What has taken place during the 4th quarter of 2018 in the industrial relations and working conditions landscape in European countries? Look no further – get up-to-date information as reported by our Network of Eurofound Correspondents who, on a quarterly basis keep us abreast of the latest developments in those fields of observation. What industrial actions took place in Cyprus, France and Portugal? What collective agreements have been signed in Estonia? What was the outcome of the conflict over the dismissal law in Finland? How is Croatia tackling labour evasion? Be informed at a glance about the following issues: – Minimum wages in six Member States – Latest reforms on working time issues – Efforts made by three Member States to reduce inequalities – Survey results on pay and workplace trends in Ireland – The mixed reactions on Brexit. Read these updates and more in the following areas:
Actors and institutions
- Austria: Union offers membership to crowd workers
- Belgium: Collapse of federal government
- Finland: Trade union mergers in the salaried employees and railway sectors
- France: Changes in the industrial relations landscape: CFDT became the leading trade union across sectors
- Italy: Government holds talks with social partners on economic and social policies
- Latvia: New parliament, new parties, new government
- Malta: Debate about mandatory union membership
- Poland: trade unions events: NSZZ IXI national convention
- Slovakia: New national trade union established: the Joint Trade Unions of Slovakia (SOS)
- Sweden: Saltsjöbaden Agreement turns 80
Collective bargaining
- Austria: Metalworking collective agreement reached after token strikes
- Bulgaria: New collective agreements in construction and health
- Estonia: New collective agreement in healthcare; Talks in transport sector yield mixed results
- Germany: New wage agreement concluded in German railways sector
- Italy: First multi-employer agreement for large retail outlets
- Luxembourg: Collective agreement signed in construction sector
- Latvia: Attempts to improve sector-level collective bargaining stall
- Malta: First collective agreement for police officers
Industrial action
- Belgium: Unions plan industrial action against the government; Unrest at Bpost leads to strikes
- Bulgaria: Miners and power engineers protest to protect their workplaces
- Croatia: Threat of strikes in the public sector
- Cyprus: OSEOK withdrawal leads to dispute in construction industry. Dock workers strike over non-renewal of collective agreement and Hotel employees protest against outsourcing bill
- France: Rise in petrol prices triggers gilets jaunes protest movement
- Greece: General strikes in the private and public sectors
- Hungary: Tensions in the public sector fuelled by layoffs and new government law
- Ireland: Pay disputes in the public sector
- Latvia: Crisis situation in emergency healthcare
- Lithuania: Protest campaigns by cultural workers, forensic medical staff and teachers
- Luxembourg: New government agenda on industrial action
- Norway: State intervenes to halt labour dispute in health sector
- Poland: Industrial tensions rise at LOT Polish Airlines
- Portugal: Public sector workers strike over wages and career progress; Dockworkers reach agreement after prolonged strike
- Romania: Draft law on social dialogue triggers disputes among social partners
- Slovenia: General strike over higher wages for all
Individual employment relations
- Czech Republic: Senate rejects abolition of unpaid sick leave period
- Denmark: Rise in use of temporary agency workers
- Finland: Conflict over dismissal law ended by compromise with unions
- Norway: Supreme Court overrules pilots and cabin crew on definition of employer
Labour market – Employment
- Croatia: Examples of successful incentives to retain workers
- Czech Republic: Government launches Digital Czechia
- Germany: German labour market weakness – just a temporary slip?
- Latvia: Labour shortages and the quality of labour deter foreign investment
- Lithuania: Employment quotas for foreign workers under consideration
- Netherlands: Balancing the Dutch labour market
- Spain: Emergency action plan to tackle youth unemployment
- Sweden: Older workers stay in work longer
Pay and income
Statutory minimum wages:
- Croatia: Increase in the minimum wage
- Greece: Application of new mechanism for determining minimum wage
- Hungary: Trade unions split over wage negotiations on minimum wage levels in 2019
- Romania: Minimum wage rises – but remains below the living wage
- Slovenia: Minimum wage increase set without dialogue with social partners
- Spain: Minimum wage increase approved for 2019
Public sector - pay increases:
- Lithuania: Basic level of pay for state officials formally agreed
- Poland: Paramedics receive wage boost
- Slovakia: Higher salaries for public sector employees
- Slovenia: €300 million wage increase in public sector
- Spain: Significant wage hike for public sector employees
Social dialogue
- Bulgaria: Social partners unite to promote health and safety in the light industry sector
- Czech Republic: Survey explores views on the main actors in social dialogue
- Finland: Future of social dialogue in Finland
Social protection and reforms
- Austria: Proposal to amend minimum income scheme draws strong criticism
- France: Court defines contracts for digital platform workers
- Greece: Social security subsidy for younger employees
- Ireland: New employment legislation limits zero-hour contracts
- Italy: New agreement signed for temporary agency workers
Pensions:
- Croatia: Six pension reform bills accepted by parliament
- Estonia: Pension reforms leads to more flexible system
- Poland: Employee capital plans offer new pension opportunities
Working time and work-life balance
- Estonia: Parental leave and benefit reforms approved
- Hungary: Overtime law elicits negative response from employees
- Portugal: New programme for the reconciliation of working, private and family life
Equality
- France: Innovative tool to reduce pay inequalities
- Netherlands: New efforts to support workers with disabilities
- Sweden: Narrowing of wage gaps
Brexit
- United Kingdom: Brexit talks provoke mixed reactions