IPSO’s long-term fight to end precarious work at the ECB

A press review featuring Fabio De Masi

Dec 21st, 2017

December 2017, Agora N° 79: IPSO’s long-term fight to end precarious work at the ECB

"On 28 September 2017, IPSO, the union representing people working for the European Central Bank concluded its first collective agreement with the ECB as part of its fight to end precarious work at Europe’s central bank. This is definitively a very positive achievement and a step towards an effective social dialogue in the ECB after at least five years of union work. However, the fight for sound and decent working conditions for all people working for the ECB and in Europe has not been won. The case sheds a light on grave shortcomings in the German labour legislation for temporary agency work and serious issues in the ECB’s governance. (...)

 At its protest action Lord Mayor Feldmann, MEP Fabio de Masi and representatives of the EU (EPSU, USF) and German trade unions (DGB) spoke. Yet, IPSO was not able to mobilise for a strike. It fought with legal arguments against the plan. As a result IPSO succeeded to obtain a social plan for the colleagues, staff representatives in recruitment panels for suitable ECB vacancies, intensified consultation on re-deployment of ECB staff and a prolongation of employment of the agency staff for up to nine months with equal pay at the ECB. IPSO also supports the colleagues in their negotiations with managed service providers who will deliver the IT services."