Following the massive destruction that has been caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, now over 2 years ago, unions from Ukraine and other countries met to discuss the repair, rebuild and reconstruction of the country.
EPSU welcomes the decision of the European Committee on Social Rights (ESCR) recognising that volunteer firefighters are workers within the meaning of the European Social Charter.
Social Partners agreed to publish a joint statement on the negative impact of the proposed fiscal rules on local and regional governments and advanced in their discussions on the future negotiations of sectoral guidelines on digitalisation.
After a review of the alarming situation of trade unions in Turkey one year after the earthquake, the 60th Standing Committee discussed strategies to address staff shortages, greening healthcare sector, and its priorities for this year.
The SDE energy trade union has raised concerns about the capacity of the energy sector to cope with the green transition. The union highlights slow wage growth in the sector, which is adding to the major challenges in recruiting new staff and the lengthy training required to ensure they have the specific skills needed. The SDE is also worried that existing staff are leaving the energy sector and seeking employment in better-paid positions in other industries. The union points out that a lack of skilled staff will make it difficult to successfully upgrade energy facilities. It has also raised
