24 January 2006
The civil servants’ main trade union (PCS) revealed to the press a confidential report from the Ministry for Work and Pensions on the possibility of relocating to India its call-center activities, which employ thousands of people. According to the trade union,...
23 January 2006
The branch of metallurgy and electronics, which employs some 3,4 million people in Germany, should be affected by an important wage conflict soon. Taking up the recommendations made by its regional tariff commissions, the direction of IG-Metall announced, Friday January 20, its claims for the wage...
23 January 2006
The renewal of the collective agreement for metalworkers dominated the social scene last week. After the blockade of the country, which led to the reopening of negotiations, the conflict ended with the conclusion of an agreement between government and the two sides of industry, in the early morning of January 19. Of course, the press followed the marathon of negotiations, stage by stage, and commented on the situation. (Ref. 0651)
23 January 2006
The conference on joint management, which took place in Bitburg, has quite interested the press this week. It fed discussions that are currently agitating the country, involving this method of workers’ participation. (Ref. 0648)
19 January 2006
Metalworkers organized a blockade of the country’s air and rail traffic routes on Janurary 17th. The three trade unions had organized this day of industrial action. (Ref 0642).
19 January 2006
The Commission for equality of opportunities is celebrating this year the 30th birthday of the law on discrimination against women at work. Despite the readjustment that took place, things have evolved very slowly. (Ref 0641)
16 January 2006
For the second consecutive week, the social news in German newspapers was dominated by a controversy over the terms of a measure (Kombilohn) meant to develop low-qualified jobs. (Ref 0634)
16 January 2006
The Annual TUC- Discrimination Law Conference will be held on Friday 20th 2006. Leading lawyers review legal developments over the past year and likely trends in the coming year. This conference enables participants to identify cases which can be won as a result of recent European and domestic legal decisions on discrimination.
16 January 2006
According to the TUC trade union, near 5 million British employees work 7 overtime hours per week, the equivalent of a day, without being paid. The TUC takes these numbers from a governmental report. In 2005, these 36 millions unpaid overtime hours amounted to a 23 billion Pounds (34 billion Euros) loss of income for employees. (Ref 0633)
13 January 2006
Starting January 19th, a Polish company will be affected by a union-lead blockade because it refuses to sign the sector’s Swedish collective agreement. A repetition of what happened to a Latvian company in Waxholm, and that lead to a lawsuit currently pending at the CJEC. This jurisdiction will have to deal with yet an other case of social dumping, involving the Finnish union of seamen.
12 January 2006
In December 2005, trade unions and employers in the Italian telecommunications sector signed a draft collective agreement for the 2005-8 period.