Category: Campaign For Trade Union Freedom News
FBU Calls On Employers To Refuse To Implement ‘Authoritarian’ Strike Ban
The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) has called on all fire service employers to refuse to implement the government’s new minimum service levels, condemning the legislation as a “draconian attempt to ban strikes”.
In a letter sent to all fire service employers in England, the FBU has warned that implementing work notices will “irreparably damage” industrial relations and threaten public safety.
New regulations issued as part of the Minimum Service Levels (Strikes) Act will give fire service employers power to issue ‘work notices’ during period of strike action. ‘Minimum service’ in the fire and rescue sector has been set at 73% of fire engines crewed, while control rooms will be expected to operate as if no strike was happening.
Firefighters, control staff and other fire service employees could face dismissal for remaining on strike during a period of industrial action once a work notice has been issued.
The regulations are expected to be approved by parliament soon. They will apply only in England.
The governments of Scotland and Wales have already said that they will not issue work notices and/or that they have no intention of introducing their own regulations to make the legislation operative.
Fire service employers are different depending on the region, and include fire authorities; police, fire and crime commissioners (PFCCs); mayors; and devolved administrations.
Matt Wrack, Fire Brigades Union general secretary, said: “The government’s minimum service levels amount to a draconian attempt to ban firefighters and control staff from taking strike action.
“This is an attack on the fundamental democratic rights of fire service employees.
“Each fire service employer will have the power to decide whether to threaten their workforce with the sack during a period of strike action.
“The FBU calls on all employers to make it clear that they will refuse to issue work notices, rendering the new laws inoperable in their local fire and rescue service.
“They should agree not to dismiss or take any disciplinary action against any employee for taking part in strike action.”
ETUC & CCSCS Unions Demand Enforceable Labour Rights Clauses In New EU & Mercosur Deal
The European TUC and unions in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay & Uruguay have called for the EU – Mercoosur trade deal to contain enforceable commitments to International Labour Organisation rights – with penalties for violations.
In a letter to the European Commission Esther Lynch, ETUC General Secretary and Quintino Marques Severo, CCSCS President say the ETUC and the Coordinadora de Centrales Sindicales del Cono Sur (CCSCS) they do not support the EU-Mercosur customs union agreement as it currently stands because it fails to provide guarantees for workers’ rights and their jobs.
The ETUC and CCSCS say before reconsideration of the agreement resumes later this year crucial aspects of the agreement need to be addressed if workers are to support a deal.
- Firstly, for transparency and democratic legitimacy, trade unions, represented by the ETUC and CCSCS and the Labour Forum they have set up, must be consulted in these negotiations and have access to the texts that will profoundly affect their members.
- Secondly, a voluntary and non-binding approach towards labour rights in trade agreements does not protect workers from violations of labour and trade union rights, nor does it guarantee a balanced representation of social partners and civil society organisations in the monitoring mechanisms of the agreement. This non-binding approach has demonstrably failed and is also counterproductive for an agreement. ETUC and CCSCS have asked for binding labour clauses in the deal including sanctions, taking into consideration ILO recommendations, and the role of trade unions in monitoring and enforcement. The unions says they will continue to press for a trade and sustainable development chapter that prioritises jobs and workers’ rights as well as the preservation of the environment, and is binding on all the parts of the Association Agreement.
Unions have suggested the integration and expansion of the Labour Forum to tripartite participation of States, Employers and Unions and called for the same financial support that would be put at the disposal of SMEs to meet environmental requirements, to be put towards social partners’ capacity building and compliance with labour laws and ILO conventions.
Unions say they are following with growing concern the policies and measures that are taking place in EU-Mercosur talks, tending to drastically deregulate the State, subjugate acquired labour, trade union and social rights such as freedom of expression and the right to free protest, that are underpinned by very well-established jurisprudence, including at international level.
They say these measures seriously threaten the legitimacy and solidity of democracy in the region. Trade union organisations, that clearly expressed their disagreement in the past with similar measures, reiterate their solidarity with the affected sectors and demand unrestricted respect for democracy and fundamental rights.
A binding sustainable development chapter with sanctions would be a credible and effective tool to limit the ability of any party to the agreement undermine democracy and fundamental right as there would be consequences.
- Thirdly, unions say they support the exclusion of public procurement from the agreement and would advocate for ring fencing public services and the parties’ right to regulate in the public interest and the right to develop. Moreover, we believe the agreement must have a positive impact on employment in industries – particularly in clean industries – with good working conditions and union agreements.
The Labour Forum, created by the ETUC and the CCSCS should be tasked with monitoring the social, employment and sector dimension of the agreement. A new generation trade and sustainable development chapter should seek to ensure an equitable distribution of the positive effects of increased trade between our regions, and should also foresee support measures to cushion the negative impact on certain sectors. - Finally, the agreement needs to be coherent in all of its parts, with political cooperation on a par with the commercial arrangements and adopted simultaneously. As trade unions, we oppose the splitting of the agreement and the exclusive adoption of its commercial part, leaving behind the aspects relating to political cooperation. It should also support and allow parties the policy and economic space to pursue a green re-industrialisation of both regions based on a just transition with full participation of trade unions, workers and decent jobs at the core of the process.
The ETUC and CCSCS say they encourage the negotiators to reconsider these aspects, which in our views have been neglected, and demand a deeper discussion.
EU Agrees Platform Work Directive – But Uber Says Status Quo Remains Unchanged
Workers employed by companies such as Uber and Deliveroo working via digital platforms are set to obtain minimum wages, sick pay and other employment protections following the adoption of the Platform Work Directive by EU member states. However after much wrangling with employers and inside EU Uber one of the leading platform companies says the staus quo stays in place.
The European TUC has said that unions were successful in including the presumption of employment with the reversal of the burden of proof.
Instead of individual workers going through lengthy court processes to prove they are a worker, it will now be up to the platform companies to prove they are not employees. The directive also recognises the role of unions in all aspects of the platform economy, including on issues such as algorithm management.
Despite calls for weakening these provisions, they were left untouched by numerous attacks confirming the strong need for the collective bargaining in the platform economy.
The number of people working through digital platforms is set to grow to 43 million people by the end of the year, according to the European Council.
Commenting on the vote, Ludovic Voet, Confederal Secretary of the ETUC, said: “The decision means that millions of people working through digital platforms will no longer be cheated out of the minimum wages, sick pay, holiday pay and social security. It is not a moment too soon: the number of people working through platforms has risen by 34 per cent in the 800 days since the Commission launched this legislation. Joining forces at European level was crucial to secure this legislation, which is the first of its kind globally. The strong commitment of workers’ allies in the European Parliament and Council got this over the line.
“Member States have persevered and have seen through the platform corporations’ smokescreen. Today they have sided with workers. We salute the Spanish and Belgian Presidencies of the Council for their determination to see this legislation through. Now is the time for national governments to prepare for rapid implementation.”
However, Uber says the status quo remains unchanged despite the EU countries’ endorsement of the political deal.
“EU Countries have voted to maintain the status quo, with platform worker status continuing to be decided country-to-country and court-to-court,” an Uber spokesperson said.
“Uber now calls on EU countries to introduce national laws that give platform workers the protections they deserve while maintaining the independence they prefer,” they added.
The European Parliament will now vote on the agreement next month before it can become law.
Comment by the International Trades Union Confederation – click here.