Health and Safety
Joint SSE and EPSU event in the EP on job creation, quality employment in and sustainable funding of social services
Brussels, 1 December 2015On 1 December 2015 the Working Group on Public Services of the European Parliament Common Goods and Public Services Intergroup hosted a public hearing to exchange on
UK: Crisis in care homes could cost the NHS £3 billion
(25 January 2016) According to a report published last month by the independent [think-tank ResPublica->http://www.respublica.org.uk/our-work/publications/the-care-collapse-the-imminent-crisis-in-residential-care-and-its-impact-on-the-nhs/]*, around 37.000 places in care homes for the elderly could be lost over the next
Regulating domestic workers will reduce trafficking and abuse, says FEMM committee
(Brussels, 24 February 2016) There are approximately 2.5 million domestic workers throughout Europe, nearly 30% of whom are excluded from any national labour legislation, according to official figures. These workers
Labour inspectors strike over working conditions
(May 2016) Unions representing labour inspectors organised a day of strike action on 2 May in protest at the serious deterioration of working conditions. The unions are calling for the removal of the head of the service and immediate action to tackle issue of bullying and harassment and redeployment and dismissal of workers. The unions also want to see more resources and staff to ensure that the service can effectively tackle workplace issues and tackle precarious work. Read more at SIT (PT)
Firefighters develop plan to address cancer risk
(June 2016) Following a conference in Oviedo on 8 June, the FSC-CCOO public services federation has called for safety committees in the fire service to implement plan of action to tackle cancer risks for firefighters. The conference discussed the findings of 32 studies involving more than 110,000 firefighters, showing the risks firefighters face through contamination of uniforms, materials and equipment. The union wants to see action to eliminate or reduce the risk of cancer with implementation of routine cleaning and decontamination of equipment. The plan would also involve modifying the
Waste workers step up action
(July 2016) Workers in the waste sector, will take two days of strike action on 11-12 July in their continuing campaign over pay and conditions and health and safety. The unions, FP-CGIL, Fit Cisl, UilTrasporti and Fiadel, have already organised industrial action on 30 May and 15 June calling for a new collective agreement. The previous agreement expired at the end of 2013. The unions also want action to improve health and safety for the 100000 workers employed in both public and private waste sectors. Read more at FP-CGIL (IT).