EPSU action for Global Day of Action for Care (29/10)

Global day of action for care 29 October 2021

Invitation to the press

(Brussels, 25 October 2021) EPSU (European Federation of Public Service Unions), the most representative organisation of workers in the care sector, will mark the Global Day of Action for Care in a symbolic action on Friday, 29 October 2021. Low wages, coupled with a deterioration of working conditions, has seen over 421,000 workers leave the sector between 2019 and 2021 – an unacceptable threat to the resilience of long-term care systems.

Ahead of President von der Leyen’s recently announced European Care Strategy, EPSU will be highlighting this loss of workers by placing 100 pairs of white nursing ‘crocks’ across the esplanade between the Council of the European Union and the European Commission – one pair for every 4,210 care workers failed by the sector.

Delegations of care workers from across Europe will also be present.

EPSU has published a report about the care sector and the lessons to be learnt from the pandemic in the framework of this day of action.

The Dutch representatives will be Albert Eelke de Haas, Catharina Gokke e.v. Hanssen, Adriana Christina van de Westelaken (=Sandra van den Braak) and Ghislaine Généviéve Chantal Yvette Hulshof (FNV).

The German representative will be Ilka Steck from Ver.di.

The Belgian representative will be Evelyne Van Hulle (CNE)  and the Spanish representative will be Juna Penafiel Heras (CC.OO).  

  • What? Photo op marking Global Day of Action for Care. A press point with representatives of the European organisation as well as national affiliates to talk about the conditions of care workers across Europe during the COVID19 pandemic.  
  • Who? Organised by EPSU (European Federation of Public Service Unions), attended by delegations of care workers from across Europe from Spain, France, Belgium, The Netherlands, and Germany.
  • When? Friday, 29 October 2021. 10am to 11am
  • Where? Esplanade between European Commission (Berlaymont) and Council of the European Union (Europa Building) – see here.

For more details contact: Pablo Sanchez, [email protected] +32 (0)474 62 66 33