Health and Safety, Corporate Social Responsibility
Right to disconnect: implement the EU social partners agreement in Central Government Administrations
Speaking at an event on the Right to Disconnect hosted by the S&D Group in the European Parliament, EPSU General Secretary Jan Willem Goudriaan reiterated the urgent need to make the right to disconnect a reality.
Union raises alarm over attacks on public service workers
The ver.di trade union has strongly condemned the violence against firefighters, rescue services and police officers on New Year's Eve and calls on employers to do much more to fulfil their duty of care towards employees. Numerous workers were injured after coming under fire from rockets and firecrackers or as a result of other attacks. The events on New Year's Eve have highlighted the kinds of violence to which many public sector workers are exposed on a day-to-day basis. The union wants employers to ensure they document all incidents and that employees report all assaults, write accident
Unions raise alarm over health and care staffing and violence
The FNV trade union is again sounding the alarm over staff shortages in health and social care following the release of official forecasts for the coming decade. The figures show that, on current trends there is a real risk of serious breakdown in the sector which faces an expected shortage of almost 190,000 employees by 2033. The FNV is calling for urgent action, noting that the 5000 shortfall in hospital staff now is set to rise to 27700 in 2033 and that the understaffing exposed by the COVID pandemic will be permanent state of affairs in future. The FNV is calling on the government to
EU social partners in central governments urge Commission to enforce their agreement’s provisions on telework and right to disconnect
Following years of discussions and joint guidelines on digital technologies in central government administrations, an agreement on digitalisation was signed on 6 October 2022.
Union wins 10-year campaign on workplace cancers affecting firefighters
The FOA trade union has welcomed the decision of the labour market insurance body to recognise that there is sufficient evidence of a causal link between firefighting and two types of cancer: bladder cancer and mesothelioma. The first is linked to exposure to soot and related chemicals (PAHs) and the second linked to exposure to asbestos. This means that firefighters affected by the two serious illnesses will be able to have them recognised as occupational injuries. FOA is not only pleased that its 10-year campaign has led to the change of practice but it also means that previously rejected
Staff shortages, mental health and social dialogue discussed by health and social care trade unions
45 participants, including external speakers, discussed developments in the health and care sector taking place since the previous meeting in February of this year, including the urgent issue of staff shortages, retention and recruitment.
Study exposes impact of psycho-social risks at work
Research financed by the European Trade Union Institute has been able, for the first time, to estimate the number of cases of, and deaths from, depression and cardiovascular disease that can be directly attributed to exposure to psychosocial risks at work. The study covers 35 European countries. This new research focused on five psychosocial risks at work: job strain, effort-reward imbalance, job insecurity, long working hours, and bullying. While there were significant common findings across Europe, there was some variation between countries: in France, for example, 19% of depression cases
National and European Administration: EPSU affiliates discuss new leadership, digitalisation, good administration and more
By acclamation the NEA Standing Committee elected Karin Brunzell ST Sweden and Alain Parisot UNSA France as co-chairs of the Committee, and Federico Trastulli, UILPA, Italy as vice-chair.