Belgium - National day of action
ACV-CSC, the largest trade union, has planned demonstrations and strikes in protest against the wage increase being offered in the private sector, which workers are calling ‘unacceptable’. Employers want to grant a maximum increase of 0.4% for the private sector for 2021-2022. The ACV-CSC is calling for wages to be increased on the basis of collective bargaining whenever the situation allows for it, especially when it comes to those earning the lowest wages.
Finland - Employers withdraw from collective bargaining
Technology Industries of Finland, one of the country’s largest employer organisations, has announced that it intends to partially withdraw from collective bargaining by dividing future activities between two separate associations. The association announced that the responsibility for national collective agreements will be transferred to a new employers’ association called Teknologiateollisuuden työnantajat (Technology Industry Employers).
Germany - Collective agreement in metal and electrical industry
According to the new collective agreement between trade union IG Metall and employers’ association Metall NRW for the metal and electrical industry in Nordrhein-Westfalen, employees will receive a one-off €500 corona premium in June. In July, wages will increase by 2.3%, but the accumulated pay rise will only be paid out in February 2020 as a so-called “Transformation Money” or “T-Money” which amounts to 18.4% of a monthly salary. In 2023, the T-Money will amount to 27.6% of the monthly salary. For the next three years all jobs will be guaranteed.
Italy - Employment contract for Just Eat riders
Online food delivery company Just Eat said it would hire some 4,000 riders in order to comply with a decision by a prosecutor aimed at improving conditions for workers of the gig economy. The company agreement was signed between the representatives of Just Eat Takeway.com Express Italy Srl, and the representatives of the trade unions FILT CGIL, FIT-CISL, Uiltrasporti and the representatives of atypical workers NIDIL, Felsa, Uiltemp. The negotiations saw the participation of some rider associations belonging to the Rider X i Diritti network, who called for a strike of delivery riders on March 26.
Netherlands - Collective agreement for Participation Act employees
A collective agreement was reached for the employees who fall under the Participation Act. This collective agreement will apply to people with disabilities who work in sheltered workplaces and employees who are seconded to a guaranteed job with an employer. There will be one wage structure with three job levels. These run from the minimum wage to 118% of the minimum wage in the highest scale. The working time is 37 hours.
Spain - Collective agreement for retailer
The trade unions CCOO, Fagsa, Fetico and UGT concluded an agreement with Anged, the association of large retailers which partially renews the sector’s collective agreement. The agreement will last for two years and concerns the El Corte Inglés department stores, as well as Carrefour Leroy Merlin, Fnac, Alcampo, Conforama, Ikea, Apple, and Makro, applying to some 230,000 employees in the sector. It covers arrangements for remote working, which were recently defined under law, as well as the right to disconnect and the creation of a salary register to ensure equal pay, and even provides a framework for e-commerce work on Sundays.
Find out more in the March issue