Collective Bargaining, Health and Safety, Migration
European Parliament interest group calls for concrete steps to protect healthcare workers' mental health
On 11 July 2023 the European Parliament Intensive Care Interest Group (EPIC-IG), adopted a joint declaration on mental health calling on the European Commission and the Member States to take concrete steps to safeguard the mental health of workers in the healthcare sector.
Union demands measures to tackle violence in psychiatric homes
The FOA trade union reports that data from the Danish Working Environment Authority shows a record number of offences in psychiatric homes in 2022 where staff were not adequately protected against violence. There were 92 cases, up from 73 in 2021, representing the highest figure since records began. FOA says this reflects a picture of everyday violence that is unacceptable for both staff and patients. Overall, there were 482 accidents at work due to violence in psychiatric institutions in 2022, a 37% increase since 2019. FOA is critical of governments that have promised action over the years
Union steps up campaign for equal rights for church employees
The ver.di trade union is running two weeks of action as part of its campaign to secure equal rights for workers employed by church organisations. Between 25 September and 6 October, union members will be out promoting the campaign petition with the aim of securing 4000 signatures. Currently church-based employers like the Diakonie and Caritas, organisations that employ hundreds of thousands of health and care workers, have special treatment under the law in relation to co-determination, collective bargaining and the right to strike. Ver.di wants this changed so that all workers have the same
Health and care unions to strike over private employer organisation’s refusal to negotiate
The FP-CGIL, CISL-FP and UIL-FPL public service federations have called a one-day strike on 27 September to put pressure on the AIOP employers’ organisation to return to negotiations over the sector agreement covering private residential and care homes. The three unions normally negotiate with AIOP and ARIS, the employer organisation representing religious providers. AIOP, however, is aiming to negotiate a different agreement with the UGL trade union – an organisation outside of the three main confederations and with links to the far right – and the unions argue that this flies in the face of
Bargaining survey shows decline in negotiated real wages
The trade union-linked WSI research institute has published its annual overview of collective bargaining across Europe which it says “shows with alarming clarity that workers are the losers in the current wave of inflation: across Europe, the purchasing power of wages fell by 4.0% last year.” The report reveals that negotiated wages in the Eurozone rose by 2.8% in 2022, the second highest increase in over 20 years but the impact of inflation turned this into a 5.2% real terms decline, by far the largest fall over the same period. The report confirms that: “The long-term perspective makes it
Working conditions of firefighters high in the EU Parliament agenda
Heat waves and flooding are hitting Europe once more this summer and firefighters and emergency services are and will have to face the climate crisis in a context of chronical staff shortages and poor working conditions.
Employees of church-based organisation flex their bargaining muscles
For the first time, employees working at care facilities run by the Protestant church in Hesse in central-west Germany are mobilising to support their union ver.di in collective bargaining. The workers have only been covered by a collective agreement since April 2022 and so building support for their key demand – an increase of €450 a month – is a new experience. They managed to get over 550 signatures on a petition handed to management. In the past, pay and working conditions were simply laid down in church employment contract guidelines. The collective agreement negotiated by ver.di and the
Trade union rights report paints grim picture
The International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) has published its annual review of trade union rights which again reveals a challenging environment for trade unions with 87% of countries violating the right to strike and 79% violating the right to collective bargaining. In Europe, Belarus, Turkey and Kazakhstan are again among the worst offenders with no guarantees for trade union rights. Seven European countries feature in the next worst category – systematic violation of rights – Greece, Hungary, Kyrgyzstan, North Macedonia, Romania and Serbia. The ITUC survey indicates that the situation
Multi-sectoral project on “the role of social partners in preventing third-party violence and harassment at work"
HOSPEEM, EPSU, CEMR, CESI as co-applicants and ETF, ETNO, ETUCE, EUPAE, UITP as associated organisations have been provided with financial support from the European Commission for a joint project in the field of social dialogue: “The role of social partners in preventing third-party violence and harassment at work” in the years 2021 and 2023 (VS/2021/0046).
Asbestos agreement a step forward for firefighters, emergency services and waste workers but more and better legislation is needed
EPSU welcomes the deal that lowers the Occupational Exposure Limit (OEL) to either 10,000 fibres/m3 including thin fibres or 2,000 fibres/m3 excluding thin fibres and includes a review clause for further lowering by 2028.
Union launches petition for equal rights for church employees
The trade union ver.di has launched a petition calling on the government to ensure equal rights for workers employed by church organisations. Currently special rules apply to the major protestant and catholic employers who employ around 1.8 million people and run many health and care services, including hospitals, nursing homes and services, facilities for the disabled and youth welfare, emergency services, daycare centres, etc. As, ver.di points out, these are financed almost exclusively from tax revenues and social security contributions. Employees of these bodies have fewer protections