Health and Social Services, Recruitment & organising
Strong public service unions are vital if we are to stand up for our values and our vision in our workplaces, sectors and communities. They are crucial in dealing with national, European and global institutions and in representing public service workers in national trade union centres and the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC). EPSU affiliates are more effective in negotiating and campaigning where they can count on an active membership, high union density or broad support from workers.
EPSU has been taking a range of initiatives to support affiliates, particularly in Central and Eastern Europe, to build union power by developing recruitment and organising strategies and campaigns. This briefing, prepared for the 2019 Congress, covers recent work and current priorities. Our Organising and Campaigns staff, Agnieszka Ghinararu, Miloš Vlaisavljević and Artem Tidva, are working with affiliates to help them with advice, support and training and keeping them informed about new ideas on recruitment and organising methods.
EPSU-HOSPEEM Project (2017-2018) on CPD and MSD and PSRS@W
Joint EPSU-HOSPEEM Project “Promoting effective recruitment and retention policies for health workers in the EU by ensuring access to CPD and healthy and safe workplaces supportive of patient safety and quality care” (01.02.2017-31.01.2019)
Promoting Social Dialogue in Health Care in Bulgaria
On 2 June 2017 the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung Bulgaria, together with , organised a Discussion Forum in Sofia to identify and address the challenges for effective social dialogue in Bulgaria. EPSU and HOSPEEM contributed to the exchange in highlighting the role and illustrating main outcomes of the the EU-level social dialogue in the hospital sector.
Employers and trade unions renew commitment to ethical cross-border recruitment and retention policies
The European sectoral social partners for the hospital/health care sector, EPSU and HOSPEEM, renewed their commitment to promote decent recruitment and working conditions for migrant workers, in hospitals and health care facilities.
Social partnership solutions and good practice models to reduce psychosocial risks and burdens in health care
EPSU has supported a transnational project involving EPSU affiliates from six countries to promote social partnership solutions and good practice models to reduce psychosocial risks and burdens in health care.
Disseminating results from joint work on health and safety and continuing professional development
On 3 December 2018 HOSPEEM and EPSU organised the social partners’ dissemination workshop focusing on the outcomes of two projects on health and safety and continuing professional developement.
Capacity building project for the hospital sector in Central, East and Southern Europe started
On 28 March 2019 EPSU participated, together with its representatives of the two national affiliates from Romania, Sanitas, and Croatia, HSSMS-MT, in the kick-off meeting of the joint HOSPEEM-EPSU project focusing on strengthening social dialogue in the hospital sector that will run in 2019 and 2020.
Social care workers call on strengthening the workforce perspective in the transition from institutional to community-based care
This article summarises the main topics addressed at the meeting of the EPSU Working Group Social Services on 26 February, with one focus on the transition from institutional care to community-based care and how to make this transition also work for the social care and health workforce.
Main topics addressed and decisions taken at the 50th Standing Committee Health and Social Services
This article summarises the main topics addressed at the meeting as well as the major decisions taken at the 50th edition of the EPSU Standing Committee "Health and Social Services" (SC HSS) on 27 February.