Equality, Staffing levels, Energy
Union agrees 23-month deal in gas, water and energy
The collective bargaining committee of the ver.di trade union in the TG GWE bargaining group has voted by nearly three to one to back a new 23-month agreement. The negotiations cover gas, water and energy workers who get a 6.5% pay increase this year (from 1 February) and 3.7% next year – from 1 January. Trainees will see their pay levels increase by 3% for each year of training. Meanwhile the union’s members at ONYX Power have made clear their priorities in the upcoming negotiations where ver.di will be demanding a 12-month agreement with a 14% pay increase for all employees, including
Union survey reveals persistence of gender discrimination
The Vision trade union has published a survey that found that four out of 10 young women state that they have been discriminated against at some point in their working life. The union says that employers need to continuously and more actively work for equal rights and opportunities for employees. In Sweden, employers are obliged to prevent discrimination according to the Discrimination Act, and this work must be done in cooperation with the trade union. The Vision survey found that more than one in four women (29%), regardless of age, say that they have been discriminated against at their
A new WHO Report published on 12 March echoes EPSU recommendations on gender and care
The report, Fair share for health and care: gender and the undervaluation of health and care work details gender value gaps and demonstrates how health and care work is globally undervalued, why this is a gender equality issue, and what can be done about it.
Switzerland: union warns against impact of new health financing system
The vpod/ssp public services has launched a campaign and petition – “Nein zu EFAs” – to try to block changes to the healthcare financing system in Switzerland that will have seriously negative consequences for staff and patients.
Social partners take action against third-party violence and harassment at work
An unprecedented number of European sectoral trade unions and employers launched negotiations on third-party violence and harassment at work on Tuesday, 19 March 2024, with the support of the European Commission.
Health union looks to shorter full-time hours to tackle overwork
A new report from the Swedish Association of Health Professionals (SAHP) shows that more than four out of 10 young people up to the age of 29 do not believe that they will stay in healthcare for the rest of their working lives. One in five young people testify that the workload is so high with inadequate rest and recovery that it cannot be managed. The union argues that if young people leave the health care system, the existing staffing shortages will worsen. The report shows that more than half of young people feel that staffing is rarely or never sufficient and 85% believe that the workload
Health union calls for end to recruitment freeze
The INMO nurses’ and midwives’ union has called on the Health Service Executive (HSE) to end the moratorium on recruiting frontline patient-facing staff. The HSE has revealed that emergency department attendances are up 13% compared to the same period in 2023 and 452 patients were admitted to hospital without a bed on a single day earlier this month. INMO warns that its members are bearing the brunt of public disappointment and in some cases aggression for the state of the health service while working in extremely challenging environments. The union says that staff who are leaving because of