European Trade Union Institute Bd du Roi Albert II, 5 1210 Brussels Belgium Tel.: +32 (0)2 224 04 70 Fax: +32 (0)2 224 05 02 [email protected] www.etui.org ..................................................................................................................................... Better defending and promoting trade union rights in the public sector Part II Country reports — Edited by Wiebke Warneck and Stefan Clauwaert with Marina Monaco, Victorita Militaru and Isabelle Schömann ..................................................................................................................................... Report 108 D-2009-10.574-05 € 20 ISBN 978-2-87452-140-9 ................. 9 782874 521409 Better defending and promoting trade union rights in the public sector Part II Country reports Edited by Wiebke Warneck and Stefan Clauwaert with Marina Monaco Victorita Militaru Isabelle Schömann European Federation of Public Service Unions (EPSU) European Trade Union Institute (ETUI) Brussels, 2009 Brussels, 2009 © Publisher: ETUI aisbl, Brussels All rights reserved Print: ETUI Printshop, Brussels D/2009/10.574/05 ISBN: 978-2-87452-140-9 (print version) ISBN: 978-2-87452-141-6 (pdf) The ETUI is financially supported by the European Community. The European Community is not responsible for any use made of the information contained in this publication. Table of contents Introduction ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 5 Austria ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 11 Belgium ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 15 Bulgaria ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 21 Croatia ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 29 Cyprus ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 37 Czech Republic ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 43 Denmark ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 51 Estonia ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 55 Finland .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 59 France ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 63 Germany ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 73 Greece ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 81 Hungary ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 87 Ireland ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 93 Italy ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 99 Latvia .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 105 Lithuania .......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 109 Luxembourg ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 115 Malta ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 119 The Netherlands ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 123 Poland .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 129 Portugal .............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 135 Romania ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 143 Slovak Republic ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 151 Slovenia ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 159 Spain ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 163 Sweden ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 169 Turkey ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 175 United Kingdom ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 179 Part II: Country reports 3 Introduction In 2006, the ETUI was asked to provide EPSU with a background paper on European and international norms relating to trade union rights in the public sector. The focus of the research was to be on the obstacles to fundamental trade union rights (freedom of association, collective bargaining, collective action, and information and consultation). The main objective of the report was thus to provide information to EPSU affiliates on: • existing relevant European (EU and Council of Europe) and international (ILO) standards and instruments; • the different enforcement mechanisms applying to these standards and instruments and the