Gender pay gap, Social Dialogue
Unions and other organisations mobilised for women’s strike
On 24 October, the BSRB public sector federation was one of more than a dozen organisations supporting a day of action calling for urgent action to address gender inequality, the gender pay gap and to tackle gender-based and sexual violence. Actions ranged from strikes and demonstrations to the withdrawal of all forms of labour, paid and unpaid. Since the first women’s day of action in 1975, unions and other organisations in the country have organised major strikes and protests and there has been some reduction in gender inequality. However, there is still a long way to go with the gender pay
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 meets with Commissioner Kyriakides on staff shortages in the health and care sectors
EPSU recently held a productive discussion with European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, Stella Kyriakides, to tackle the critical staff shortages facing healthcare and care workers in Europe.
New Sectoral Social Dialogue Committee for Social Services gives voice to one of Europe’s fastest growing sectors
Press Release - Today, the European Commission established a new EU Sectoral Social Dialogue Committee for the first time in over a decade: the Social Dialogue Committee for Social Services.
Trade unions react to detailed public sector pay analysis
Last month the Wage Structure Committee produce a detailed report on pay in the public services as a basis of a tripartite discussion that is due to begin in the autumn and that will have an impact on negotiations of the next three-year collective agreements in the public sector that will run from April 2024. The committee, with trade union participation, was set up in 2021 as a first step in trying to address the persistent problem of pay inequality across the public services and the major staff shortages across many occupations. The initial reaction of many EPSU affiliates is to welcome the
Multi-sectoral project on “the role of social partners in preventing third-party violence and harassment at work"
HOSPEEM, EPSU, CEMR, CESI as co-applicants and ETF, ETNO, ETUCE, EUPAE, UITP as associated organisations have been provided with financial support from the European Commission for a joint project in the field of social dialogue: “The role of social partners in preventing third-party violence and harassment at work” in the years 2021 and 2023 (VS/2021/0046).
Sectoral Social Dialogue Committee for Hospitals and Healthcare adopted the Action Plan of Preventing Third Party Violence and Harassment
On 9 June 2023 European Social Partners in the Hospital and Health Sector (EPSU and HOSPEEM) met in hybrid format to discuss the situation of workers and employers in their countries and on the European level.
Unions build for 14 June – feminist strike
EPSU affiliate vpod/ssp is mobilising for the annual feminist strike which takes place on 14 June with actions and protests organised across the country. The strike focuses on the continuing inequalities that women face along other forms of discrimination, sexism, sexual harassment and violence. The union highlights data showing an 18% pay gap across the economy with the public sector at 15.1% below the private sector at 19.5% but the figure for the health sector specifically also at 19.5%. Meanwhile women make up two-thirds of the low paid. The figure for part-time work for women – 58% – is
European Parliament calls on the Commission to support more, not less, EU sectoral social dialogue
In a resolution on the Commission’s Communication and Council Recommendation on EU and national social dialogue of 25 January, the European Parliament calls upon the European Commission to increase its financial, legal and technical support for EU sectoral social dialogue.
ETUC celebrates 50 years at Berlin Congress
A large EPSU delegation joined hundreds of other trade unionists from across Europe to celebrate 50 years of struggle for Europe’s workers and people. We ended the ETUC Congress with the election of a new team and the adoption of an action plan titled ‘Together for a Fair Deal for Workers in Europe’.
Unions on strike alert as government threatens austerity
EPSU affiliates and other trade unions in the CMKOS confederation are on strike alert in response to a range of government proposals to consolidate public finances that pose a threat to public employees but also to tax allowances and other benefits for all workers. A potential 2% cut in staff costs in the public sector could have major consequences for pay and jobs with inflation reaching 30% over two years and so far no pay rise for public service workers this year. Public sector unions, including OSSOO and OSZSP, have expressed concern over the failure of the government to engage in social