The Health sector activities in EPSU encompass a broad range of initiatives and efforts aimed at supporting public service workers within the healthcare sector across Europe through robust advocacy and policy development efforts to influence European and national policies affecting the healthcare sector. This includes support in collective bargaining efforts to secure better wages, benefits, and working conditions for healthcare workers and ensuring the health and safety of healthcare workers is a priority at National and European levels. EPSU is making a clear case for more resources for the sector and for better pay and conditions by raising public awareness about the importance of public healthcare and the challenges faced by healthcare workers. This is a key activity and EPSU is a strong voice for millions of Healthcare workers throughout Europe.
Recognising and raising the profile of the health care assistants in healthcare is an important aspect, giving recognition to this vitally important role in the healthcare team: Health Care Assistants
Gender equality runs through all of EPSU’s work and is central to its activities in healthcare, recognising the vital role of women in the sector, as is action to defend migrant workers’ rights. It supports initiatives to combat workplace violence and harassment, ensuring safe working conditions for all employees.
As a recognised European sectoral social dialogue partner EPSU engages with European institutions, employers ‘ associations and other social partners on healthcare-related issues: Social dialogue
Through these activities, EPSU aims to enhance the working conditions and rights of healthcare workers, improve healthcare services for all citizens, and ensure the sustainability of public healthcare systems across Europe.
Adam Rogalewski is the EPSU Health and Social Services Policy Officer, and Samantha Howe is the Policy Assistant for Social Services. The President of the EPSU Standing Committee for Health and Social Services is Kirsi Sillanpää of TEHY (Finland) and the Vice-Presidents are Yolanda Gil of CC.OO (Spain), Gesine Lenkewitz of Ver.di (Germany), and Razvan Gae of Sanitas (Romania). You can find their contact details here.
You can find your national EPSU representative for health and social services HERE.
Joint EPSU-HOSPEEM Project “Promoting effective recruitment and retention policies for health workers in the EU by ensuring access to CPD and healthy and safe workplaces supportive of patient safety and quality care” (01.02.2017-31.01.2019)
On 2 June 2017 the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung Bulgaria, together with , organised a Discussion Forum in Sofia to identify and address the challenges for effective social dialogue in Bulgaria. EPSU and HOSPEEM contributed to the exchange in highlighting the role and illustrating main outcomes of the the EU-level social dialogue in the hospital sector.
In the last months, the European Commission has launched a public consultation on the transformation of health and care in the Digital Single Market. This consultation is aimed at investigating whether there is the need for policy measures that will promote digital innovation for better health and care in Europe.
A new briefing paper of Corporate Europe on the Creeping Privatisation of Health Care in the European Union provides detailed insight in the political and market mechanisms that increase health inequalities and lead to privatization of basic care.
On 20 December 2017 EPSU submitted a contribution to the second phase social partner consultation on revisions of the Carcinogens and Mutagens Directive (2004/37/EC). This was done in close cooperation with the ETUC and the ETUI. EPSU's contribution focuses on measures and regulation needed for a better protection of the workers in the health care sector from exposures to, manipulation or use of cytotoxic drugs. EPSU had two main requests in view of the revision of the directive.
EPSU sent a letter to the Prime Minister of Serbia and to the Minister of Public Administration and Local Government. It highlights the concerns of Serbian trade unions organising in health and social care regarding a new system for the classification of professions and related pay grades for public service workers.
