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It was big news in the Brussels bubble this week when German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she is not against Treaty changes, “if these make sense”. She referred specifically to health competencies for the EU and even mentioned majority decisions on tax policies. Her remarks were in the context of

All people across the world need the chance to get vaccinated against COVID-19 if we are to leave the pandemic behind us. However, the current distribution of vaccines is contributing to big differences between countries and reinforcing health inequalities. Developing nations are only getting a

On 20 March, with a total disregard of the democratic process the Turkish government withdrew from the Istanbul Convention on preventing and combatting violence against women. Turkish unions and women’s groups condemned the act and took to the streets. EPSU, the ETUC, the Council of Europe and the

One year ago today, the World Health Organisation declared COVID-19 a global pandemic. The last year has magnified the strengths and weaknesses of our societies. In Europe, it has exposed the fragility of public health systems, and the total lack of capacity to respond to such a shock. The tragedy

Vaccination is being rolled out across most of Europe but some countries, like Montenegro and Armenia, are lagging seriously behind. Access to vaccines is difficult and costly and more needs to be done to tackle this. That is why EPSU with the ETUC and PSI continues to call for the waiver of the

The role of the state and public services have been vital in the response to the pandemic, underlining the importance of systems based on solidarity, cooperation, coordination and social dialogue to our economies and societies. This was one of the main messages from several speakers, including

Faced with the failure of big pharmaceutical companies to deliver on the contracts to supply COVID-19 vaccines, Member States and the European Commission are ideologically blind to the real solution. As early as March last year EPSU argued for bringing production into public ownership or under

A New Year – old challenges – new prospects and opportunities I wish you all good health for the new year. It begins for many of us with further, sometimes stricter, lockdowns. However, the anti-COVID vaccines are being rolled out, notably with a high rate of vaccinations in Israel as well as early

Nobody will forget 2020. We have shared the same experiences of the pandemic in all corners of Europe and beyond. It has swept through our workplaces and impacted on our lives. The images of health and care workers trying to cope is deeply ingrained in our memories. Some of us have lost loved ones

The pandemic continues to rage across Europe and beyond. As governments start to contemplate their vaccination strategies, there will be additional pressures on the health workforce which still has to cope with need to catch up with many delayed treatments. Years of austerity and underfunding have

The pandemic has led to an increase in violence against women at home and at the workplace. Working at home can be risky and the situation can be worse where job loss or reduced hours contribute to economic pressures. Unions have reported increases in abuse of and attacks on frontline workers from

Unions across Europe have been continuing their demands for better pay and conditions strikes in France and in the Basque region in Spain on 5 and 12 November. And sometimes a single case illustrates it all. Workers at a care home run by the Spanish company Vitalia have started an all-out strike

Many thanks to all who participated in the European Action Day for health and care workers. Your engagement made it a success and underlines the pressure workers feel as the pandemic reaches new heights. The stories we receive from nurses, doctors and other staff in hospitals are dramatic and

Every day ten of thousands of people across Europe are getting infected with the COVID-19 virus. The map of Europe is showing hot spots with orange and red zones and Belgium, Czechia, the Netherlands and regions in France, Spain and the UK going dark red. Intensive care beds are being filled and the

The health and care unions in EPSU are mobilizing for a European week of action 26-30 October with a day of action on the 29th to coincide with a call for action of the ITUC on care. The unions are fighting for health and care beyond the pandemic with a focus on better pay, safe staffing and quality