Denmark
The FOA services union has commented on a television documentary that reveals very poor levels of care at a private home that was supposed to be a beacon for private care in the country. FOA argues that this clearly shows that care cannot be delivered on the cheap, noting that both residents and staff made complaints and with problems created by inadequate staffing levels.
Read more at > FOA (DK)
A documentary on Norwegian TV and a survey by the FOA trade union in Denmark expose similar problems facing workers in eldercare as they have too many clients, leaving those requiring care regularly seeing lots of different carers for short periods of time. Reacting to the documentary the Fagforbundet trade union highlighted the problem of so many care staff working part-time, chasing shifts to try to make ends meet and being part of a continuing turnover of staff so that there is little continuity for those needing care. In Denmark, the FOA argues that staff spend too little time with those
Public services union UNISON is calling for an independent inquiry into the impact of outsourcing on public services following a report revealing the extent to which workers are affected by cuts to pay and conditions. UNISON argues that the current pressure for public spending cuts means that, more than ever, the reason for outsourcing is to cut costs, with low-paid workers often bearing the brunt of those cuts. Read more at > UNISON
A new study commissioned by FIPSU, the group of nine public sector unions, finds that in many cases any cost savings arising from outsourcing have been at the expense of employees. The report also found that workers affected by outsourcing end up being covered by inferior collective agreements. The reasons for outsourcing are often political and ideological and many public sector employers were reluctant to reveal what kind of cost savings or quality changes the outsourcing had brought. Read more at > FIPSU (EN)
