(3 March 2022) Workers will stand up to the Orpea Group in a demo this International Women’s Day.
EPSU affiliates representing members working in Orpea gathered again on Wednesday, 2 March 2022 to share updates in the ongoing situation and to coordinate their responses.
Recognising that over 90% of workers in French care homes are women, the unions will mark International Women’s Day on Tuesday, 8 March by gathering in front of Orpea’s head office in Paris to demand change. We underline the right to care and the non-commercial nature of care. Unions will be asked to share support messages. Belgian and German unionists and EPSU staff will join. The Spanish union CCOO is organising action in Spain in care homes.
French unions also shared the findings of their new report on the Orpea Group’s shady finances. The report, published with CICTAR, revealed that the European for-profit care home giant has quietly been building a property empire. These profit-building activities highlight the structural inequalities of a for-profit care system – how can a care company build a €7.4 billion property portfolio while workers complain of understaffing and poor working conditions?
Affiliates agreed at the meeting to continue working to address the growing trend of commercialisation of care services. Privatisation and profit-making should have no place in care giving. It is crucial that the European Care Strategy protects workers and residents – and not profit hungry companies.
The action was first called for by our French affiliate CGT-Santé Action Social. FO and CFDT comrades will also be present.
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