High-level meeting between hospital sector social partners and European Commission to promote quality jobs in health care

From left to right: M. Maucher, EPSU Health & Social Services sector, A. Nowak, CAB Commissioner, V. Andriukaitis Commissioner Health & Food Safety, T. Alkema and E. Sourdoire HOSPEEM, C. Hager DG Santé, J.W. Goudriaan EPSU General Secretary

(13 January 2016) “Dialogue with social partners is key to the future development of health care in Europe. Encouraging public investment, improving patient safety, ensuring training and decent working conditions for all health workers are issues I support very much" said European Commissioner Vytenis Andriukaitis. His passionate response came in a meeting with European employers and trade unions for the health care sector. "Cooperation at national and European levels between public authorities and social partners is essential to ensure the quality of services for patients," he added.

The Commissioner is responsible for health and food safety in the European Commission. The representatives of the employers and unions met with the Commissioner to discuss the brain drain of nurses, doctors and other medical staff from central European and austerity-hit countries like Greece to the rest of the EU.

Ethical recruitment and retention, work force planning, workloads and stress, the lack of investment in health systems and the impact of austerity were all addressed by the social partners.

EPSU for the unions and HOSPEEM for the employers informed the Commissioner of their ongoing discussions on Continuous Professional Development (CPD) and Life-Long Learning (LLL).

The Commissioner pointed out he is interested in the work of the social partners. He stressed that all health workers (nurses, doctors, medical and other staff) should have access to training, including those aged over 45. The Commissioner and the social partners agreed to meet regularly.

The Commission services (DG SANTE) will involve the employers and unions more, including in ongoing work around health care assistants. This is a large group of workers organised by EPSU affiliates.

The meeting took place on 11 January 2016. Tjitte Alkema and Emilie Sourdoire for HOSPEEM were present on behalf of the employers; Jan Willem Goudriaan and Mathias Maucher were there to represent EPSU. The Commissioner was accompanied by Caroline Hager and Annika Nowak of DG SANTE.