EU staff unions announce new strike

(BRUSSELS) - European Union staff on Wednesday voted to step up strike action in defence of an inflation-busting wage rise that a dozen countries are refusing to implement.

The issue increasingly looks like ending up in the European Court of Justice if hardline opponents within a dozen EU member states do not succeed in persuading unions to consider a compromise solution.

"Twelve countries are still opposed to the payment of this salary adjustment," which offers a 3.7 percent pay rise to some 44,500 EU employees already on wages reaching up to almost 18,000 euros per month net, said Guenther Lorenz, representing a trio of unions.

Britain, France, Germany, Poland and others are angry that EU staff -- often considered better paid than their equivalents in national civil services and enjoying special expatriate allowances -- are demanding payment in full at the level recommended by the European Commission.

Union members working at the European Council -- the body that groups member states, and which is required under EU law to enact the raise by midnight on December 31 -- voted to stage a new, one-day strike on Thursday and to refuse to work overtime.

On Monday, a three-hour strike was observed by hundreds of European Council staff and supported by employees of the European Commission and the European Parliament, whose lawmakers also stand to benefit.

Unions said negotiations between EU countries had "collapsed" on Wednesday morning, with Lorenz warning that the labour movement could take the case to the European Court of Justice if the award were not forthcoming.

"There is still a minority running to 12 countries blocking" the raise, said one EU diplomat. "This is going to be very difficult."

Another said member states who oppose the raise have their "hands tied," despite efforts towards a compromise "phased formula, with an increased levy and a fundamental re-evaluation in 2010."

The levy refers to a small percentage of monies paid by EU staff which is retained for bloc budgets, dating back years.

The opponents "believe the proposed pay rise is out of step with the current economic environment, with employees losing jobs and taking wage cuts," the source said.

The difficulty is that the 3.7 percent figure reflects increases among some member states last year. Freezes in some member states this year will only be reflected next year under a complicated formula which draws on cost-of-living data provided by eight member states and by the city of Brussels.

Against that background, "there is the risk that if we do act to change the formula now, we risk being taken to court," that source also admitted.