The ver.di health union has welcomed parliamentary approval of the EUR 1500 COVID-19 bonus for all workers in elder care. This is important to ensure that all regions allocate funding to cover the payments following debate on how the bonus would be funded. Ver.di has also been critical of the private companies in the sector making high profits but unwilling to cover the full cost of the payment. The union says that it is still negotiating a new collective agreement with the BVAP employers’ organisation that it hopes will address the long-standing problem of low pay and poor working conditions in the sector.
Union welcomes parliament decision on elder care bonus
More like this
Union keeps up pressure for Corona bonus for care staff
The GPA services union is determined to hold the government to account over the EUR 500 Corona bonus promised to nurses in June. The union joined with other trade unions in successfully calling for the bonus to be extended to other workers but is still concerned that it will not be available to all in the social care sector. However, the GPA is angry that three months on the bonus has not been paid and there is still lack of clarity over who is entitled. The union complains of the lack of respect for the workers who have been exposed to extreme stress and heavy workloads for months and deserve
Round-up of COVID-19 bonuses
Portuguese health workers are the latest to get a bonus (50% of basic pay) for their work in working in the emergency situation created by the COVID-19 pandemic. In the Netherlands all care workers get €1000 while in Germany so far it has only been workers in eldercare who get a €1500 payment. In Belgium, some health workers are getting €300 while workers in private health and social care in Austria received €500, the same as frontline staff in Bulgaria. In the UK all care workers in Wales have received a payment of €570. In contrast to these lump sums, the COVID-19 payments for health staff
Care workers to get £500 bonus
The Welsh government has said that all care workers will get a £500 (EUR 570) bonus in recognition of the work they have been doing during the COVID-19 crisis. Trade unions have welcomed the payment which will go to all carers whether employed by local authorities, non-profit providers or private companies. Meanwhile, local government employers have said that a 2.75% pay rise is their final offer but that they will approach central government for more funding for next year. The largest local government union, UNISON, wants a joint approach to central government and will only consult members on