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.
Last week the European Parliament’s Committees on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) and Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) approved a compromise position on the creation of a European Health Data Space.
In the week that the private sector employers at European level blocked an agreement and potential directive on telework and the right to disconnect, the Eurofound research agency published a report showing why action is urgently needed on this issue. Its new survey found that workers who telework are more likely to work longer than is contractually required and close to one fifth of respondents reported working additional hours because they are contacted outside of working hours. Eight out of 10 workers surveyed in companies with and without a right to disconnect policy reported that they
By acclamation the NEA Standing Committee elected Karin Brunzell ST Sweden and Alain Parisot UNSA France as co-chairs of the Committee, and Federico Trastulli, UILPA, Italy as vice-chair.
Digitalisation can deliver better work-life balance but the risks of greater control and monitoring of workers are significant. This is one of the key conclusions of a two-year research project on digitalisation in the public services that concluded with a conference in Brussels on 25 September.
The recent elections in several European countries that resulted in gains for extreme-right parties and even brought them into government were discussed at the constituency of the Mediterranean unions.
On Monday, 5th June, EPSU and 40 other European organisations launched a civil society statement focused on democratic digital infrastructures which proposes the establishment of a European Public Digital Infrastructure Fund.
EPSU’s global sister organisation PSI will be launching its Digital Bargaining Hub on 26 April (15.00-16.15 CET). This will be the first online, free, publicly accessible, searchable database of bargaining clauses, union guidance, and framework agreements on issues related to digitalisation. During this event PSI will provide a guided, virtual tour of the Digital Bargaining Hub and will also review other resources that can be found on its Digitalisation webpage. These include a series of reports full of information to help improve the understanding of digitalisation and its effects on workers
