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
The President of the European Commission delivered her State of the Union speech this Wednesday. She praised the work of care workers, doctors, nurses and many other frontline workers “who took risks the rest of us didn’t have to.” She underlined the strains on our health systems and her intention
The schools started in many countries on 1 September with the health and safety of students, parents, teachers and support staff a big concern. Affiliates have been negotiating with employers how best to ensure a safe workplace while trying to create a learning environment for all. Evidence is clear
Due to the Corona pandemic it is a strange summer for many. For workers in health and care the challenge of dealing with COVID19 patients remains prevalent. Several affiliates report that workers face exhaustion. The number of cases of infected and hospitalized workers is increasing again in several
Ensuring workers were safe and equipped with personal protective equipment was one of the first priorities of trade unions in the early days of the pandemic. Many employers were woefully unprepared and we estimate that at least 200,000 workers in health and social services have been infected with
Last week EPSU’s collective bargaining group discussed the position of the ETUC on fair minimum wages. Not all agree on the approach to take. National situations vary as does the assessment of how European rules would affect bargaining systems even if excluded from a possible directive. Our
BlackLivesMatter Trade unionists across the world have been participating in the demonstrations and actions which have been taking place following the killing of George Floyd in the US at the end of May. We protested against the persistent institutional racism and discrimination that was so
The high levels of mortality in long-term care, particularly in care homes for older persons, are appalling. The Human Rights Commissioner of the Council of Europe, Dunja Mijatović, recently highlighted this, noting “the lack of preparedness in long-term care facilities, many of which suffer from