Health and Safety, Trade, Outsourcing
Compensation payments expose high risk working environment
The FOA trade union has won just under DKK 500 million (€67m) in compensation for work injuries for its members over the past two years. The payments have gone to social and health workers, childminders, educators and other public employees. While the union is happy about the success of its claims for members it is concerned that this shows the level of physical risk being faced by many workers across the public services. It also points out that the claims are overwhelmingly for physical injury and that the system is not geared up to address psycho-social impacts. FOA argues that employers
Stop Cancer at Work Campaign welcomes progress made in protecting workers from cancer and reproductive problems at work
(Press Release) The Stop Cancer at Work Campaign today welcomes the provisional political agreement by the European Parliament and European Council to include for the first time greater protection and reference to reprotoxic substances and hazardous medicinal products
Two-week strike stops threat to pay and conditions
The JHL public services union has successfully defended the pay and conditions of workers employed by the Arkea municipal company that provides catering and other services to the Turku local authority. The company had sought to change collective agreements that would have meant significant changes to pay rates with some workers potentially losing out by as much as 30% of their earnings. The strike action led to negotiations with the company which will now stick with the current agreement which is due to be re-negotiated next spring.
Sectoral Social Dialogue Committee for Hospitals and Healthcare Sector debate review of Framework of Actions on Recruitment and Retention
On 30 November 2021 the plenary meeting of the Sectoral Social Dialogue Committee for Hospitals and Healthcare Sector took place in the hybrid form.
Strike action in municipal company to defend collective agreement
The JHL public services has organised strike action at the Arkea Oy municipal company, owned by the City of Turku. The union is challenging the company’s plans to switch employers' organisation and transfer around 1000 employees to a different collective agreement with poorer pay and conditions. Lower-paid workers could see their pay cut by 15%-30%. The city's group management has given the plan its blessing and discussions between the trade union JHL and Arkea have not yielded any results. The action began on 17 November with measures taken to ensure no risks to safety. The strike will affect
European Social Partners remind European co-legislators about their statement on inclusion of Hazardous Medicinal Products in the Carcinogens and Mutagens Directive (CMD)
In the context of the ongoing trialogue on the fourth revision of the CMD (2004/37/EC), HOSPEEM and EPSU would like to highlight the need to include hazardous medicinal products as a new entry in CMD Appendix I.
EMPL Committee of the European Parliament votes to limit the Occupational Exposure Limit (OEL)
WE MADE IT! On Monday morning the EMPL Committee of the European Parliament has voted to limit the Occupational Exposure Limit (OEL) which determines the number of asbestos fibres per m3 air allowed in workplaces without dedicated protection measures.
EPSU and Social Employers Event on the Prevention of MSDs in Social Services
Yesterday, in the framework of the EU-OSHA campaign, Healthy Workplaces – Lighten the Load, EPSU and the Federation of European Social Employers held a webinar on the prevention of Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) in social services.