Early Childhood Education and Care
Early Childhood Education and Care is an important area of social services for EPSU which aims to work together with affiliates, civil society and others to ensure accessible, affordable and quality childcare in Europe. The overwhelmingly female workforce is undervalued and the improving of pay and working conditions across the sector is crucial along with lobbying and campaigning for increased public investment and funding. EPSU has set up an Early Childhood Education and Care network to enable affiliates that organised in the sector to coordinate and exchange information. For more information and updates on EPSU ECEC NETWORK activities please see the childcare network page
Date
Apr. 03, 2025
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Strike suspended in hospitals, childcare deal rejected
FNV has suspended the planned national strike by hospital workers after employers presented a new offer for a collective agreement. The move follows months of negotiations and mounting pressure, including an ultimatum and the mobilisation of strike committees in 47 hospitals. The nationwide strike, scheduled for mid-April, would have been only the third of its kind in the sector. The new offer includes an 8% wage increase in four steps by August 2026. It also improves compensation for irregular shifts, including a 38% bonus for Saturday mornings, and raises travel allowances to €0.21/km. A €50
Mar. 06, 2025
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Serbia: Strikes in social services and childcare
Workers at the City Center for Social Work (GCSR) in Belgrade, represented by the GS ZSZ Nezavisnost trade union , went on strike on 24 February 2025 after months of unaddressed demands regarding working conditions, staffing shortages, and financial insecurity. Despite a significant increase in workload, there has been no corresponding rise in staffing levels, leaving workers overwhelmed. The union previously held a warning strike on 24 January, but management failed to engage in meaningful negotiations, prompting the escalation to a full strike. The industrial action in Belgrade was part of a
Jan. 09, 2025
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Austria: Wages in childcare rise by 4 and 4.3 percent
The unions GPA and Vida have secured significant improvements in wages for workers in private childcare institutions through negotiations at the Federal Conciliation Office. Kindergarten teachers will see a 4 percent salary increase, with their new minimum salary set at €3,063 in the first year, while assistants’ wages will rise by 4.3 percent, bringing their minimum salary to €2,137. These pay increases are expected to bolster purchasing power and improve income development, particularly in a sector striving to enhance its attractiveness. The increase is especially impactful for assistants
Dec. 11, 2024
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Finland: Governments proposal for stricter strike regulations
The Finnish government has introduced new proposals that aim to regulate industrial action in social and healthcare services, as well as early childhood education. At the core of these changes are expanded "minimum service requirements" during strikes, which mandate that certain tasks necessary to safeguard life, health, and property must continue even during industrial action. Under the proposed framework, employers would gain greater control in defining and enforcing the minimum service requirements. This shift could significantly limit the ability of workers to carry out effective strikes
Oct. 17, 2024
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Bulgaria: Collective agreement for municipal workers in Blagoevgrad
A new collective agreement has been signed between the Blagoevgrad municipality and the trade unions KNSB and CT Podkrepa, improving the working conditions of staff in municipal nurseries and school health care services. This agreement applies to nurses, cooks, kitchen assistants, and caretakers who work in nurseries and health care facilities within schools. It guarantees increased paid annual leave, with nurses receiving 12 additional days and other workers such as cooks, teachers, and caretakers receiving six extra days. Additional leave days are also provided for workers with children
Oct. 17, 2024
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Germany: Berlin court halts daycare workers’ strike
Berlin’s State Labor Court has prohibited strikes by daycare workers involved in a long-standing dispute over working conditions and educational quality in daycare centers. Since 2022, workers have been calling for a collective agreement to address staff shortages and improve the quality of care. The excessive workload has resulted in burnout and higher absenteeism, which, in turn, affects the children in these centers. Workers are demanding more staff to alleviate pressure and ensure better educational support. In response to the growing dissatisfaction, 91.7% of daycare workers voted in