European Social Summit discusses the European Care Strategy

From right to left Chidi King, Sylvain Renouvel, Jenny Wade, the moderator, Katerina Ivankovic, and EPSU General Secretary

(21 November 2022) European government leaders adopted a pillar of social rights 5 years ago in Gothenburg. The European Commission celebrated this with a large event including several discussions on the European Care Strategy. The EPSU General Secretary spoke of the importance of addressing low pay in social care, a sector dominated by women. This contributes to the persistence of the gender pay and pension gap. The care strategy underlines the need for collective bargaining and collective agreements, improving working conditions, training and the European social dialogue in social services. These points were supported by the representative of Social Employers Sylvain Renouvel who further referred to the social dialogue with EPSU at European level.

Preventing the commercialisation of the sector was broadly supported by the audience. Other speakers included Katarina Ivankovic Knezevic, director for social rights and social inclusion; Jenny Wada, deputy director of the Ministry of Health and Social Affairs, and Chidi King, Chief ILO Gender Equality Diversity and Inclusion Branch on the gender dimension of the care sector.

The European Social Forum took place 16 and 17 November 2022, Brussels.

For more information on the Forum https://www.eusocialforum.eu/

See also the background information

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