Equality, Training/life-long learning
Unions continue the gender equality campaign
14 June marked the anniversary of the massive mobilisation and strike action of women workers across the country to highlight persistent gender inequality. Latest figures show a gender pay gap of close to 20% and an even higher pensions gap of nearly a third. With major mobilisations impossible in the current situation, a week of online and local actions were organised in the week beginning 8 June to highlight the urgent need for action to tackle inequality.
Union negotiates on more staff and training in eldercare
Kommunal, the municipal workers' union, has negotiated an agreement with the SKR local and regional government employers' organisation to provide for more staff and training in eldercare. The government has provided an additional SEK 2.2 billion (EUR 210 million) in 2020 and 2021 to cover the extra staffing. Kommunal wants to ensure that workers are taken on on full-time contracts and training takes place during paid working time and is line with the existing training provision for nursing assistants and nurses.
Private healthcare workers finally get new agreement
Fourteen years after the last agreement expired and with a national strike threatened for 12 June, the three public service federations – Fp Cgil, Cisl Fp and Uil Fpl – finally pressured the employers – Aris and Aiop – to sign a new deal covering around 100,000 workers in private healthcare. The main increase of EUR 154 is worth 4.2% but there will also be a EUR 1000 lump sum paid in two stages. The unions say that the agreement will bring private sector workers in line with those in the public sector. There is a broad range of other improvements in the new agreement covering working time
Union criticises government's care training proposal
The local government and health union, younion, has criticised new government proposals on nursing training that would be offered from the age of 15. The union argues that 15 is too young for people to be involved directly in care and the proposal won't address the shortages in care staff which can only be seriously tackled with better pay and conditions and improved training. Younion also believes it to be a misguided initiative to tackle youth unemployment and argues that it is based on a Swiss system which has a drop out rate of 50%-60%. The union says it has a package of proposals it can
Public healthcare unions call for urgent negotiations on training
The younion and GÖD public service unions have called for urgent negotiations on measures to address training needs in healthcare in response to an interim report on changes to the nursing and care act. The unions say that around 67000 care workers need to be trained over the next 10 years. However, there have been worrying declines in those completing training in recent years with a 20% fall between 2014 and 2017. Younion and GÖD are calling for more resources to boost training provision including pay for trainees but also better pay and conditions in general for health worker in order to
Do you want us to be equal or not? International Women's Day 8 March 2020
8 March 2020 – 25 years have passed since the Beijing declaration, when the world took full conscience that “women’s rights are human rights” and developed a Platform for Action, a comprehensive blueprint for advancing women’s rights, achieving full gender equality.
Time to end the secrecy! The European trade union movement calls for immediate action to close the gender pay gap
On Tuesday, EPSU joined representatives from ETUC and other European trade unions and trade union federations in a visual demonstration to demand concrete measures to combat gender discrimination and to ensure gender pay transparency.
Waste processing workers get 3.75% pay rise
The FNV trade union has negotiated a new 12-month agreement covering around 7000 workers in the waste processing sector. There will be a 3.75% pay increase with 2.75% paid in January and 1% in August along with a one-off payment of EUR 125. Two hundred workers on flexible contracts will be offered permanent jobs. There are also improved provisions for training and there will be talks over pensions and more possibilities for early retirement related to the arduousness of the job and length of service. The young workers' pay rate (18) will rise from 85% to 87.5% of the full adult rate.
Nursing organisations call for action on jobs, staffing and training
The HSSMS-MT nursing union has joined with other nursing organisations in submitting a series of demands on the government to address the urgent problem of understaffing resulting from emigration and retirement. The joint document highlights the increased pressure that the health service faces and the failure of recent governments to provide solutions. The unions and associations want to see proper recognition of qualifications and responsibilities in the job and pay structure and recruitment of more staff. They are also calling for clear plan to address training and education needs.
Report of EC conference “Trade Union Practices on Non-Discrimination and Diversity”
A large number of EPSU affiliates took part in a conference organised by the European Commission’s DG for Justice and Consumers to discuss the findings of a report on trade union practices against discrimination at the workplace