Staffing levels
Safe and effective staffing levels
Quality public services depend on having safe and effective staffing levels. This is crucial in health and social services but is also important in a range other public services. It is also about ensuring the safety and wellbeing of staff who are otherwise overworked and under pressure to cover for staff shortages. Recruitment and retention and training and continuous professional development are key elements in working to achieve and maintain safe and effective staffing levels.
Survey reveals problem with childcare provision
The trade union-linked Hans Böckler research organisation has published a new survey uncovering worrying gaps in childcare provision across the country. It says that 10 years after the legal right to childcare from the age of one came into force, there is a shortage of childcare places. Further, it reveals that a large proportion of working or job-seeking parents who officially have a place for their child don’t have reliable care, with 57% confronted with reductions in childcare hours and/or even temporary closures of facilities due to staff shortages this spring. Two-thirds of those surveyed
Union warns of critical staff shortages in elder care
Survey evidence from members of the Kommunal trade union paints a worrying picture of staffing levels in homes for the elderly over the summer. The union asked its local union representatives about staffing levels with as many as 62% saying that staffing will be insufficient and only 3% stating that staffing will be adequate. Four out of five also said that staffing will be similar to last year or worse while only 9% said things had improved. Kommunal argues that the situation for staff in elderly care is catastrophic and year after year, they are forced to work harder and faster to cover the
Health union highlights staff shortages
The OSZSP health and social care union has cited official statistics showing a shortage of 3000 nurses across the country to underline its longstanding message that urgent action is needed to recruit and retain health workers. The union further warns that on current trends and without action the shortage could rise to 13000 in five years’ time. The union makes clear that excessive workloads and long hours are key factors in deterring young people from joining health professions and that the government’s proposal to increase overtime limits will only add to the problem, while threatening the
EPSU meets with Commissioner Kyriakides on staff shortages in the health and care sectors
EPSU recently held a productive discussion with European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, Stella Kyriakides, to tackle the critical staff shortages facing healthcare and care workers in Europe.
COVID-19 Report of the European Parliament rightly identifies the issues for health and care workers but is less ambitious in overall recommendations for the future
On the 12 July 2023 the European Parliament adopted a report on the lessons learnt from the COVID-19 pandemic and recommendation for the future.
Alliance of public sector health unions sets out key demands
The GÖD and younion trade unions have formed a nationwide alliance for public health, calling on the federal government to act quickly and decisively to prevent the burnout of the public health system and above all to tackle the shortage of skilled workers across all occupational groups. The unions estimate an overall shortfall of around 26000 full-time workers. Their main demands include: adapting services to the number of employees by establishing reliable rosters to reduce the risk of overwork; applying a tax exemption on pay from the 32nd hour of the working week as a short-term measure to
14.3% pay rise is target for maternity workers
The FNV trade union is preparing for negotiations covering maternity workers that are set to begin at the end of September. The union is concerned that salaries in maternity care have been the lowest in the care sector for years and higher pay is important to attract more workers to address staffing shortages. The FNV is aiming for a main increase of 14.3%, based on the inflation rate of October 2022. It argues that pay for maternity nurses has been eroded by inflation with only a 3% wage increase in 2022 and no pay rise at all in 2021. The union is looking to new research to be published
EPSU backs key demands for interior ministry staff
The SINDLEX trade union federation has been negotiating for three years to try to secure improvements in pay and conditions for a range occupations in the Ministry of Interior including police, prison staff, emergency workers and firefighters. The union is calling for pay commensurate with these workers’ responsibilities and competences. It also wants the government to end the moratorium on recruitment and tackle the serious understaffing that has led to pressure on remaining staff and high levels of overtime which often goes unpaid. EPSU sent a letter to the Prime Minister in support of the
Health and social care workers demonstrate
Services union ver.di coordinated demonstrations across the country on 16 June to coincide with a meeting of health ministers. In the lead up to the general election in September, the union has been determined to show members’ anger over the failure to deliver improved working conditions for health and social care employees. A survey of over 12000 workers commissioned by ver.di revealed that 78% could not imagine staying in their profession until retirement under current conditions. Almost three quarters of respondents reported excessive workloads and understaffing. The union is concerned
Union builds for national childcare strike on 8 July
The FNV trade union’s campaign for urgent action on workloads in childcare has been stepped up with some regional mobilisations cancelled in order to concentrate on a national strike on 8 July. The union is angry that calls for increased staffing and reduced numbers of children per worker have fallen on deaf ears and the employers have offered nothing to address the problem.
Health and social care feature in report on labour shortages
A new report from the Eurofound research agency analyses the extent of labour shortages across Europe and some of the measures being taken to address them. One of the main sectors of interest is health and social care and the report highlights the risks posed by such shortages to the viability of high-quality care provision. These were seen as particularly acute in Germany and in the Nordic countries, where shortages of skilled staff have led to long waiting times for patients. They also mean high workloads for professionals, ultimately contributing to higher turnover rates and reducing the
Union calls for more firefighters and better conditions
With forest fires and flooding posing increasing demands on the fire service, the Fp Cgil public service union has called for employee numbers to be increased to 40000. The union argues that the current complement of 35000 is inadequate with many firefighters working double shifts, longer hours and more overtime. Fp Cgil says that excessive workloads leave workers no time for training and is worried that in the next negotiations the fire service will actually push for longer hours rather than address the staffing shortage. The union says that recruitment is crucial to reduce the average age
Strike planned for Berlin hospitals
The ver.di services union has called a three-day warning strike from 23 August in the hospitals in Berlin run by the regional government’s Charité group, including its Vivantes subsidiaries. The union gave the employer 100 days to initiate collective bargaining to tackle overwork by hospital employees and trainees and to bring pay in line with the public service collective agreement in all Vivantes subsidiaries. The strike will go ahead if the deadline of 20 August is missed. Ver.di says that Charité has failed to make any serious offer and it has called on the employer to conclude agreements