Early Childhood Education and Care, Social Dialogue
Union pushes for transitional agreement in childcare
The FNV trade union was due to begin talks with childcare employers to negotiate a transitional collective agreement to cover the approximately 114,000 employees in the sector, particularly with a view to address the challenges of retaining and attracting staff. The union notes that staff shortages and heavy workloads are leading to high levels of sickness absence and that the numbers leaving the profession increased significantly in 2023. The aim is to secure a temporary agreement for the second six months of 2024 in the lead up to negotiations over a long-term agreement. A recent FNV survey
EU social partners in central governments urge Commission to enforce their agreement’s provisions on telework and right to disconnect
Following years of discussions and joint guidelines on digital technologies in central government administrations, an agreement on digitalisation was signed on 6 October 2022.
European Sectoral Social Dialogue Committee for Social Services: Social Partners come together for first Plenary Meeting
Today, the Social Employers and the CEMR, for the employers' side and EPSU, held their first meeting in the framework of the Sectoral Social Dialogue Committee for social services.
ETUC Executive – join the European demo 12 December. Together against austerity and for a Fair Deal for Workers
Leaders of European trade union confederations and European trade union federations discussed the ongoing campaign against austerity, for revised rules for European economic policy and for a Fair Deal for European workers.
Study shines light on representativeness of ETUC
The Eurofound research agency regularly carries out surveys of cross-sector and sector European trade union employer organisations to confirm their representativeness for the European social dialogue. Its latest report on the cross-sector level provides an overview of the ETUC in the European Union where it has 74 affiliated organisations in all EU27 countries, of which 62 are recognised as representative at national level. The 74 ETUC members represent some 37 million trade union members, that is, approximately 22% of all employees in the EU27 and about 80% of all trade union members. The
Childcare workers strike over pay and precarious conditions
Members of the CCOO trade union in early years education have taken three days of strike action with a fourth planned for 15 November. They also came from all regions of Spain to join a national demonstration in Madrid on 2 November as part of their campaign to secure improvements to pay and secure real progress after over two years of negotiations with private sector employers. The union wants action to address precarious employment conditions and has had to resort to industrial action to put pressure on the employers to negotiate on the issue. The union argues that pay and working conditions
Staff shortages, mental health and social dialogue discussed by health and social care trade unions
45 participants, including external speakers, discussed developments in the health and care sector taking place since the previous meeting in February of this year, including the urgent issue of staff shortages, retention and recruitment.
EPSU Childcare network discussed monitoring and evaluation in early childhood education and care
On 20th September 2023 the EPSU Childcare network met to discuss monitoring and evaluation in early childhood education and care, and the results of a survey on working conditions and professionalisation.