International Relations

UNI Europa Newsletter - Financial Sector in Europe

2019 promises to build on our successes from 2018, despite the challenges trade unions face.
 The push for sectoral collective bargaining will continue to take the centre stage in our work, especially in the run up to the European elections.  A key example of this is the success in Romania where 25,000 bank workers are now covered by a sectoral collective bargaining agreement for the first time. 

Oliver Roethig
Regional Secretary
 

UNI Europa welcomes historic collective bargaining agreement in Romania’s financial sector   25,000 bank workers are now covered by a sectoral collective bargaining agreement, which is the first of its kind in Romania’s financial sector.  UNI affiliate, FSAB, has proven that trade unions are stronger when they work together and support each other, even in countries where workers’ rights are weaker.   READ MORE

100 years of the International Labour Organisation   Groundbreaking report shows the need for a new social contract that is fit for the 21st century. The ILO’s Global Commission on the Future of Work has launched a report that explores and offers solutions to the world of work in the 21st century. The report draws on the values of the social contract formed as a response to the social and political upheavals after World War One. It also ties in with the paper written by UNI Europa Regional Secretary Oliver Roethig, 'Employment Relationship 4.0: Back to the Future, or Forward to the Past?', for the book 'Rethinking Labour: Ethical Reflections on the Future of Work', produced by the Holy See as part of the centenary activities of the ILO.   READ MORE

UNI Europa Updates         Final project conference on the challenges of digitalisation in the services industry takes places in Warsaw UNI Europa held its final conference for the project “The challenges of digitalisation in the services industry: a new area for information, consultation, participation rights of workers and transnational negotiations” (VS/2016/0298). The project aimed to enhance the understanding of the transformation processes in the services industry brought about by digitalisation in order to define strategies to address them through EWCs, building trade union alliances, collective bargaining and social dialogue. You can read the infographic summary on the project here. UNI Europa calls on MEPs to improve the coordination of social security systems for European workers UNI Europa stands side by side with the ETUC in the struggle to improve the coordination of social security systems for European workers. We called on MEPs to vote in favour of the EMPL Committee report on the coordination of social security systems. UNI Europa calls on MEPs to reject the “Innovation Principle” on Horizon Europe Regulation UNI Europa called on MEPs voting on the Horizon Europe regulation to reject the “innovation principle” because of the grave adverse effects it could have on social, employment, health and environmental policies in EU decision-making.   read more news here

Key News from the Sectors         New Good Work, Good Health II Guidelines unveiled to combat psychosocial hazards in work As part of the EU funded project ‘Ensuring the mental wellbeing of ICT employees in the new world of work – revising the Good Work, Good Health Guidelines’ (VS/2017/0366) UNI Europa and its social partner ETNO, are investigating the impact of digitalisation and how it creates new challenges for the health and safety of ICT employees. You can read the GWGH II Guides in 10 languages here.  UNI MEI welcomes the vote of the European Parliament on Copyright in the Digital Single Market The European Parliament has adopted the report on Copyright in the Digital Single Market. UNI MEI would like to thank all Members of the European Parliament who have supported the fair and balanced compromise amendments on Chapter III on the fair remuneration of authors and performers. Advancing Personal and Household Services Project kicks-off UNICARE has launched the European project ‘Advancing Personal and Household Services’ (VS/2018/0344). The project partners aim to bring together existing research on Personal Household Services (PHS), organise conferences, establish tailored guides and ultimately develop a platform involving multiple stakeholders such as unions, employers, ministries, and civil society organisations.    more sectoral news

Trade Union Success Stories         UNI Finance to set up youth network as successful Youth Academy project comes to an end The joint UNI Finance / ILO ACTRAV project to train young trade unionists in Europe’s finance sector has come to an end. Young trade activists from across Europe’s finance sector took part in the final training session on communication skills and strategies to organise and boost trade union membership, visibility and impact.   READ MORE