Information & consultation, Digitalisation
Getting to grips with digitalisation
Digitalisation has the potential to positively transform public services and the jobs of public service workers. Quicker and easier access to services and increased participation of citizens can be combined with better quality jobs as repetitive work is replaced with more fulfilling tasks. However, trade unions must be involved in the transformation process not just to ensure that workers have their fare share of the benefits of digitalisation but also to deal with the potential downside. This briefing, produced for EPSU's 2019 Congress, highlights some of the work done on this issue in recent years and sets out the current priorities.
EPSU waits for European Commission response to legal challenge
EPSU has launched a legal case against the European Commission and is now waiting for the first formal response. EPSU has taken the case because the Commission refused to submit to the European Council the information and consultation agreement signed in the Central Government Administrations social dialogue in December 2015. Despite signing the European Pillar of Social Rights and making positive statements about social dialogue, the Commission has failed to act to provide important rights to 9.8 million central government workers that are already enjoyed in the private sector. The complaint
Digitalisation in home care and public employment services
While digitalisation has helped with time management in home care services and with removing routine tasks for public employment service workers, the evidence so far points to many more negative impacts in terms of psycho-social risks, physical wellbeing and increased management monitoring. These are initial findings from research being carried out for EPSU by the OSE research organisation and presented to EPSU's Quality Employment conference by Ramon Peña-Casas. The focus of the research is on the impact of digitalisation on job content, looking at work organisation, workloads and a range of
Union raises concerns over surveillance of care workers
Public services union UNISON has highlighted the case of care workers employed by the national charity Community Integrated Care who are being subjected to excessive surveillance. Staff have to sign-in on an hourly basis with their photos being taken and their identity also being checked with finger prints. The workers argue that the process actually hampers their ability to deliver proper care to clients. UNISON is also concerned that the company's use of biometric data without personal consent might infringe new data protection rules.
Public Service Unions to take European Commission to court for social dialogue U-turn
The European Federation of Public Service Unions (EPSU) is to take the European Commission to the European Union General Court on 15 May 2018 for failing to implement a Social Partners’ agreement by legislation.