Digitalisation
Getting to grips with digitalisation
Digitalisation has the potential to positively transform public services and the jobs of public service workers. Quicker and easier access to services and increased participation of citizens can be combined with better quality jobs as repetitive work is replaced with more fulfilling tasks. However, trade unions must be involved in the transformation process not just to ensure that workers have their fare share of the benefits of digitalisation but also to deal with the potential downside. This briefing, produced for EPSU's 2019 Congress, highlights some of the work done on this issue in recent years and sets out the current priorities.
Another step towards a European social dialogue in social services
The trade unions and employers in social services took another step towards setting up a European social dialogue in the sector. EPSU met with the Federation of Social Employers in the final conference of the PESSIS+ project on 27 June 2019 in Brussels.
Central government social partners meet in Brussels
On 19th November, the Social Dialogue Committee for central and federal government administration -SDC CGA- met in Brussels to discuss the implications of the recent EPSU Vs European Commission court ruling, and to formally adopt a new joint checklist of dos and don’ts on digitalisation and work-life balance, amongst other things.
Collective bargaining and digitalisation training for EPSU affiliates
EPSU has launched a training project on digitalisation and collective bargaining with financial support from the European Commission. The consultants Ecorys/wmp will be providing the training in five regional seminars beginning in Bucharest on 24-25 September. The five seminars will be open to all EPSU affiliates and full details in 19 languages are available on the EPSU website.
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.
Social partners tackle the digital agenda
(January 2017) The Eurofound agency has published an article looking at the extent to which the social partners are part of the national debates on digital change. The study covers the Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Italy and Spain. Its assessment is that national digital debates are currently at a national level and do not yet translate into implementation at sectoral or company level in all five countries, with evidence of only a few collective agreements under negotiation in Germany.