EIROnlineThe European Industrial Relations Observatory (EIRO) is a monitoring instrument offering news and analysis on European industrial relations. Its aim is to collect, analyse and disseminate high-quality and up-to-date information on key developments in industrial relations in Europe. It aims primarily to serve the needs of national and European level organisations of the social partners, governmental organisations and EU institutions.Government officials take industrial action over pay- February 26, 2007 In January 2007, government officials took action to campaign for a better collective agreement than that being offered by the Minister of Internal Affairs. The issue mainly revolves around pay, which according to employees of national administration bodies and their trade unions lags behind the salaries of their colleagues in municipal bodies and of the police force. So far, however, the Minister of Internal Affairs is standing firm despite industrial action disrupting the countrys public...http://www.eiro.eurofound.eu.int/2007/01/articles/nl0701069i.html Support from employers not adequate for partially disabled employees- February 26, 2007 Partially disabled employees are not receiving the agreed level of support from employers when seeking a job, a report published by the Labour Foundation has found. Employee representatives responded angrily to the fact that promises made by employers in this respect in 2004 have not been honoured and in light of the fact that many partially disabled people face unemployment. However, employer organisations have asserted that while employers agreed to make every effort to this end, the results..http://www.eiro.eurofound.eu.int/2007/02/articles/nl0702019i.html Deadlock in negotiations on dismissal legislation- February 19, 2007 Employer and employee representatives in the Social and Economic Council (SER) have failed to reach agreement on changes to legislation on dismissal. Although the council promised a cabinet recommendation by the end of 2006, it concluded in December that agreement could not be reached among the parties. For the time being, this means that an SER recommendation will not be forthcoming supporting a reform of dismissal legislation linked to higher unemployment benefits and the reinforcement of...http://www.eiro.eurofound.eu.int/2007/01/articles/nl0701039i.html Trade unions reject proposal to downgrade older workers- February 19, 2007 At the end of 2006, the three umbrella employer organisations indicated that they would like to abolish the system whereby older employees automatically earn more than their younger counterparts. In response, the three main trade union organisations expressed dissatisfaction with this proposal. While they do not object to demotion on a voluntary basis, the trade unions are not in favour of such a measure being part of structural wage policy.http://www.eiro.eurofound.eu.int/2007/01/articles/nl0701049i.html Collective agreement reached at container company following wildcat strike- February 19, 2007 At the start of 2006, the Allied Unions (FNV Bondgenoten) reached a collective agreement in principle at Europe Container Terminals (ECT), a container operator based at the Port of Rotterdam. However, the trade union members did not favour the proposed level of flexibility and rejected the agreement. A wildcat strike followed immediately in response to a revised agreement. The court deemed the strike unlawful and instructed the union to consult its membership properly. In December 2006,...http://www.eiro.eurofound.eu.int/2007/01/articles/nl0701059i.html Lack of agreement on proposals to minimise gender pay gap- February 19, 2007 At the end of January 2007, a conference took place to discuss the draft recommendations of a committee established to devise policy recommendations on how to reduce the wage gap between men and women. The committee, in which the employers and trade unions are strongly represented, was originally established by the Minister of Social Affairs at the start of 2006. However, the committee has failed to reach overall agreement on its draft recommendations. For example, a recommendation to increase..http://www.eiro.eurofound.eu.int/2007/02/articles/nl0702029i.html |