• About EIRO
• Annual reports
• Comparative information
• EU level developments
• Representativeness studies
• Survey Reports
• Browse by:
  • Country
  • Date
  • Sector
  • Subject
• Industrial relations links

August 2006

• 31 Aug 2006
  Portugal: Bipartite agreement on vocational training signed

  In February 2006, the Portuguese union and employer confederations concluded a bipartite agreement on vocational and educational training (VET). The agreement seeks to improve the implementation of Labour Code measures that resulted from the tripartite social pact set up in February 2001. It also aims to include VET as a priority in collective bargaining; to strengthen the social partners’ position in all relevant bodies concerning VET; and to create new tools to support and monitor VET.

• 28 Aug 2006
  United Kingdom: Government launches consultation on extra holiday entitlement

  In June 2006, the UK government launched consultations on making paid time off for bank and public holidays additional to employees’ current four-week annual holiday entitlement, thus increasing the entitlement of total annual paid leave to 5.6 weeks.

• 28 Aug 2006
  Slovenia: Membership of Chamber of Commerce and Industry to be voluntary

  In May 2006, the Slovenian parliament adopted the new Law on Chambers of Commerce and Industry (LCCI). According to the new LCCI, membership of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia will no longer be compulsory but will become voluntary for companies.

• 28 Aug 2006
  Slovenia: Controversy over Sunday opening hours

  The Retail Workers’ Trade Union of Slovenia, which has sought Sunday opening restrictions for shops since 2002, has failed yet again in its efforts. Some retail companies requested the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Slovenia to re-examine the constitutionality of the amended Article 17 of the Law on Retail Trade that restricted the Sunday opening hours of shops. The court further postponed the date on which these amendments were to come into force. Therefore, shops selling essential goods may open again on Sundays without limitations.

• 28 Aug 2006
  Slovenia: Law on collective agreements adopted

  After 12 years of preparation and negotiation among the social partners, the Slovenian parliament finally adopted the Law on Collective Agreements (LCA) on 4 March 2006. The LCA introduces free and voluntary collective bargaining.

• 28 Aug 2006
  Norway: New Commission for gender equality to tackle wage gap

  In June 2006, the Norwegian government set up a commission to investigate measures aimed at narrowing the wage gap between men and women. The Gender Equality Commission comprises experts from research institutes and universities, and will submit its recommendations to the government by 1 March 2008.

• 28 Aug 2006
  Norway: New collective agreement for temporary agency workers

  From 1 July 2006, all building and construction workers employed by the temporary work agency Adecco are covered by the collective agreement for the building industry in Norway. The agreement is the first of its kind for temporary agency workers, and it emerged as a result of increasing trade union membership among the company’s Polish workers.

• 28 Aug 2006
  Latvia: Government endeavours to stamp out illegal work

  The Latvian government has begun an active campaign against illegal and unregistered employment. The Ministry of Welfare has set up a working group to prepare an information report on illegal employment and possible measures for its curtailment. The social partners support the government’s efforts in this regard but believe it will be difficult to implement many of the proposed measures.

• 28 Aug 2006
  Latvia: Employers demand changes to labour laws

  Employers in Latvia have been debating possible changes to labour legislation that would impact on employment conditions, such as dismissal from work, responsibility for concluding work contracts, work safety issues and opportunities for introducing new forms of work. The Employers’ Confederation of Latvia considers it essential to create a model of industrial relations that is both highly flexible and ensures work security and employee rights.

• 28 Aug 2006
  Greece: New code for civil servants approved

  In March 2006, the government approved the new Civil Servants’ Code in Greece. The outcome of negotiations and consultations between the Minister of the Interior and the Confederation of Public Servants, the code will bring about important changes to employment conditions in public administration.

• 21 Aug 2006
  Latvia: Labour shortages due to emigration of Latvian workers

  The high rate of emigration among workers is impacting on the local labour market and society. The reported number of emigrants from Latvia is about 50,000 people, but the real figure is likely to be higher. Employers claim that the resulting shortage of labour supply hampers their businesses as well as the development of the national economy. They have requested the government to prepare legislation enabling the employment of guest workers and encouraging Latvian citizens to return.

• 21 Aug 2006
  Latvia: Labour relations difficult in R & D sector

  The research and development (R&D) sector in Latvia is unique in terms of labour relations. The sector encompasses different types of organisations, including higher education institutions, and state and private research organisations. The labour law regulates labour relations in all of these areas. However, these organisations are also subject to specific legislation regulating R&D activities, such as requirements for longer holidays and leave for creative work, as well as in terms of financing. Conflicting legislation exists in certain aspects, which makes labour relations in the R&D sector difficult and sometimes even illegal.

• 21 Aug 2006
  Greece: New collective agreement at Hellenic Railways

  In May 2006, the new enterprise-level collective agreement for Hellenic Railways Organisation staff was signed. The agreement will regulate pay and non-pay issues as well as workers’ social rights. Overall, the social partners gave a positive assessment of the agreement.

• 21 Aug 2006
  France: Observatory calls for integrated approach to combat poverty

  In April 2006, the National Observatory of Poverty and Social Exclusion published its fourth annual report. It reveals that, following a decline in recent years, economic poverty is once again on the increase. Trade unions have welcomed the government’s commitment to combating social exclusion by including funding in the 2007 budgetary plan.

• 21 Aug 2006
  Spain: New Statute to regulate employment conditions of public sector workers

  In late May 2006, the Spanish Ministry of Public Administration and two of Spain’s main trade unions, the General Union of Workers and the Trade Union Confederation of Workers’ Commissions, finally reached agreement on the new Civil Service Statute. The statute introduces for the first time a unified approach to regulating the employment conditions of public sector employees in Spain. It will be submitted to parliament as a bill, following approval of the Council of Ministers and debates in the autonomous communities.

• 21 Aug 2006
  Italy: National agreement renewed in the chemicals sector

  In May 2006, the employer organisations Federchimica and Farmindustria, affiliated to Confindustria, and Italy’s main trade unions representing the chemicals and pharmaceuticals sector – Filcem-Cgil, Femca-Cisl and Uilcem-Uil – renewed the national collective agreement for the sector. Key aspects of the agreement pertain to overtime work, fixed-term contracts and pay increases. The most innovative aspects of the new agreement are its temporary provision for company-level agreements that derogate from the national collective agreement and the ‘pact on training’. Following the agreement’s signature, some trade union leaders criticised the provision allowing derogation at company level.

• 21 Aug 2006
  Spain: Social partners agree on new labour market reform

  After a year of negotiations, the social partners have reached agreement on a reform of the Spanish labour market. The agreement will be approved in the form of new legislation which will come into force in July 2006. However, some provisions of the agreement, such as reducing the costs relating to dismissals, have been rejected by two trade union confederations which were not party to the negotiations.

• 21 Aug 2006
  Bulgaria: Low participation in vocational education and training

  Towards the end of 2005, the Bulgarian Economic and Social Council (ESC) conducted a survey on education and training. Based on its findings, the council issued an official statement on the problems concerning vocational training in Bulgaria. The ESC’s main conclusion is that, despite the partial positive results of such training, the attitude of the state, employers and workers towards vocational training does not support the necessary development of an overall national system. Such a system would aim to fulfil the criteria set out in the Lisbon strategy.

• 21 Aug 2006
  Bulgaria: National protest rally against low wages and poverty

  On 30 May 2006, some 15,000 members of the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions in Bulgaria took part in a national protest rally in Sofia against low incomes and the growing level of poverty among Bulgarian people.

• 14 Aug 2006
  United Kingdom: Employer survey finds staff absence at record low

  In May 2006, the Confederation of British Industry released findings from its latest annual survey of employee absence. The results showed the lowest level of absence since the series began in 1987. The survey also recorded a higher incidence of absence in the public sector, which is supported by other research.

• 14 Aug 2006
  Luxembourg: Social partner agreement opens the way for telework

  The agreement on the legal framework for telework was concluded between the social partners in February 2006. It represents the first set of regulations on telework in Luxembourg, in addition to being the first agreement by the national social partners in the area of interprofessional social dialogue.

• 14 Aug 2006
  Italy: Renewal of collective agreement for employees of professionals

  In May 2006, the national collective agreement for employees of Italian professionals was revised and renewed. The new agreement combines three previous agreements in relation to pay increases, decentralised collective bargaining and flexible forms of employment.

• 14 Aug 2006
  France: Report presents proposals for modernising social dialogue

  A report presented to the French prime minister at the end of April outlines possible ways of modernising social dialogue. After consulting with the social actors, the Economic and Social Council will consider the recommendations in detail.

• 14 Aug 2006
  Spain: Unstable employment situation of young people

  Protests by French workers and students have fuelled criticisms by trade unions and experts in Spain, who claim that the employment situation of young Spanish workers is no better than that proposed by the French ‘first job contract’.

• 14 Aug 2006
  Germany: Proposed health insurance reform sparks debate

  The Federal Government recently agreed guidelines on health care reform. Included in the package is the announcement by the coalition partners that social security contributions would rise by 0.5 percentage points for both employers and employees in 2007. If this proposal becomes law, non-wage labour costs will increase and net wages will decrease.

• 14 Aug 2006
  Bulgaria: New law on informing workers in transnational companies

  The Bulgarian government in conjunction with the social partners has drafted and presented to the parliament a bill on the information and consultation of employees in transnational undertakings, groups of undertakings and companies. The draft bill sets out the industrial relations system in transnational companies, by providing for the establishment of European Works Councils or other information and consultation procedures for employees. It also determines employees’ participation in the activities of a European company.

• 14 Aug 2006
  Bulgaria: Healthcare unions protest over pay cuts

  On 29 March 2006, medical professionals in hospitals began protest action organised by the Confederation of Labour Podkrepa. They protested against the severe cut in staff incomes ranging from 10% to 50% in several hospitals during the first two months of this year. The reductions are mainly due to the new financing system for state-owned and municipal hospitals.

• 04 Aug 2006
  Spain: Opposition to draft bill on gender equality

  The Spanish Confederation of Employers’ Organisations (CEOE) is opposed to the draft bill on gender equality, which proposes to make it compulsory to introduce equality plans in collective bargaining and to establish parity on boards of directors of companies. It put forward an amendment to the bill which has resulted in the Ministry of Labour modifying the parity requirement.

• 04 Aug 2006
  Finland: Strikes in pulp and paper sector over proposed job cuts

  In May 2006, the Finnish Paper Workers’ Union held a two-day strike in response to proposed job cuts in the pulp and paper sector. The two-day protest by factory workers was followed by a further strike by office workers in the sector, organised by the Union of Salaried Employees. Both unions have stated that they are taking a tougher line on redundancies than in the past. The decision to call for strike action came as a surprise to the Finnish Forest Industries Federation, which denounced it as an illegal strike.

• 04 Aug 2006
  Spain: Renewed efforts to tackle high industrial accident rate

  The rate of industrial accidents in Spain is currently very high and is on the increase. Trade unions claim that the high accident rate is due to high levels of subcontracting in the sectors concerned. In a further effort to address the problem, the government has created a Public Prosecutor’s Office for industrial accidents, which will focus on occupational risk prevention and ensure compliance with legislation on health and safety at work.

• 04 Aug 2006
  Estonia: Boycott action compels shipping company to increase wages

  Estonian shipping company, Tallink, was forced to increase wages following boycott action by the Finnish Seamen’s Union in Hanko Port. As a result of the boycott, the salaries of workers on three of Tallink’s ships have risen to about 60% of the Finnish wage level, up from an original level of about EEK 8,300 (€530) gross per month. Meanwhile, discussions have started on a new wage agreement which would cover the entire workforce of Tallink.

• 04 Aug 2006
  France: SNCF elections lead to shift in union allegiances

  In March 2006, rail employees at French National Railways (SNCF) elected works council representatives as well as employee representatives. Although the results have not affected inter-union hierarchies to the same extent as the previous elections in March 2004, they have brought about some changes including a fall in support for the General Confederation of Labour – the company’s largest union.

• 04 Aug 2006
  Finland: Social partners mainly welcome EU services directive

  The new services directive of the European Union opens up the possibility for increased foreign competition among service providers in the Finnish market. So far, the response of Finnish social partner organisations to the directive has been largely positive. Trade union confederations have taken a favourable stance towards the directive, but the Confederation of Finnish Industries has criticised the narrow scope of the directive.

• 04 Aug 2006
  Spain: Volkswagen threatens to transfer production to Slovakia

  The management of the Volkswagen plant in Pamplona is threatening to transfer production of the Polo model to its Bratislava plant, as happened previously with the SEAT Ibiza model. Currently, the collective agreement is at a standstill, with the company using the threat of relocation to weaken the position of the works council.