GERMANY: European Central Bank staff stage first ever strike

Record ID: 340320

  • Title: GERMANY: European Central Bank staff stage first ever strike
  • Date: 4th June 2009
  • Summary: DRUMMERS IN PARK, STRIKING ECB EMPLOYEES IN BACKGROUND
  • Embargoed: 19th June 2009 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Germany
  • Country: Germany
  • Topics: Finance,Employment
  • Reuters ID: LVA63L88QMGI0XV9O7V7XEZX9SPT
  • Story Text: European Central Bank (ECB) staff staged their first ever strike on Wednesday (June 03), just a day before the bank's critical monthly policy meeting, in a row over employment benefits and a lack of bargaining power.
    Around 300 of the ECB's 1,500 workers gathered around the giant euro sign outside the euro zone central bank's Frankfurt headquarters, brandishing banners and demanding ECB President Jean-Claude Trichet lead by example.
    The staff protested at their lack of power in employment condition decision making, blowing whistles and calling to have more say in future on their pay and working conditions.
    After staging protests outside the ECB, staff moved to march around Frankfurt's main financial district, trailed by police escort.
    "We are demonstrating today because we simply want the ECB to negotiate with its staff," IPSO President Adrian Petty said.
    "So far, they have had a policy of consult and ignore."
    Petty added the union was not interested in influencing ECB's monetary policy, but was only interested in working conditions.
    European Central Bank staff stage first ever strike.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: Audio restrictions: This clip's Audio includes copyrighted material. User is responsible for obtaining additional clearances before publishing the audio contained in this clip.
Register