Austria. Election after election: the avoidable rise of the far right in the union movement
Kevin GUILLAS-CAVAN
In September, the extreme right-wing party Freiheitliche Partei Österreichs (FPÖ) could get into the Chancellery. The recent Chambers of Labour elections have therefore been regarded as a test. The far right is now on an equal footing with the Christian democrats in the Chambers. While it is struggling to gain traction within the unions, union membership is no longer any guarantee against voting for the far right. Its return to power may threaten the very existence of the Chambers of Labour, the epicentre of union influence.
Keywords: Austria, trade unions, far right, Chamber of Labour, election.
Germany. Contested reforms of hospital funding
Kalle KUNKEL
From the mid-2000s on, the adoption of a new funding model for hospitals has put considerable economic pressure on care workers, against a backdrop of the erosion of the sector-wide collective bargaining agreement. In reaction to this, the services union, ver.di, seeks to impose workplace level agreements setting staff-to-patient ratios in order to lessen the workload of care workers. The decentralisation of collective bargaining and a new bill for fundamental reform of hospital funding, expected to be passed in the autumn of 2024, are currently causing a resurgence of disputes in the sector.
Keywords: Germany, hospital, reform, funding, collective bargaining, disputes.
Ireland. The new deal 2024-2026 in the public sector: a lacklustre union victory
Noélie DELAHAIE
In early 2024 in the Republic of Ireland, a new deal for 2024-2026 was struck for the public sector. While the unions did secure the long-demanded repeal of emergency legislation passed during the 2008 crisis, the victory is somewhat lacklustre. Indeed, the pay increases obtained only offset the loss of purchasing power suffered by civil servants since 2021, while the other provisions do not constitute genuine progress.
Keywords: Ireland, collective bargaining, public sector, pay, civil servant.
United States. Outcry in the South: the UAW's new management look to reap the rewards of its 2023 contractual victory
Catherine SAUVIAT
Following its victory in the renewal of the collective bargaining agreement for the Big Three auto manufacturers, the UAW resolved to embark upon a vast campaign of unionisation at foreign manufacturers established in the southern United States, an area practically devoid of trade unionism. This offensive has so far brought a victory at Volkswagen followed by a defeat at Mercedes-Benz. The issue of the unionisation of the South is of vital importance to the auto industry union. Nevertheless, the current investigation led by the independent federal monitor appointed following the proven corruption of some of its most senior executives may have damaging consequences for the union and its new president, Shawn Fain.
Keywords: United States, UAS, NLRB, unionisation campaign, Big Three, foreign car manufacturers, American South.