Demographic change, Quality employment
Public service federations launch campaign for jobs
The FeSP-UGT and CCOO federations in the public sector have come together to launch a campaign to get the government to negotiate over employment in the public sector and to adjust the budget for 2018 to begin to tackle the staffing crisis. The unions point out that not only have 350000 public sector jobs been cut since 2010 but the problem is being compounded by an ageing workforce. In social security, for example, around 48% of staff are set to retire over the next 10 years. The unions also want to ensure implementation of the agreement signed earlier this year to reduce the number of
Unions demand investment, pay convergence, progressive economic policy at EU macro-economic dialogue
The speakers for the European institutions like Council, Commission and ECB noted the improvements in employment rates recognizing many workers still remain without a job or in precarious employment.
Union analysis raises concerns about temporary contracts
The FSC-CCOO federation has analysed new data on public sector employment and found a worrying increase in temporary contracts. While over 58000 new workers have been taken on, more than 87% of these are on fixed-term contracts and this has taken the overall percentage of temporay contracts across the public administration from 22.9% to 24.1%. The data also shows an increase in the average age across the public administration with 43.1% now 50 or over.
Report from Standing Committee Health and Social Services
The meeting primarily dealt with EPSU's current and future priority issues and with the topics "safe and adequate staffing levels", "prevention and reduction of musculoskeletal disorders and psycho-social risks and stress", "continuing professional development" and "regulated professions".
Korian Workers are organising across borders
Workers and union representatives in the French social service multinational specialised in elderly care, Korian, met in Brussels, in order to better coordinate their struggles and strategies to secure better pay and conditions for the almost 47.000 workers employed in 4 countries.
Care workers take action over workloads and jobs
In two different initiatives care workers at the Kwadrant Group in Friesland and HWW Care in the Hague have taken action to get their employers to address problems around high workloads, sickness absence and quality of care. The Kwadrant workers have organised a tour of the company's workplaces to highlight the issues in advance of a meeting with management on 24 August. Meanwhile, some workers at HWW have taken strike action in protest at the company's plans to cuts jobs and take on temporary and self-employed workers. HWW workers, some with 20 or 30 years of experience are angry that the
Union targets hospitals in negotiations to reduce workloads
Services union ver.di is targetting a selection of public and private hospitals in seven regions, calling on them to negotiate agreements to reduce excessive workloads. The union argues that many healthworkers are under pressure to work long hours to fill the gap left by a shortage of 162000 workers across the sector. This is having a detrimental impact on workers' health and ver.di wants employers to recognise this and their responsibility to provide good working conditions.
Union conference to discuss jobs and change in library sector
(June 2017) The HK Kommunal municipal union is organising a conference in September that will provide library workers with a chance to discuss the developing trends in the sector and the changing demands and expectations on libraries. An important focus of the conference will be on personal and professional development and career opportunities.
Report reveals worsening labour market trends
(June 2017) A new report from the CBS statistics office highlights three key trends in the labour market reflecting greater inequality and less security. Overall the percentage of workers on permanent contracts has fallen from 71% to 61% while the labour market is becoming more divided between low-paid, low-skilled jobs and high-paid work, with few jobs in the middle. The report also found more young people and those with basic education are stuck in low-paid jobs with little autonomy or security.
Prison unions debate impact of austerity and quality employment
(May 2017) Trade unions representing prison workers across Europe met in Brussels on 10 May to discuss a range of issues relating to continuing austerity, collective bargaining and trade union rights. Key issues that emerged during the meeting included the increase in violence against prison staff, problems of understaffing and developing issues around digitalisation and, in some countries, radicalisation of inmates. The meeting was part of a two-year project run by EPSU with the next meeting in December focusing on childcare workers.