Labour news from Europe
Albania
2,400 children in school thanks to unions 2008-06-11 [ITUC] Munitions workers protest 2008-04-21 [UPI]
BWI solidarity visit to Albanian construction workers union 2007-09-18 [BWI]
Andorra
ETUC Executive Committee supports its affiliate in Andorra 2008-03-06 [ETUC]
Armenia
Home, but not Alone: More “guest workers” remain in Armenia due to hard times in Russia 2009-07-01 [Armenia Now] Layoffs Carry Protest Potential 2009-02-07 [TOL]
Crisis abroad, no work at home 2008-12-26 [RFE]
Austria
Post says it will outsource letter delivery 2009-05-29 [UNI] Minimum Wage For Postal Workers And Postal Fund 2009-04-22 [Hell Mail]
Steel maker Voestalpine raises part-time worker numbers to 5,900 2009-04-19 [Wiener Zeitung]
Azerbaijan
Trade Union Confederation investigates forced mass leave of workers due to global economic crisis 2009-01-11 [APA] Azerbaijani workers receive an insignificant part of the oil pie as compared to foreigners 2008-10-15 [Today Az]
OGWU Win Union Rights, Pay Gains for Caspian Shipyard Workers 2008-06-30 [ICEM]
Belarus
Pro-government trade union federation hits back at critics 2009-05-24 [Naviny] Independent Trade Unions call on EU not to shut eyes on violation of workers’ rights in Belarus 2009-05-10 [Charter 97]
Belarusian Trade Union Preparing Nationwide Protests 2009-03-16 [RFE]
Belgium
Bridgestone Tyre Strike Erupts 2009-06-29 [ICEM] Steel workers strike in sympathy with Liege football fan 2009-06-25 [Expatica]
Dockers’ action in Belgium leads to reprieve on five-point plan 2009-06-12 [ITF]
Bosnia
Bulgaria
Striking shipyard workers get half salary 2009-07-03 [Novinite] Thousands joined Confederation of Independent Trade Unions in Bulgaria economic recession protest 2009-06-19 [Sofia Echo]
Thousands join protests to demand higher wages 2009-06-17 [UPI]
Croatia
Government and public-sector unions initial salaries agreement, strike ends 2009-05-14 [BSANNA] Unions Call Off National Strike 2009-05-14 [Balkan Insight]
Unions call off stirke after pay deal 2009-05-14 [World Bulletin]
Cyprus
Teachers’ union to boycott exams over university admissions 2009-05-01 [The Mail] Thousands expected for bicommunal May Day rally 2009-04-29 [Cyprus Mail]
Strike at Phileleftheros over lay offs 2009-04-08 [The Mail]
Czech
Denmark
Marcus Courtney and Bo Larsen, UNI Telecom, present at OECD Conference 2009-06-19 [UNI] Nordic-In Elects Jens Bundvad as General Secretary 2009-06-15 [ICEM]
Danish govt paying compensation to women who develop breast cancer following years of working night-shifts 2009-03-20 [BBC]
Estonia
Thousands of workers strike in Estonia 2009-06-17 [The Baltic Course] Trade unions plans protest actions over Labour Contract Act 2009-05-21 [The Baltic Course]
Trade unions: we are ready for protest actions 2009-05-19 [bbn]
Faroe
Finland
SAK pioneers union work for the rights of sexual minorities and trans people 2009-07-01 [Trade Union News from Finland] Unemployment in May Breaks 10-Percent Mark 2009-06-23 [YLE News]
Union informs foreign berry pickers in seven languages 2009-06-18 [Trade Union News from Finland]
France
Work pesticide use causes Parkinson's 2009-07-01 [Hazards magazine] British Strikers to take protest to Paris 2009-06-25 [Press Association]
Telecom's global report card 2009-06-19 [UNI]
Georgia
Protest Rally of United Trade Union Is Being Held outside of Checkpoint of Russian Occupation Armies 2008-08-21 [The Georgian Times] ITF on war zones: Question mark remains over Georgia decision 2008-08-19 [ITF]
ITF appeals for contributions for Georgia/South Ossetia conflict victims 2008-08-17 [ITF]
Germany
Unemployment drops slightly 2009-07-01 [The Local] IGBCE, IF Metall Combine to Demand Sustainable Industrial Policy 2009-06-29 [ICEM]
ICEM, Rhodia Take Health, Safety Agenda to Shop Floor 2009-06-29 [ICEM]
Gibraltar
Union Demands Recognition 2009-05-01 [The Chronicle] Gvt challenges unions to court case over Morrocan workers rights claim 2009-04-04 [Gibraltar Chronicle]
Trade Unions pledge their support to the Gibraltar Services Police Staff Association. 2009-01-26 [gibfocus]
Greece
Air traffic controllers' strike halts flights 2009-06-25 [Forbes] utility PPC to hire 4,600 workers, union demanding more 2009-06-16 [Reuters]
Power workers set summer strikes over jobs 2009-06-09 [Reuters]
Hungary
Servicemen's union up in arms 2009-06-15 [The Times] Malev airline pilots hold warning strike 2009-06-10 [MTI]
Most of Hungary’s trade unions ignored a call for a general strike 2009-05-11 [Budapest Times]
Iceland
Labor Unions in Iceland Criticize Fishing Company 2009-03-17 [Icelandic Review] Openly gay former flight attendant and union organiser becomes PM 2009-01-29 [Associated Press]
Public Meeting Attendees Propose General Strike 2008-12-10 [Icelandic Review]
Ireland
LRC calls electricity row talks 2009-07-04 [Irish Times] Jobless total may rise over half a million this year 2009-07-02 [Irish Times]
IMPACT will campaign to protect jobs, pay and conditions in face of attacks 2009-07-02 [Irish Times]
Italy
Trade unions at Fiat Group pursue global action 2009-06-30 [International Metalworkers Federation] Trade unions at Fiat Group pursue global action 2009-06-26 [International Metalworkers Federation]
FEMCA-CISL Holds 3rd National Congress 2009-06-15 [ICEM]
Latvia
Teachers salaries to be cut 20 percent 2009-04-20 [The Baltic Times] Thousands of teachers in protest wage cuts 2009-04-03 [PR Inside]
PM hopes that possible rallies by trade unions will be avoided 2009-03-29 [The Baltic Course]
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Fears over impact of economic crisis on women transport workers 2009-03-13 [ITF] Lithuanian trade unions organise mass rally, 16 January 2009-01-16 [PSI]
protest campaign 2009-01-15 [www.lpsk.lt]
Luxembourg
Angry steelworkers storm ArcelorMittal meeting 2009-05-13 [Associated Press] Angry Steelworkers Mount Violent Protest At ArcelorMittal AGM 2009-05-13 [EasyBourse]
Rubber bullets fly as ArcelorMittal steel workers storm AGM 2009-05-13 [AFP]
Macedonia
Journalists Union To Stage Sunday Protest 2009-05-02 [Balkan Insight] Mavrovo workers to go on strike 2009-04-06 [Makfax]
Trade Union of Employees in Education in Macedonia opposes ethnic division in Struga school 2009-02-10 [Focus News Agency]
Malta
Unemployment on the rise 2009-07-02 [The Times] Zero to negative GDP growth likely 2009-07-02 [The Times]
Govt entity consolidates workers' exploitation 2009-07-01 [http://www.gwu.org.mt/]
Moldova
Global crisis affecting Moldovan migrant workers 2008-12-09 [RFE] Review of teacher salaries urgently needed 2008-09-11 [EI]
Moldovan drivers win pay agreement in Lithuania 2008-08-21 [ITF]
Monaco
Workers go on strike 2009-04-17 [Euronews] Workers take to Monaco streets in rare protest 2009-04-17 [Reuters, via Ynet News]
General strike over job cuts 2009-04-16 [AP]
Netherlands
Dutch workers, bosses reject plan to halt special unemployment fund 2009-06-23 [Deutsche Presse Agentur] 'Without a doubt, I'll sign them all up!' 2009-05-22 [Union Renewal]
Victory for Amsterdam Airport cleaners 2009-04-08 [Union Renewal]
Norway
TUC opens election campaign: mobilising 900,000 members to re-elect Red-Green Coalition Govt 2009-06-29 [Norway Post] Summer Patrol protects young workers in Norway 2009-06-26 [PSI]
Strike By 200 Offshore Norway Workers Averted - Union 2009-06-25 [Dow Jones]
Poland
Sacked Polish steelworker scales chimney in protest 2009-07-01 [AFP] Remember June 1976 workers' protests 2009-07-01 [The News]
Uzbek Workers Walk Our in Gliwice 2009-06-23 [Pracownik.net]
Portugal
Strike threatens flights this Saturday 2008-12-16 [Holiday Lettings] Strike causes a stink in Lisbon 2008-12-12 [The News]
Four more days strike to support SNTCT's justified demands with CTT Correios 2008-12-04 [UNI]
Romania
Ten month abandonment nearing close 2009-06-26 [ITF] Rail workers and cattle breeders strike today 2009-06-10 [Hot News]
Justice ancillary personnel go on all-out strike 2009-05-27 [Fianciarul]
Russia
Ford plant near St. Petersburg halts production for six days 2009-07-03 [RIA-Novosti] GAZ to cut 5,800 jobs as Opel deal looms 2009-07-03 [Reuters]
General Motors halts production at Russian plant due to low demand 2009-07-01 [MosNews]
San Marino
Serbia
Labour leader warns of 'total chaos' as strikes loom 2009-06-15 [The Earth Times] Striking workers’ health deteriorating 2009-05-09 [B92]
Agreement Ends Macabre Serbia Strike 2009-05-02 [Balkan Insight]
Slovakia
Social Democrats warn that Rightists want to undermine worker rights/ trade union rights 2009-05-11 [TASR] Army of jobless swells 2009-03-02 [Slovak Spectator]
Unions meet PM to talk minimum wages 2009-02-07 [TASR]
Slovenia
Vzajemna's Trade Union Denies Claims of Irregularities at Insurer 2009-07-01 [STA] Mura Workers against Receivership 2009-07-01 [STA]
Hospitality Trade Union Demands Pay Rise and Bonus 2009-06-09 [STA]
Spain
Sixteenth Congress of the CGT/LE 2009-07-03 [InfoShop News] Safety culture improvements in Spain 2009-06-30 [SafetyAtWorkBlog]
Madrid protest rally confirmed by UGT and CC.OO 2009-06-24 [Justice for Iranian Workers]
Sweden
Liberals call for low wage apprenticeships 2009-06-30 [The Local] Gloomy prospects on the Swedish labour market 2009-06-28 [Stockholm News]
Union to picket petrol station over porn 2009-06-26 [The Local]
Switzerland
Economic Crisis prompts fall in foreign labour 2009-07-02 [Swiss.info] Financial Crisis Effects Key Focus of ICEM Executive 2009-06-29 [ICEM]
ILO’s Jobs Pact; a Solid Proposal for Exiting the Financial Crisis 2009-06-29 [ICEM]
Turkey
Gov’t aims to pass union law reform in October 2009-07-04 [Today's Zaman] Metalworker unions increase pressure on Sinter Metal ActNOW! 2009-07-03 [IMF]
Public Workers Protest Government Proposal on Wages 2009-07-03 [Bianet]
Ukraine
Construction workers organize new local union at Kiev stadium (NSK “OLYMPIYSKI”) 2009-06-22 [BWI] Death toll of Donetsk mine blast reaches 12, one miner missing 2009-06-14 [Kyiv Post]
Death toll in gas explosion at Ukraine's coalmine rises to six 2009-06-10 [MosNews]
UK
Union's Tesco challenge defeated 2009-07-04 [BBC] Unite prepares to mount campaign to save 900 Diageo jobs 2009-07-04 [Unite the Union]
Unite welcomes Lord Mandelson's pledge of support 2009-07-04 [Unite the Union]