review

Collective bargaining

• Austria: World’s first collective agreement for bicycle couriers / Metalworking industry leads autumn collective bargaining

• Belgium: Agreement reached with air traffic controllers

• Cyprus: Hotel industry agreement awaiting approval / Collective agreements for the private sector

• Finland: Sectoral collective bargaining round kicks off

• Greece: Short extension for national collective bargaining agreement

• Hungary: Collective agreement extended in electricity sector

• Ireland: ICTU aims to harmonise collective bargaining laws

• Italy: Metalworker unions present joint platform for agreement renewal

• Lithuania: National collective agreement signed for public sector / Sectoral collective agreement signed in multiple sectors

• Luxembourg: New collective agreement in private security sector

• Norway: Strike leads to collective agreement for bicycle couriers

• Slovakia: Multi-employer collective agreements

Equality

• Ireland: Gender pension gap revealed

• Poland: Changes to labour law introduced on discrimination and the certificate of employment

Individual employment relations

• Croatia: Civil service employment conditions standardised

• Germany: Elderly care commission issues recommendations for care workers

• Greece: New government abolishes measures protecting private sector workers

• Ireland: Increase in allowances for defence forces

• Norway: Social partners debate court case on employment relationship of care workers

• Poland: Changes to labour law introduced

• Portugal: Amendments to Labour Code now applied to new work contracts

• Romania: Rules on activities of non-permanent employees amended

• United Kingdom: New law curbs misuse of non-disclosure agreements

Industrial action

• Belgium: Unrest at telecom provider Proximus

• Bulgaria: Protest rally over wages in the healthcare sector

• Cyprus: Work stoppages in the education sector / Union plans 24-hour strike at Hellenic Bank

• Czechia: Education trade union announces strike alert over pay dispute

• Finland: Postal workers strike over planned pay cuts

• Hungary: Social sector plan strike action / Amendments to Public Education Act sparks union response

• Malta: Airline challenges legality of industrial action

• Romania: Labour protests in transport, energy and water sectors

Labour market and employment

• Czechia: New measures for foreign workers to boost workforce

• Estonia: Employers to have greater responsibility for foreign workers

• Germany: Uncertain future for automotive sector

• Hungary: Labour shortage easing in some sectors

• Ireland: Younger workers struggling in the labour market

• Italy: Economic and social gap between centre-north and south widens

• Malta: Government proposes solution to teacher shortage by recruiting foreign teachers and retired national teachers

• Netherlands: Labour shortage to be addressed by increasing diversity / Construction and healthcare sectors face challenges with work shortages

• Slovakia: Steel industry in crisis / Job subsidies for working parents of young children

• Sweden: Reform of Employment Protection Act

Pay and income

Pay developments

• Croatia: Healthcare sector talks lead to pay rise / Trade unions demand equal pay for public and government employees

• Hungary: Wages and retirement age under debate in healthcare sector

• Ireland: Private sector pay analysed

• Latvia: Pay rises for healthcare workers still under debate

• Slovakia: Teachers to get better pay and working conditions

• Spain: Boost in wages while economy starts to slow

Minimum wages

• Estonia: National minimum wage agreement at risk

• Latvia: Teachers speak openly about flouting of law on minimum wage

• Poland: Government unilaterally sets minimum wage for 2020

Social dialogue

• Belgium: Civil society organisations concerned about decreasing political support

• Bulgaria: New national tripartite agreement after 13 years

• Czechia: Funding agreed for social partner projects in 2020

• Germany: Trade unions take part in climate action day

• Greece: Mixed reactions to new labour market provisions

• Italy: Agreement signed on determining trade union representativeness

• Lithuania: Social partners meet new president

• Luxembourg: Trade unions voice concerns about steel company’s plan

• Norway: Government committee investigates future employment relationships

• Slovenia: Social dialogue perceived as being at risk / Social partners split over government tax revisions

• Spain: Political stalemate puts social dialogue on hold

Social protection and reforms

• Austria: Benefits for workers decided before elections on pensions, care-related leave, older unemployed and tax reform

• Bulgaria: Major campaign launched against the informal economy

• France: Further adjustments to unemployment insurance reform / Labour courts challenge scale of severance pay

• Luxembourg: New law on inclusive employment assistance

• Spain: Government intensifies fight against precarious employment

Pension reforms

• France: Pension reform gathers momentum

• Romania: Changes to public pension laws

Working environment/Working conditions

• Estonia: Health and safety guidelines for telework

• France: Developments in occupational health and safety

• Norway: Implications of platform work for working conditions

• Sweden: Threats and violence in the workplace on the rise

Working time

• Portugal: New rights for carers: paternity leave for fathers