Health

In France, negotiations in the non-profit health, social and care services sector (BASSMS) have been suspended after the employers’ organisation AXESS walked away from talks on the future collective agreement. The employers are demanding firm and long-term state funding guarantees before continuing discussions, especially regarding salaries. The CFDT Santé-Sociaux criticised the move, warning that it undermines social dialogue and breaches the jointly agreed negotiation timeline. While recognising the sector’s financial strain, the union insists that funding demands must be based on negotiated

Workers organized by Ver.di at Charité Facility Management (CFM), which provides non-clinical services at Berlin’s public university hospital, have reached a collective agreement with their employer to gradually align their wages with those set in the public sector collective agreement (TVöD). The agreement was reached on 6 June following several days of negotiations between ver.di and CFM. The deal covers staff in patient transport, cleaning, security, medical technology, and grounds maintenance—roles that were outsourced to CFM in 2005–2006. Since then, new hires have worked under less

Unions representing hospital workers in Norway have reached agreements with the employers’ association Spekter, securing real wage growth for 2025 in line with the framework of the so-called frontfag model. The settlement applies across Spekter’s health areas 10 and 13, covering a wide range of workers including nurses, midwives, ambulance personnel, porters, and administrative staff. LO-affiliated unions— Fagforbundet, FO, Creo and EL og IT Forbundet —negotiated general increases and higher minimum wages, with particular gains for low-paid groups. Midwives with over ten years of service will

In response to the worsening situation in public hospitals, the FO-SPS federation has filed a national strike notice from 7 May to 30 June covering all staff. The union points to closures of emergency services, restructuring of facilities, and ongoing budget cuts, while social dialogue has stalled. FO warns of serious staffing issues over the summer and says the government’s latest measures will only worsen the crisis. This action adds to growing unrest in the sector. On 1 April, five major unions—CFDT, CFE-CGC, CGT, FO, and SUD—organised a nationwide strike in the health and care sectors

Health workers across NHS Scotland have voted to accept a new two-year pay offer from the Scottish government. Members of the unions representing NHS staff— UNISON , Unite and RCN —backed the agreement, which includes a 4.25% increase for 2025/26 and 3.75% in 2026/27, alongside a commitment to ensure pay remains at least 1% above inflation (CPI). The deal, estimated at £701 million for 2025, was accepted by large majorities in each union’s vote. It is expected that the increase for 2025/26 will be paid in June salaries, with backdated pay from 1 April 2025 included in July. While the result

Unions in Finland, including JHL , Jyty , Super and Tehy , have approved a new general agreement for workers in municipalities and wellbeing services counties, covering the period 1 May 2025 to 29 February 2028. The deal lays out a framework for pay and working conditions for around 500,000 workers. The agreement provides for average wage increases of 7.37% over the three-year period, alongside a jointly agreed pay development programme to be implemented from 2026 to 2028. In the social and healthcare sector, the total increase is expected to exceed 14% according to Tehy , with targeted

Austria’s federal government has announced that nursing will be included in the pension scheme for hardship occupations, responding to a long-standing demand from unions in the health and care sectors including FSG GÖD , Younion and GPA . From 1 January 2026, nursing staff will be able to retire at 60 with 45 years of contributions, without deductions. The reform updates the national ordinance on hardship occupations to reflect the physical and mental strain of care work. It also corrects long-standing inequalities in the recognition process, where nursing staff often had to meet higher

Hospital and rehabilitation centre workers in the Netherlands have secured a new two-year collective agreement after 77% of FNV members voted in favour of the negotiated outcome. The agreement delivers a total wage increase of 8%, improved allowances, and stronger protections for work-life balance. The deal includes a first pay rise of 2% retroactive from 1 February 2025, with further increases bringing the total to 8% over the agreement’s duration. Workers will now also receive compensation for changing at the workplace and a higher travel allowance approaching the fiscal maximum. The

Following intense negotiations at the Workplace Relations Commission, Irish unions – INMO , Fórsa , Unite , Connect, and MLSA – have secured significant commitments from the Health Service Executive (HSE) to address critical staffing shortages in the public health service. The proposals, which led to the suspension of a planned work-to-rule in late March, have now been overwhelmingly approved by union members in workplace ballots. Under the agreement, the HSE committed to replacing all posts that become vacant through retirement, resignation or transfer, within staffing and budget limits. The

Workers in Ireland’s publicly funded health, social care, and community services have overwhelmingly approved a new pay agreement, securing a 9.25% increase over two years. The agreement, reached through negotiations at the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC), covers staff in organisations funded under Sections 10, 39, 40 and 56 of Irish legislation. SIPTU and Fórsa members voted strongly in favour of the deal, which follows sustained campaigning for pay parity with public sector counterparts. The agreement runs from October 2024 to October 2026 and includes incremental general round

Workers from Belgium’s non-profit sector will take to the streets of Brussels on 22 May to demand better working conditions and policies that recognise the value of care and social services. The action follows a major demonstration last November, when 30,000 workers protested against staff shortages, unsustainable workloads, and government inaction. Union representatives from FGTB-ABVV and CSC-ACV underline that there has been no progress since last autumn, with growing concerns over career endings, the impact of government measures on women, and the privatisation of public services

Ver.di has secured a new collective bargaining agreement covering around 21,000 workers at 33 Helios hospitals nationwide. After determined warning strikes and strong mobilisation, Ver.di achieved a six percent wage increase in two steps: three percent backdated to March 1, 2025 (with a minimum of €110), and another three percent from May 1, 2026. Trainee pay will rise by €75 at each stage, bringing a total increase of €150. A key achievement for Ver.di was the improvement of shift work allowances and equal overtime compensation for part-time and full-time workers — a major step forward in a

CGT, UNSA, FSU, Solidaires, CFE-CGC have announced a national mobilisation for 13 May in response to the government’s failure to address workers’ concerns over pay, job security and the future of public services. Despite the strong signals sent by the strike action and demonstrations in December 2024, the latest proposals do not go far enough to ensure decent working conditions and proper funding. Unions are particularly concerned about plans for the 2026 budget, which could result in job losses, a continued freeze on salary indexation, and the weakening of essential public service missions