Labour news from Europe
Albania
Police go on “white strike” at crossings with Kosovo 2011-12-20 [Albeu] Albanian Chrome in trouble 2011-08-24 [SET Times]
Miners Abandon Underground Hunger Strike, Warn of New Strike 2011-08-22 [Balkans.com]
Andorra
ETUC Executive Committee supports its affiliate in Andorra 2008-03-06 [ETUC]
Armenia
Let Them Also Build a Mausoleum for Themselves’: 2011-11-08 [Epress] NKR President meets reps of Trade Union Federation 2011-01-28 [News.arm]
NKR President praises role of trade unions in democratic countries 2011-01-28 [PanArmenian]
Austria
Postal union calls for strike action 2011-10-27 [Post and Parcel] Surprise Strike Brings Austrian Metalworkers Sizeable Wage Gains 2011-10-24 [ICEM]
Wage Shame Drives Metalworkers into Warning Strikes 2011-10-18 [ICEM]
Azerbaijan
IFJ Calls for Swift Action to Bring to Book Killers of Prominent Journalist in Azerbaijan 2011-11-28 [IFJ] Azerbaijan begins updating of general collective agreement 2011-09-29 [ABC.AZ]
Ilham Aliyev receives Russian trade union leader 2011-04-27 [News.Az]
Belarus
Granit company worker goes on hunger strike 2012-01-27 [Charter97] Worker exodus from official trade unions 2012-01-14 [Charter 97]
Official Wants Quarry Director's Resignation Amid Worker Protests 2012-01-08 [RFE/Radio Liberty]
Belgium
Rail unions call for strike on Feb 15 2012-02-04 [LSE] Workers hold general strike to protest austerity measures on day of EU summit 2012-01-30 [The Post]
Strike to protest austerity measures 2012-01-30 [CTV]
Bosnia
Bulgaria
Bitter rail dispute ends 2012-02-02 [ITF] Week-Long Coal Strike Ends in Bulgaria 2012-01-23 [ICEM]
Coal miners call off strike 2012-01-22 [Reuters]
Croatia
Jobless Women Say 'Hope is Very Low' 2011-12-20 [Women's e-News] Strike in Luka Koper Fight for Pride, Dnevnik Notes 2011-08-04 [STA]
Hotel Marina closed in the middle of summer season 2011-08-03 [Dalje]
Cyprus
Striking soft drinks’ employees go back to work 2012-02-04 [The Mail] Workers Plan to Extend Strike at Soft Drinks Plant 2012-02-03 [Business Week]
Coke workers strike over CoLA 2012-02-03 [The Mail]
Czech
Denmark
Collective bargaining under pressure as union membership plummets 2011-11-11 [Nordic Labour Journal] Denmark's largest union calls on IKEA to change course 2011-06-23 [BWI]
IT workers at war for the Danish wage 2011-06-22 [The Post]
Estonia
Trade Unions Threaten Strike Over Collective Agreements Reform 2012-02-01 [ERR News] Teachers May Strike on Wages in February 2012-01-17 [Bloomberg]
Teachers' Union Members Back February Strike 2012-01-17 [ERR News]
Faroe
Finland
Finnish High Court: agency work not only temporary 2012-01-31 [International Metalworkers Federation] Workers on Finnish construction sites from Estonia are defrauded, victims of traffickers 2012-01-26 [YLE]
High Court's decision improves the status of agency labour 2012-01-25 [Trade Union News from Finland]
France
Providing union support for Filipino domestic workers in Paris - Spotlight interview with Zita Cabais-Obra (France – CFDT) 2012-02-04 [ITUC] Airline workers to strike for four days 2012-02-04 [The Journal]
Air tranport strike looms 2012-02-04 [The Examiner]
Georgia
Report of Human Rights Watch 2012-02-02 [GTUC] Labour Union Imperialism 2012-02-02 [GTUC]
No to Slavery 2012-02-02 [GTUC]
Germany
Unions call for policy change on economic crisis 2012-02-01 [Education International] ILO blames Germany’s low-wages policy as contributing to the Euro debt crisis 2012-02-01 [MercoPress]
Nokia Siemens to cut 2,900 jobs in Germany & 1,200 in Finland 2012-02-01 [The Economic Times]
Gibraltar
La Linea workers in warning 2011-12-01 [Gibraltar Chronicle] Unpaid workers continue border chaos 2011-09-30 [The Chronicle]
Protesting workers close border 2011-09-28 [The Chronicle]
Greece
PM set for new leader talks as wages dominate agenda 2012-02-01 [eKathimerini] Unions, employers reject wage cuts 2012-01-26 [eKathimerini]
Unions, Employers Discuss Wage Cuts 2012-01-25 [Associated Press]
Hungary
ETUC condemns nationalistic turn being taken by Hungary 2012-01-11 [ETUC] State TV sacks journos striking against govt. meddling 2011-12-28 [The New Age]
State TV employees continue hunger strike, say management restricting news coverage 2011-12-17 [AP]
Iceland
Symphony Orchestra to go on strike? 2011-10-31 [Ice News] Women Frontrunners among New Electrical Workers 2011-09-29 [Iceland Review]
re-school teachers’ strike averted, schools open as usual 2011-08-22 [IceNews]
Ireland
Use fingerprint machine or lose wages, staff told 2012-02-04 [Irish Independent] EBS staff win €1,250 bonus but Ulster Bank cuts redundancy offer 2012-02-04 [Irish Independent]
SIPTU refers HSE account issues to gardaí 2012-02-04 [RTÉ]
Italy
Domestic workers strike in the Netherlands/new agreement in Italy 2012-02-04 [IUF] Govt to pass labour reforms even without unions 2012-02-03 [The Tribune]
ITF brokers financial aid for crew of ill-fated luxury cruise ship Costa Concordia 2012-01-30 [PNA]
Latvia
airBaltic planning to lay off almost half of its employees 2011-09-18 [The Baltic Course] Audit finds Lativian Migrant Workers Cheated of their Wages in Sweden 2011-03-02 [BWI]
Latvian EPSU affiliate LVSASA receives Silver Rose Award 2011 2011-01-28 [PSI]
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Carlsberg's attacks on trade union rights supported by Lithuanian court decision to declare beer an 'essential service' ! 2012-01-14 [IUF] Strike at Polish schools 2011-09-02 [Polskie Radio]
UAB members at Carlsberg on strike /company retaliates and threatens use of strike-breakers 2011-07-26 [IUF]
Luxembourg
Thousands of European workers protest austerity plans 2011-06-22 [Star] Doctors' strike ends early 2010-11-25 [Lux Mag]
CARGOLUX pilots hit back at airline for unfair work ethics 2010-11-24 [The Station]
Macedonia
Flight Controllers Threaten to close Mak Sky 2011-09-02 [MINA] Journalists protest attacks on critical press 2011-07-05 [EurActiv]
Civil Engineering Union SGIP Holds Conference on the Implementation of ILO Convention 94 in Macedonia 2011-04-20 [BWI]
Malta
Emergency nurses presents concerns to minister 2012-02-03 [The Malta Independent] Unions in Malta say Europe must not become synonymous with sanctions 2012-01-19 [di-ve]
Most working women feel discriminated against 2012-01-16 [The Times]
Moldova
Sugar workers demand their wages - and their union leaders’ freedom 2011-02-17 [IUF] Free - but for how long? House arrest ends but Glodeni union leaders still facing legal charges 2010-12-22 [IUF]
Glodeni sugar workers, Moldova - Arrested for trying to get their unpaid wages 2010-12-14 [IUF]
Monaco
Hotel Metropole runs low on service as staff walk 2011-01-01 [The Times] Workers go on strike 2009-04-17 [Euronews]
Workers take to Monaco streets in rare protest 2009-04-17 [Reuters, via Ynet News]
Netherlands
The Netherlands needs migrant workers, say employers 2012-02-04 [Dutch News] Cleaners’ campaign stirs debate in financial district ActNOW! 2012-02-03 [News from Amsterdam]
Dutch cleaners on strike ActNOW! 2012-02-02 [UNI Global Union]
Norway
Norwegian call centre workers peed off with toilet alarm that triggers after eight minutes 2012-02-01 [Mirror] Call centre workers limited to EIGHT minutes toilet time per day... and risk triggering alarm if they go one second over 2012-02-01 [The Mail]
Unions in Norway mobilize against temporary agency directive 2012-01-27 [International Metalworkers Federation]
Poland
Call for solidarity with Polish trade unionist sacked for a second time 2012-01-26 [ITF] Roche workers protest contract hiring in Poland 2012-01-24 [FierePharma]
Miners of Polish Solidarność Oppose Minerals Tax on KGHM Copper 2012-01-23 [ICEM]
Portugal
Workers fear for jobs 2012-02-03 [Yahoo News] Transport strike paralyses Lisbon underground, ferry traffic 2012-02-03 [Monsters and Critics]
Transportation workers on strike 2012-02-03 [Voice of Russia]
Romania
Electrolux workers on strike in Romania 2012-02-04 [International Metalworkers Federation] Real Romania workers win right to spend New Year’s Day with families 2011-12-21 [UNI Global Union]
IMF-Inspired Labour Laws Delivering Hardship for Workers 2011-10-13 [ITUC]
Russia
Lacklustre worker rally fails to ignite Putin base 2012-01-30 [FT] Thousands back Putin in 'Russian workers' protest 2012-01-29 [AFP]
Working-class rally shows support for Putin 2012-01-29 [Deutsche Welle]
San Marino
Serbia
Power plant trade union continues strike 2012-01-23 [B92] Power plant workers continue strike 2012-01-22 [B92]
Power plant workers on strike refuse to talk to minister 2012-01-21 [B92]
Slovakia
Doctors keep strike alert in place, demand Uhliarik's dismissal 2011-12-17 [The Spectator] Doctors declare strike alert after government okays legislative changes 2011-12-12 [The Spectator]
Docs in Hungary stay solid with Slovak strikers 2011-12-08 [Budapest Times]
Slovenia
Biggest trade union in Slovenia ZSSS joins ETUC unions' demonstration in Wroclaw 2011-09-18 [STA] Strike of Crane Operators at Koper Port Ends 2011-08-06 [STA]
Crane operators strike over health and safety 2011-08-04 [ITF]
Spain
Cabin crew and ground staff call off dispute 2012-02-02 [ITF] Iberia Pilots Announce 5 More Days of Strike 2012-02-01 [Prensa Latina]
Strike over at Iberia after deal with cabin crews 2012-01-30 [New Europe]
Sweden
Union leader Stefan Löfven set to take over as head of the Social Democrats 2012-01-31 [The Local] Stefan Löfven, de IF Metall, se convierte en dirigente de partido en Suecia 2012-01-30 [IMF]
Metal president to become party leader in Sweden 2012-01-27 [IMF]
Switzerland
UNIA Jobs Saved at Novartis Pharmaceuticals in Switzerland 2012-01-23 [ICEM] Geneva police take strike action 2012-01-10 [WRS]
Global Forum on Migration and Development - Civil Society Days 2011-11-30 [PSI]
Turkey
Firms not keen on hiring expats 2012-02-04 [Hurriyet] TÜİK workers demand job security, better pay 2012-02-04 [Hurriyet]
Turkish government's renewed failure to adapt new trade union legislation respecting international standards 2012-02-03 [IUF]
Ukraine
Labor movement in Ukraine Calls for ITUC Assistance in Protection of Rights of Workers of Ukrainian Ferro-Alloy Companies 2011-12-27 [Ukraine Regional Labor Movement ] Chernobyl Clean-up Workers' Hunger Strike Enters Third Day 2011-12-03 [Demotix]
Spotlight on Alexander Dimitrevich (Ukrainian Marine Trade Union Federation) 2011-10-13 [ITUC]
UK
Northern Ireland Ulster Bank staff reject redundancy offer 2012-02-04 [BBC] UNISON vows to keep fighting for equality 2012-02-04 [UNISON]
Bonuses snatched by Network Rail bosses are ‘as unacceptable as those paid to bankers like Stephen Hester’ 2012-02-04 [ASLEF]