Download EPSU Work in Local and Regional Government

EPSU Work in Local and Regional
Government
I. Economic Crisis in Europe
Economic Crisis – Background
Governments poured in billions as saving measures (banks,
social security…)
Lax regulation; Corporate greed; Privatisation of Public
services removes stability from the economy; Inequalities
have risen
Public services are used to balance the books - many years
of austerity to be expected
Impact on nurses, teachers, firefighters, refuse collectors,
child care workers, prison officers, police, tax inspectors,
customs officers, administrators, and cultural workers
Women in public services – likely increase of gender pay
gap as a further result of outsourcing, undoing recent
progress
The wrong target – how governments are making public
sector workers pay for the crisis
EPSU report 2010
 Report examines Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Latvia,
Lithuania, Romania, Spain
 Repeated cuts – often the first round of cuts insufficient and
pay is reduced again and again;
 Elimination or reduction of bonuses and additional payments
 Attempts to protect the lower paid – cuts more for the higher
paid, although the lower paid also lose pay;
 The cuts linked to attempts to reform the pay system;
 The cuts are normally imposed rather than agreed with the
unions
 Centrally decided pay cuts
 Attacks on TU union rights – Romanian Trade unions – ILO,
EP, CoE
Economic Crisis – What to do?
Address inequalities, macro-economic imbalances, greed
and strengthen the public services
Financial Transaction Tax at EU level; Wealthy; Tax
Justice
System of Eurobonds (see ETUC)
EU investment programme (1% of GDP) in infrastructure,
low carbon economy
Respect autonomy of the social partners and increase
coverage by collective agreements
Address precarious work and low pay
Work with other groups – coalition building
Analyse National Reform programmes
EPSU Economic Policy and public sector networks
Next Steps
Coordinated European trade union mobilization against
austerity policies –
Challenge EU policy focus on budget consolidation through
cuts in public spending
Promote discussion on fairer taxation systems
Pressure EU institutions to use ‘positive’ Treaty provisions
on ‘Social Europe’ - public services, fundamental rights,
sustainable development
Council of Global Unions Conference: A Global Agenda for
Quality Public Services, Geneva , 23 June 2011
ETUC Congress, Athens, 16 – 19 May 2011
European Action Day, 21 June 2011
ETUC 29 September 2010
http://www.epsu.org/a/6878
EPSU 15 December 2010
http://www.epsu.org/a/7128
ETUC 9 April 2011
http://www.epsu.org/a/7535
EPSU 18 April 2011
http://www.epsu.org/a/7552
ETUC 21 June 2011
http://www.epsu.org/a/7648
II. The EPSU Agenda
Executive Committee
Recent topics on agenda included:
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Austerity policies
Financial Transaction Tax
Working time directive
ETUC Congress
PSI Congress, Durban, South Africa, 27 – 30 November 2012,
Constitutional review, future Programme of Action
Local and Regional Government:
In the standing Committee – impact of economic crisis, care
services for older people (with HSS), public procurement
and PPPs, climate change, lobbying (with NEA)
In the social dialogue with CEMR: joint statement with the
on the economic crisis stressing the need for ‘socially just
taxation’, ‘social procurement (EC ‘Buying Social’ Guide),
life long learning and skills
Firefighters network: together with ETUI brochure on health
and safety issues
Survey on cultural sector (with NEA)
Conference local government 2012
National and European Administration
 Cuts in state sector
 EPSU tax justice charter for fair and progressive taxation as part of the
alternatives to the cuts - campaign on FTT
 Migration policy, public services and migrant workers rights: EPSU survey,
2010
 Prison services network
 Survey on labour inspectors, also in light of the cuts in public services
 EU Social Dialogue Committee in central government administration
• responding to Commission’s initiatives affecting central administrations;
• improving image of civil service and attractivity;
• responding to the austerity measures
• commitment to improve social dialogue incl. collective bargaining at
national level
 Conference National administration 2013
Women’s and Gender Equality Committee
 Meets once a year, next meeting on 3-4 May + ad hoc meetings e.g.
training session with the ETUI on improving women’s pay 17& 18 Nov
2011
 EPSU/SKTF report on women’s representation in EPSU and affiliates,
2010 (membership and leadership positions)
 Gender equality mainstreaming
 Equal pay survey: regular updates
 Sectoral social dialogue: gender equality in running work programmes
of NEA, LRG (guidelines on equality plans)
 Impact of austerity measures on women and gender equality : survey in
4 countries + debate on 3 May
 EPSU representation on ETUC Women’s Committee
EPSU Collective Bargaining Network
Regular newsletter and collective bargaining reports;
More contacts for the epsucob@ network – monitoring
collective bargaining developments – all countries - collect
reliable data on public sector pay – responding to European
Commission and International Monetary Fund – contact
details to: [email protected]
epsucob@NEWS http://www.epsu.org/r/121 - improve flow
of news from Central and Eastern European trade unions
Equal pay survey (http://www.epsu.org/r/580) examples of
EPSU affiliates closing gender pay gap. Responses –
update information - two Congress resolutions to
implement. Survey is available in 17 languages
WISUTIL pay in energy, waste, water. Individual workers to
complete online questionnaires – details
http://www.epsu.org/a/6868 18 languages
EPSU Public Services Network
 Established after EPSU Congress 2009
 2 members per Constituency +
 ‘Experts’ by theme – more nominations welcome!
 Place to discuss ‘horizontal’ public services
issues in order to:
• Influence EU legislation and policy (internal
and external dimension)
• Coordinate/maximise EPSU ‘quality public
services’ (QPS) strategies and campaigns
• Link with PSI/global unions QPS campaign
 In 2011 focus on public procurement (Green
Paper) and launch of ‘public services monitor’ –
short stories welcome!
Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary in LRG,
NEA, Youth
Name
Structure
Union
Country
PISAROVA Terezie
Youth
CMKOS
Czech Republic
PAZDEROVA Ludmila
SALATA Libor
Youth
Youth
SOZZASS
ECHOZ
Slovakia
Slovakia
VONDROVÁ Alena
LRG
STATORG
Czech Republic
SZABÓ Eta
LRG
Hungary
ÁDÁM Róbert
LRG
HVDSZ 2000
VKDSZ
KRIŠTOFIČOVÁ Mária
LRG
SOZKASO
Slovakia
PETROVIČ Daniel
LRG
FFSR
Slovakia
VONDROVÁ Alena
NEA
STATORG
Czech Republic
NEA
KKDSZ
Hungary
CSER Ágnes
NEA
EDDSZ
Hungary
JAVORKOVÁ Zuzana
NEA
FFSR
Slovakia
NEA
SOZKaSO
Slovakia
Hungary
FOLDIÁK András
ŠKULAVÍK Peter
For more information see:
www.epsu.org