Earlier this year, 63 ambulance workers were sacked by the Emergency Situations Coordination and Urgent Assistance Centre of Georgia as a response to their involvement in the HSMCTU health workers' pay campaign.
The message of the unions in South East Europe was the same as at the other 3 constituency meetings in Eastern Europe and Central Asia: high prices for energy and how these are passed on to other products and services, impact on people’s bills and purchasing power.
Fighting continues after the Russian army invaded Ukraine. The Ukrainian unions thank all for the messages of solidarity and support. It is now important to turn that in concrete assistance. The financial support via the ETUC/ITUC solidarity fund remains important.
On the 11 March 2021 members of the EPSU Standing Committee on Health and Social Services met for the first time this year to discuss the situation in the sector at the national and the EU level.
The Federation of Trade Unions Gaz Romania (FSGR) has said it may resort to strike action if the ENGIE energy company doesn't respond to its demands on pay. The union argues that the employers have failed to come up with a reasonable offer and also to provide information needed for the negotiations. The union has been in contact with the Labour Inspectorate to help put pressure on the company to provide the requested data and it hasn't ruled out possible legal action to be accompanied by protests and strikes.
