Strike threat brings Swedish hotels

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The Swedish Hotel and Restaurant Workers’ Union HRF signed a new 3-year national agreement for the sector on April 18 which meets their key bargaining demands less than 12 hours before a national strike was scheduled to begin. HRF received strong national and international support in the run-up to the strike deadline. Members of the national center LO pledged active support to the hotel workers, including stopping deliveries and other concrete solidarity actions in the event of a strike. IUF members around the world wrote to the employers’ organization VISITA condemning its hostile bargaining stance and violations of trade union rights and expressing support for the union.

The new agreement provides for, among other measures: a SEK 1,650 (ca. EUR 172) monthly increase for full-time workers over a 3-year period; a 6.5% increase for overtime; a significant increase for the lowest-paid which meets or exceeds the increases for low-wage workers established in other sectoral agreements, one of the key negotiating demands; and the establishing of a joint working group with the employers to review housekeepers’ workloads. ...  Preberi več

Swedish hotel workers prepare for national strike

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The IUF-affiliated hotel and restaurant workers’ union Hotell- och Restaurangfacket (HRF) has given notice for a national strike targeting 19 hotels in 6 cities across the country beginning April 19, 2017. The strikes involve all hotel staff and a ban on new hiring and the use of temporary workers.

HRF called the strike following the employers’ refusal to increase the wages of the lowest-paid workers in line with the increases won for other sectors in this year’s national sectoral negotiations. The employers have also refused demands for increased job security.

The employers’ organization Visita has instructed its members to distribute questionnaires regarding union membership to all employees in the hotels that have been selected for strike action.
The Secretariat is therefore requesting affiliates in the HRCT sector to send messages in support of the union’s demands to the employers’ association VISITA. Please find attached a sample letter in English and a translation. Kindly inform the secretariat at iuf@iuf.org of any message you might send, and please copy as well to the HRF at au@hrf.net...  Preberi več

EFFAT Newsletter ožujak 2017

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Niste sami! EFFAT pokazao solidarnost s kolegicama i kolegama u Sjedinjenim Američkim Državama pred Trumpovim planom ukidanja socijalne zaštite i radničkih prava

Prilikom posljednjeg sastanka EFFAT-ovog upravnog odbora, EFFAT je odlučio poslati snažnu poruku solidarnosti svim našim američkim kolegicama i kolegama koji stoje u prvim redovima protiv Trumpovog krajnje desničarskog populizma. EFFAT stoji uz bok sa cijelom američkom radnom klasom, bez obzira na njihovu rasu, spol, seksualnu orijentaciju ili migrantski status. ...  Preberi več

ILO Guidelines on Decent Work and Socially Responsible Tourism

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Tourism is widely cited as a growth driver for developing countries, a source of job creation and a pathway to the labour market for young workers. What is always unsaid is that too often workers in the industry are denied the basic human rights to freedom of association and collective bargaining.

The Guidelines on Decent Work and Socially Responsible Tourism adopted during the Meeting of Experts organized by the ILO from 20th to 24th February, provide support to all “ILO constituents and other stakeholders engaged in the design and implementation of interventions on the promotion of decent work and full and productive employment in the tourism sector with a view to enhancing its sustainability” at international, national, regional, local and enterprise level. They are directed at governments, policy-makers, employers’ organizations and trade unions. ...  Preberi več

Nordic Hotel and Restaurant Unions demand

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The Nordic Union-HRCT (NU HRCT) and its member unions are committed to fighting for #FairHousekeeping for all hotel housekeepers in the Nordic countries. The Swedish Hotel and Restaurant Union and 3F Private Service Hotels and Restauration in Denmark are putting special emphasis on improved working conditions for housekeepers in the negotiations for new collective agreements with their employer associations which are now under way.

3F PSHR is demanding specific health and safety research into housekeepers’ working conditions in Denmark.

In Sweden HRF is demanding stricter rules on consultation with union representatives on the organization of housekeeping work, insisting that all changes be negotiated with shop stewards or local unions. ...  Preberi več

European Trade Union movement kicks off EU pay rise campaign

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Corporate Europe has recovered from the crisis but while the top 1% reap almost all the economic gains, workers haven’t seen a pay rise in years.

To turn the tide, the European trade union movement has launched the campaign ‘It’s time for OUR Recovery – Europe needs a pay rise’.

Rather than costing jobs, wage rises across Europe would increase confidence and economic demand while creating more jobs. A pay rise for European workers is a matter of social justice. Today, wealth and wage inequality is on the rise and workers’ rights such as collective bargaining – the best way to get a pay rise – should be encouraged and promoted by all – not come under attack as in recent years. ...  Preberi več

Workers’ cross border solidarity blocks Starbucks’ strikebreaking attempt

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As after three negotiating rounds in the German fast food sector the employers had not come up with any substantial offer, NGG, the German Food, Beverages and Hospitality Trade Union, had started strike actions. Starbucks reaction was to recruit workers in Poland to “volunteer” to “support” Starbucks Coffee Shops in Germany to ensure full service to clients in the event of strikes, preconditions were basic German language skills, EU passport and flexibility.

NGG sharply criticized these attempts to break the strikes in  Germany. Following the actions of Polish trade unions and workers in front of Starbucks outlets in Warsaw and Poznan, the company AmRest, which operates Starbucks in Central Europe and in Germany, gave up attempts to recruit strike breakers amongst their Polish workers. ...  Preberi več

EFFAT snapshot #1, National news

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France: France introduces card system to tackle posted worker fraud France has begun issuing professional cards to construction workers in a scheme that will become compulsory this year. The objective is to combat illegal employment and the fraudulent posting of workers in Europe.

UK: Bike courier wins ‘gig’ economy employment rights case
A bicycle courier has won an employment rights case in a ruling which could have implications for the “gig economy”.

Austria: Workers in the sweets industry can now choose between salary increase and more free time
According to the new collective agreement in the Austrian sweets industry, workers can now decide to choose between more free time and/or a salary increase. For the first time a leisure option could be concluded for this sector in the agreement. ...  Preberi več