SKF World Union Committee meeting

Delegates to the SKF World Union Committee call for a union perspective to be taken on flexibility, recognizing that an increase in precarious work is not the sole response possible

Meeting in London from 4-6 September 2012, the SKF World Union Committee (WUC) chose the issue of flexibility to be the key theme for their meeting. Delegates from all countries represented on the committee reported an increase in temporary and agency work. Other measures adopted by management to address their declared need for flexibility include trial period contracts and civil contracts (bogus self-employment).

Management representatives who addressed the meeting once again stressed the need for SKF to rely increasingly on temporary labour in order to have sufficient flexibility. The WUC discussed the need to put a union perspective on flexibility and to challenge the company-driven view which is resulting in significant growth in temporary jobs.

Delegates gave examples of where their unions have been able to negotiate ways to address the issue without recourse to precarious work. In Germany, time banks and short-time work were introduced. Overtime hours worked are stored in a time account which can be drawn down to compensate workers during short-time working. At one site in France, workers are paid 35 hours but work 38 and the remaining hours are banked, some to be used at times chosen by the workers, others at times chosen by management, thus allowing changes in production demands to be met. In contrast, in Ukraine a heavy reliance is put on temporary agency workers to manage fluctuations in production.

Delegates concluded that negotiated flexible hours arrangements are preferable to increases in temporary work. Work could also be done to find new ways to enable workers to retire earlier, rather than offering redundancy to young people. The WUC agreed that the suggestions raised in the discussion will be communicated to SKF Group Management to start a discussion on how SKF deals with flexibility and temporary employment globally. Consideration will also be given to seeking an additional clause to the SKF Global Framework Agreement to address the issue.