Social Services, France

(July 2016) Unions at the Orpea care company used the group's annual shareholders' meeting to raise concerns about pay and conditions and health and safety. The unions highlighted the fact that Orpea's profits have soared while workers have seen no pay rise since 2013, have to deal with excessive workloads and are more likely to be on fixed-term rather than permanent contracts. The union demands were directed at both management and shareholders, calling on the company to take on more staff, improve working conditions and ensure a high quality service. Read the statement at CGT (FR) and CFDT

Ten trade union organisations, supported by users and their families, directors and doctors, organised a second day of national strike action and protests in the eldercare sector. Over 200000 people joined demonstrations around the country boosted by protests in support of pensioner rights. The unions in eldercare want increased funding, a commitment to a one-to-one staffing ratio and improved pay and career development. The action lead to a meeting with health minister Agnès Buzyn but with no concrete response from the government as yet.

Public service unions report a massive response to their call for a day of protest and strike action on 22 March against government plans for the public sector. While the unions are calling for a wide range of measures to support statutory employment rights, increase pay, reduce precarious employment, improve career development, the government response has been to talk about reforming existing social dialogue structures, weaking the statutory system and extending individualisation of pay. Following the abortive meeting with the government on 3 April, unions will meet on 10 April to discuss how

The nine trade union federations in the public sector have agreed that the government has failed to propose an adequate response to their key demands on pay, purchasing power and sick pay. The unions met on 26 October to discuss the next steps and agreed to boycott the plenary meeting of the public service council due to take place on 6 November. Instead, they will organise a demonstration outside the finance ministry on that day.

Trade unions organising in the eldercare sector report an unprecedented level of mobilisation for their strike action and protests on 30 January. The action was coordinated across eight trade union organisations with the support also of the AD-PA association representing directors of eldercare institutions. The protests across the country were also joined by user groups and families. The unions have dismissed the government proposal for an extra EUR 50 million in funding saying that this is completely inadequate to address the urgent staffing needs and the claims for better pay and career

Following the massive mobilisation on 30 January (see previous issue of epsucob@NEWS 03, 2018), trade unions in the eldercare sector have called for a second day of strike action on 15 March. The eight trade union organisations have been joined by two further trade unions and again have the support of directors of eldercare institutions. The unions are highly critical of the failure of the government to commit additional funding to the sector. They are repeating their calls for 1:1 staff/client ratio in care homes and more time for home care workers' visits. They also want to see an increase

Public service unions are planning two major days of action over the next two weeks. On 15 March 10 trade unions in the eldercare sector, supported by users and families as well as an association of managers, will take their second day of strike action following the widely supported action on 30 January. They are calling for more funding for the sector and improved pay and career development for workers. On 22 March a group of seven unions have called a day of action in protest at government plans to cut 120000 civil service posts and to call for a pay rise for public service workers.

Nine public sector trade union organisations have come together to organise a national day of action on 10 October in protest at government attacks on the pay, conditions and jobs of public service workers. The unions accuse President Macron of doing the opposite of what he proposed in his presidential election campaign. Far from increasing pay, his government is maintaining the pay freeze for public sector workers. There is also a threat to 120000 jobs across the public services and the re-introduction of a waiting day before claiming sick pay. The unions will organise demonstrations and

Health and social care and public service federations from five confederations have made a joint call for a national strike and day of protests in the eldercare sector on 30 January. The unions are challenging claims by the health ministry that the problems in the sector are not related to inadequate funding but are simply a management problem. The action will cover homecare as well as residential workers and will be calling for increased staffing so that there is one worker per resident and the repeal of legislation on pricing reform. The unions want to see employment maintained in the sector

Unions organising in the elder care sector are mobilising for a day of action, including strikes, across the country. The unions are demanding increased funding for the sector in order to ensure the quality of service and for increased staffing. The union demands also include higher pay and improvements in other conditions such as career development, linking quality employment conditions with quality of services. The action is supported by all the major trade union organisations active in the sector.

Strike action and demonstrations in over 140 cities across the country were part of a successful day of action on 10 October organised by the nine public sector trade union organisations. Unions estmate that over 400000 joined the national protests involving workers right across the public services. The day of action was in protest at government plans to freeze pay again and to cut jobs. The unions are due to meet the public services minister, Gérald Darmanin, and they will then meet together on 23 October to discuss whether and when to take further action. A contingent with EPSU banners