Gas, Social Services
New Sectoral Social Dialogue Committee for Social Services gives voice to one of Europe’s fastest growing sectors
Press Release - Today, the European Commission established a new EU Sectoral Social Dialogue Committee for the first time in over a decade: the Social Dialogue Committee for Social Services.
Trade unions react to detailed public sector pay analysis
Last month the Wage Structure Committee produce a detailed report on pay in the public services as a basis of a tripartite discussion that is due to begin in the autumn and that will have an impact on negotiations of the next three-year collective agreements in the public sector that will run from April 2024. The committee, with trade union participation, was set up in 2021 as a first step in trying to address the persistent problem of pay inequality across the public services and the major staff shortages across many occupations. The initial reaction of many EPSU affiliates is to welcome the
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
Workers in church-run care homes get 8% pay increase and cut in hours
After six months of negotiations, workers in church-run elderly care and nursing homes will get an 8% pay increase, along with a cost-of-living bonus of €1500 and a one-hour reduction in weekly working hours to 39 hours. The agreement covers around 3600 employees and the new monthly minimum wage will be set at €1850.76. The 8% increase translates into a 10.65% increase once the one-hour cut is taken into account. The vida trade union negotiated the agreement which it sees as bringing the church-based employer more in line with other collective agreements in the sector although it argues that
Wage boost for workers in disability care and blood services
The 200000 workers covered by the disability care collective agreement are getting a phased pay increase of 10% on top of the 3.2% already paid in May this year, negotiated by the FNV and NU’91 trade unions. There will be two increases of 3% on 1 September and 1 December (both with a €80 minimum) and in 2024, there will be two further increases of 2% in June and December (both with a minimum of €55). The travel allowance will be doubled from 8 cents to 16 cents per kilometer. Meanwhile, after difficult negotiations, unions at the Sanguin blood services non-profit company, including FNV, have
Union action delivers wins in health and social care
Over the course of several months, heath union Sanitas has been negotiating with the government and organising actions to deliver progress on jobs and pay and conditions in health and social care. In May the union was building up for industrial action and in early June members wore union badges and armbands to work to show the level of support for the union’s demands. So far the government has conceded on several issues including the unblocking of 14000 positions in the health system; approval of an emergency ordinance covering increases for all basic salaries for specific groups of workers in
Personal assistants dispute continues but deal agreed in private social services
The JHL trade union says that further industrial action may be necessary following the failure of conciliation to settle the dispute over a new collective agreement for personal assistants. Negotiations have been continuing since January and the last collective agreement expired at the end of April. JHL has been determined to secure a decent pay rise for worker in this sector characterised by low pay and high staff turnover. Meanwhile, industrial action by unions in the private social services sector – JHL, Tehy, SuPer and Jyty – helped deliver an improved offer from the employers and a 32
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
Survey highlights safety concerns among care staff
The FNV trade union and the RTL Nieuws broadcaster have published a survey covering nearly 2300 workers in nursing and home care that shows that work is becoming increasingly difficult and has to be done with fewer and fewer colleagues. The union argues that this poses a threat to the quality of care as well as the safety of employees and those they care for. The FNV says that as a result of government policy people are receiving care at home for longer and so by the time they move to a care home they often need more complex care. Waiting lists for care home places have risen from 8000 in 2008
Unions negotiate new agreement in health and social care
Trade unions Kommunal and Vårdförbundet have negotiated a 29-month agreement covering the health and social care sector running from 1 May 2023 to 30 September 2025. Kommunal reports that the amount for increases for full-time employees on 1 May 2023 is SEK 1138 (€97) and SEK 1049 (€90) on 1 May 2024. The new minimum salary as of 1 October 2023 will be SEK 22203 (€1900) and SEK 24456 (€2090) for those with upper secondary education. The corresponding figures for 2024 will be SEK 23252 (€1990) and SEK 25505 (€2180). For Vårdförbundet the main elements include: salary increases in the first year