Netherlands
On 6 April the FNV confederation organised a day of action and national demonstration over violence at work. The FNV Abvakabo public service union points out that many workers – nurses, teachers and other public sector employees face aggression and violence on a daily basis. The Confederation planned to submit a petition to Parliament calling for more action to deal with violence at work.
Read more at > FNV Abvakabo (NL)
Prison workers' unions have organised half-hour protests across the prisons service on 2 August as part of their long-running campaign to get action to tackle violence against staff. With 934 violent assaults registered in 2015 and 2016, the unions say that urgent action is required and they want the new government to recognise the problem and to negotiate an agreement to address it. Inadequate staffing levels are a major element and the unions say the recent offer of additional employment is inadequate to deal with the estimated 3400 vacancies or the ageing of the workforce. However, the
The FOA public services union and Danish Nurses' Organisation organised a joint conference on 29 May to discuss how to deal with the problem of violence in psychiatric care. The two organisations are concerned about the level of violence including very serious cases and they argue that strategies are needed to prevent and manage incidents. The unions note that increased pressure of work, the risk of working alone and shortage of staff have contributed to the problem. Read more at > FOA (DK)
On the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women on November 25, EPSU organized a campaign to promote a health and safe environment in the world of work, through the ratification of the Istanbul and the ILO 190 Conventions.
