EPSU joint project for EU action plan on "3rd-Party" violence at work

(30 January, Brussels, 2009) With sister European Federation, UNI-Europa, EPSU has launched a detailed project on how issues of third party violence have been tackled in practice by social partners in the commerce, hospital, private security and local and regional government sectors. The project aims to assist trade unions in the hospital, local government, private security and commerce sectors to develop with the employers in these sectors an EU multi-sectoral Action Plan which will reduce the overall level of third part violence.

A central instrument of the project is a questionnaire for affiliates which sets out to identify the key trends across Europe. This is being coordinated by Per Nystrom (health and safety expert).

The project will also show the joint responsibility of employers, with trade unions and workers, to ensure and promote a working environment free from third party violence It will draw up principles and guidance that can support joint actions by social partners at the different levels to tackle third party violence. Through the member organisations of EPSU and UNI-Europa further information on how sectoral social partners at the national, regional and local level are tackling the issue of third party violence at the workplace will be identified.



The European Working Conditions Survey states that approximately one in ten workers in the European Union report that they have suffered violence, bullying or harassment at work in the previous year (results 2005 survey). According to data from the survey, third party violence at the hands of clients, customers or patients is more common than violence suffered at the hands of work colleagues. A Joint Group meeting will be organized by EPSU and UNI-EUROPA on 21 April 2009 in Brussels to exchange the results of the respective stock-taking studies and agree on the outline for the two final reports.

for the questionnaire