The quality of employment in childcare - from EPSU - for Unions with Members working in Child Care , no matter what country.

https://www.epsu.org/epsucob/2018-june-epsucobnews-12/quality-employment-childcare

PSI Colleagues at the EPSU have published a report covering off on the challenges faced by Child Care Workers and their Unions . For those Unions working with Members in Child Care , (Local Government or other) the challenges and issues, no matter if you are in Europe , Australasia , Asia or any where else     

A copy of the report is also available at 
https://www.epsu.org/sites/default/files/article/files/HIVA%20childcare%20services.pdf

"Low pay, understaffing, inadequate opportunities for training and career development, increasing administrative work and health and safety issues are among some of the main challenges facing workers in childcare according to new research commissioned by EPSU. As part of a European Commission-funded project, "Quality Employment and Quality Public Services", EPSU asked the HIVA research unit at Leuven University to carry out four country case studies, investigating the situation of childcare workers in Bulgaria, Italy, Sweden and the UK. There were also positive developments in relation to the promotion of higher educational standards in Sweden, for example, while in Italy there had been a clear policy choice to extend and improve childcare provision. In contrast, low pay and precarious work were widespread in the UK while the sector in Bulgaria was facing a major challenge in recruitment to replace a rapidly ageing workforce. The researchers at HIVA, Monique Ramioul and Yennef Vereycken would be working further on the research following input from EPSU affiliates. Luca Scarpiello outlined how EPSU would develop its work around childcare." (Quote from EPSU web article)

Local Government Child Care workers update from Europe by EPSU

http://www.epsu.org/article/better-pay-training-and-career-development-childcare-workers
Better pay, training and career development for childcare workers

Austrian union launches petition to support childcare workers


 Younion, representing municipal workers in Austria has launched a petition calling for support for childcare workers in the Lower Austria region. The union highlights the significant increase in responsibilities for these workers who don’t just provide quality childcare but deal with a whole range of tasks including cleaning, preparing meals and dealing with parents. The union is calling on people to sign its petition with four main demands:
Improvements in the quality and quantity of education;
Provision of opportunities for training and further education;
Creation of a clear career path; and
Pay in line with the demands of the job.
(Read more at younion (DE)


Other news from EPSU’s childcare unions
Over the past year or so, EPSU affiliates in other countries have also raised important issues affecting the pay, working conditions and employment rights of childcare workers.


In Ireland the IMPACT and SIPTU trade unions have been calling for more state funding for childcare and improvements in pay for childcare workers. The major problem of low pay has been highlighted in a recent parliamentary report on the sector and the unions say that many workers are not only paid below the living wage but are often paid in school term time only. See EPSU collective bargaining newsletter articles from August 2017 and November, October and September 2016.


In Switzerland, the vpod public services union has called for an end to internships in childcare and additional funding to ensure a proper provision of training in the sector. The union argues that many employers exploit the intern system to keep staff costs down while there is evidence that many workers who start on internships as a step towards a proper traineeship are disappointed as too few training places are available. While some authorities and employers have tried to regulate internships, vpod argues that they should be abolished completely. See EPSU collective bargaining newsletter article from June 2017.



Earlier this year, the German public services union ver.di called on the minister for youth and families to launch a major national initiative to extend and improve training for childcare workers. The union argues that this is needed to ensure the supply of enough well-trained staff to cope with the planned increase of 100000 kindergarten places. The union also wants to see national action in relation to staffing levels to address the problem of the wide variation in the availability and quality of early years education from region to region. 
See EPSU collective bargaining newsletter article from June 2017.


Trade unions representing childcare workers in the private sector in Norway negotiated a new pay agreement this year which is in line with that in the municipal sector. Overall worth about 2.4% the agreement includes a 2% increase on minimum rates taking the lowest pay rate to NOK 295900 a year (around EUR 31650). The agreement covers over 26000 workers in more than 1700 workplaces. Meanwhile a strike over pensions in the Akasia group of kindergartens went into its fourth week at the end of May with more workers joining the strike. Equality of pension provision for men and women is a key demand.
See EPSU collective bargaining newsletter article from May 2017.


The BDDSz childcare workers' trade union in Hungary has been campaigning for several years to a pay increase for public service workers and so has been enthusiastic in its support for the ETUC's pay rise campaign. The union has stood up against government attempts to block strike action and successfully defended its right to strike in a court case in 2016. See EPSU collective bargaining newsletter articles from April 2017 and June 2016.


In Denmark the FOA public services union has been concerned for some time about increased pressure on municipalities to outsource care services, including childcare. The union reported in early 2017 that employees at the Naturfidusen private childcare provider were not paid in December as the company went bankrupt.See EPSU collective bargaining newsletter articles from January 2017.


French trade unions representing childcare workers were involved in mobilisations at the end of 2016 and beginning of 2017. The unions point out that working time and other working conditions vary considerably across the country and the needs of this group of workers has been ignored by employers both locally and nationally. They are calling for improved pay and conditions and career development for nursery school workers. 
See EPSU collective bargaining newsletter articles from January 2017 and December 2016.


In the private sector in Austria the vida services union reported that the minimum wage for childcare assistants increased by 2.3% from 1 January 2017. This took the minimum monthly wage to EUR 1469, a further step towards the union target of EUR 1500. The rate was negotiated with the federal administration and applies to around 5300 workers across the country. See EPSU collective bargaining newsletter article from December 2016.


The three main public sector federations in Italy - Fp-Cgil, Cisl-FP and Uil-Fpl - organised a national mobilisation in May 2016 as part of a campaign to improve and increase childcare services and the pay and conditions of childcare workers. The unions have raised concerns about inadequate staffing levels, too few nurseries, particularly for the 0-3 age group and precarious working conditions for childcare workers.
See EPSU collective bargaining newsletter article from June 2016.


Above news from EPSU  

http://www.epsu.org/article/better-pay-training-and-career-development-childcare-workers

Is Local Government Child Care cheaper and can there more Child Care places if the Not for profit model is used ? and we use Public Child Care ?

http://gmpsiaprec.blogspot.com/2016/11/is-local-government-child-care-cheaper.html

http://www.smh.com.au/national/education/boom-time-for-corporate-childcare-in-australia-20161109-gslgx2.html

The Sydney Morning Herald on line edition , has reported on the over $1 Billion profit made by the, for profit area of Child Care industry in Australia , last year . The article is well worth read , see link above 

 " To me this article is solid reminder that the Child Care industry has moved very much to far to the the for profit model, at the expense of public sector child care services, provide by Local Government and the not for profit sector , where profit is not made from child Care Services, but all monies are reinvested in or used for the provision of Child Care Services.

It means that some re balancing in addition provision of Child Care Services, by Local Government is needed.

 The article supports concerns by many Unions in the public sector Local Government , both in Australia and elsewhere , that child care funding is missing its mark. With this amount of  profit moving out of the sector each year. In a country like Australia with a population of around 23 million . 

If you could imagine if this $1 billion dollars (quoted in the article ) could have been used to provide more public sector Child Care places , and or in turn how much cheaper could Child Services be , if they were provide by Local Government .

One way funding Governments can increases Child Care Services places, and or make them cheaper is to use Local Government to provide the services, and remove the profit incentive ... Local Government already has the businesses structures, employment policies, property, the ability and much more to deliver Child Care Services ...and by the way it does supply services in Child Care each and every day. 

Thus there is no profit creamed off , but rather every cent is used to provide Child Care Services, and reinvested into Child Care Services provision, If funding Government were smart, they would set up the structure and work with Local Government to provide more Child Care Services ..

Clearly the for profit model, needs review, if over $1 Billion is taken out each year in profit, rather than being used to provide more Child Care Services and Child Care places - something is not working"

Comment by Greg Mclean - PSI AP Local Government and Utility Network Coordinator 

OECD Survey of Child Care Workers - with Child Care Workers playing a key roll in many Communities through their Local Government Employment , this is an ideal opportunity for Child Care workers to add their views, through having their Country participate in the OECD survey ...

The Starting Strong Teaching and Learning International Survey
A new survey is being prepared on preschool staff, their pedagogical and professional practices, training and working conditions to shed light on the quality of early childhood education and care settings around the world. Countries interested in joining the field trial (2017) and main study (2018) are invited to contact the OECD Secretariat before November 2016

The details in the OECD Survey can be located at https://www.oecd.org/edu/school/Flyer-OECD-International-ECEC-Staff-Survey.pdf

When will the survey be implemented? 
 2016: development and piloting of survey instrument (October) 
 2017: field trial (May-June) 
 2018: main study (March-May in Northern Hemisphere, August-October in Southern Hemisphere) 
 2019: analysis and reporting

Withe OCED advising that the survey is a - 

1)The Starting Strong survey will shed light on early childhood settings around the world from the perspective of those who are experiencing it first-hand. 
2) Building on the OECD Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) survey of the teaching profession, this new survey seeks to identify strengths and opportunities for early childhood learning and well-being environments across different countries and jurisdictions. It also aims at informing and facilitating policy discussions to re-think staff’s work organisation and enhance the overall quality of the workforce. 
3) The survey is part of the OECD’s long-term strategy to develop early childhood education and care data and will serve as the foundation for future analyses of what works for young children.

With the following themes, considered for the survey, cover evidenced-based quality indicators positively associated with ECEC quality and children’s development and well being and are in line with countries’ priorities:
 Beliefs about children's learning 
 Centre climate and working conditions 
 Centre process quality
 Equity and diversity 
 Job satisfaction and working conditions 
 Pedagogical practices and play 
 Professional development 
 Professional practices 
 Staff self-efficacy 
 Staff education and initial preparation 
 Stakeholder relations 
 Leadership 
 Centre environment 
 Child assessment/monitoring

Please contact your Governments ans ask them to participate in this survey .

Sweden Municipal union calls for block on care assistant recruitment

The Kommunal municipal trade union has called for a block on all new personal assistant appointments by private care companies in the ALMEGA employers' organisation. The union is protesting over the proposal by private care companies to offer personal assistants a 0.8% pay rise, well below the 2.2% being offered in the public sector.  Read more at Kommunal (SV) (Advice from EPSU)

Europe - Trade unions & NGOs meet to achieve real public country-by-country reporting by multinationals

On 13 July, EPSU, the European Public Service Union, together with the ETUC and affiliates from Austria, Belgium, Finland, Germany, Italy, Norway and Sweden held a meeting with Austrian S&D MEP Evelyn Regner, the rapporteur for the draft directive on public country-by-country reporting (CBCR).

Public CBCR  is a key policy demand to fight corporate tax avoidance. Public disclosure of corporate  financial, accounting and tax information  broken down per country  is  essential to assess tax avoidance risk and hold MNEs accountable to workers, their representatives and the wider public.  It can also contribute to fight pay and social dumping in Europe, that goes together with tax dumping, as has been exemplified by the case of McDonald’s. This also in the case with some private companies profiting from delivering healthcare and childcare services, such as the Swedish company Aleris whose tax dealings were presented by Norwegian union Fagforbundet at the meeting.

Tax and social justice are key priorities for citizens living and working in Europe.

Joined by tax justice campaign groups (Eurodad, Oxfam, Transparency International, One campaign and Publish What You Pay Norway), there is strong agreement that there is no point delaying  further the extension of public CBCR to all sectors of the economy.  It is the  mobilisation of civil society that led the  European Commission to put forward a  proposal as part of the Accounting Directive. But the proposal on the table falls short of the type of public CBCR that trade unions and NGOs want. To be effective and provide the full picture of corporate strategy, it must be improved in at least 3 major areas:

Extension of the scope

• public disclosure of key financial and tax information broken down on a CBC basis must apply to each country and jurisdiction, not just the EU, where EU and non-EU companies have operations. A  global public CBCR is  the simplest and most effective way of going about it.  As the proposal stands, the requirement for  multinationals to publish disaggregated reports on their activities in tax havens that are yet to be defined in an EU list may be attractive but is highly problematic. Whilst  EPSU supports a blacklist as a tool to crack down on tax havens by sanctioning those that use them and that enable their use, the draft directive is not the place for such a list. In that context, a blacklist will  only be an alibi to limit the reporting requirements for multinationals and thus prevent a comprehensive  tax risk assessment of a company.
• the proposed threshold of   €750 M turnover must be reduced to €40 million so that it will cover a much larger number of companies and be in line with the EU’s own definition of “large undertakings” included in the Accounting Directive

Deepening of the information requirements

The  proposed reporting requirements in the directive will not allow a real assessment of risks of profit shifting and intra-group dodgy dealings. More elements, that closely relate to one another,  must be added on the list  such as assets; sales and purchases; profit or loss before tax; tax on profit or loss, subsidiaries, public subsidies.

Simplify access to information

The  data reported would best be available using a common template to allow adequate comparability and auditing and be available in a central register in an open data format.

Next steps

The proposal is subject to co-decision with Parliament with the vote in plenary scheduled for early 2017. Unions and NGOs will continue their cooperation throughout the legislative process to ensure MEPs who have voted in the past in favour of public CBCR, will not only maintain their support but also as “co-deciders” will fight hard to improve the proposal that is already causing controversy within the EU Council.

An updated briefing of EPSU position on the draft directive will be shortly available and presented to the next NEA Committee (the Committee in charge of tax policy in EPSU) on 12 October in Brussels. An update of where we are at with the discussions in Parliament will be available in time for the EPSU Executive Committee on 8-9 November

(Advice from EPSU) 

Defending public services together! ' Thank you from the UN General Secretary , to all " public servants for their daily efforts to make a difference."

 http://www.world-psi.org/en/defending-public-services-together

 On the occasion of UN Public Service Day,  UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says : "On this Public Service Day, I thank all public servants for their daily efforts to make a difference. I also call upon young people everywhere to consider dedicating themselves to the noble cause of public service as we strive to build a future of dignity of all."

Public Services International, the global trade union organisation that represents public service workers, welcomes this positive message, especially in times when public services are under attack all over the world. Rosa Pavanelli, PSI General Secretary, says, "I hope this means that the UN is going to shift its emphasis from private capital to public investment to support the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. Austerity budgeting and reliance on private capital are failed policies. Multinational corporations are accumulating capital in offshore tax havens rather than reinvesting. We need to ensure multinationals pay their fair share of tax and that governments use this revenue to drive public sector growth through investment in universal, quality public services. Universal access to these public services is a pre-condition for healthy economies and just and equitable societies."

In the coming months, two global meetings will take place where PSI will defend public service workers and work in close coalition with civil society to ensure that the 2030 Agenda will deliver on its promises. Habitat III, the third United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development taking place every 20 years, will be held in Quito, Ecuador, on 17-20 October 2016. The United Nations has called the conference to take stock of the fast-changing urban trends and to “reinvigorate” the global political commitment to the sustainable development of towns, cities and other human settlements, both rural and urban. 

If city governments and urban economic development programmes are to deliver inclusion, socio-economic integration and sustainable livelihoods, these programmes must be rooted in the universal access to quality public services. They must have a special focus on integrating potentially vulnerable people, including women, young, elderly, migrants and refugees, indigenous communities and LGBT groups. And they must place Decent Work and workers’ rights at their very heart, addressing the problems of informal, precarious and low-skilled workers, long-term unemployed, the working poor, migrant workers and refugees.

Universal access to essential public services promotes equality, particularly among urban populations, and is inextricably linked to the respect of human rights. The role of universally accessible, affordable quality public services is paramount for building inclusive, sustainable cities. These essential public services must be publicly owned and managed. When market dynamics and profit maximisation govern the provision of public services, broader social and environmental sustainability objectives are no longer achievable. Public resources and commons become endangered, transparency and democratic civic scrutiny are weakened and the overall economic and social costs to the community rise. There is no evidence that the private sector is more efficient than the public sector. On the contrary, there is growing evidence of the failure of privatisation, be it through sale of assets, outsourcing, concession or public-private partnerships (PPPs). Effective alternatives to PPPs include remunicipalisation, public-public partnerships and inter-municipal cooperation.

Preparations for the July UNCTAD conference in Nairobi also show an unduly optimistic emphasis on private-sector favoured mechanisms such as Public-Private Partnerships which are described as “an effective way to fund infrastructure.” Tax Justice Network, EURODAD, Alliance Sud and the Third World Network all join PSI in calling for a stronger commitment regarding illicit financial flows, tax evasion and avoidance and a more equitable international trade regime, better attuned to the interests of developing countries.

Increased investor rights have prohibited developing countries from pursuing environmentally, future focused policies, such as in India where increased IP restrictions and time-frames made the phase out of ozone-damaging CFC chemicals unaffordable, and recently blocked solar energy policies. PSI and civil society allies will work to ensure that the role of the public sector in driving meaningful investment, growth and development is not undermined at UNCTAD14. Although other international bodies such as the WTO, World Bank and the IMF have long been private-sector cheerleaders, UNCTAD has thus far maintained a unique position in bringing a more nuanced, development-focused approach to trade and PSI aims to affirm UNCTAD’s mandate in this regard.

Together, we defend quality public services for all!

Also see:

 Public Service Day 2016 marks the first in a series of online actions by    EPSU against the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) – the controversial free trade deal that has been negotiated between the European Union and Canada. If passed, CETA will have far-reaching consequences for workers’ rights, public services and democracy as a whole, and will moreover set a worrying precedent for future trade deals – including TTIP. EPSU calls for its outright rejection by European politicians.

EPSU will lead a week of coordinated online action, 27 June – 1 July, before the European Council is due to authorise the signature of CETA on 5 July. They have put together a package of campaign materials to coordinate actions, to be shared with members, colleagues and wider networks.

·          Download PSI's statement

·          More on the United Nations Public Service Day

Advice fro PSI   http://www.world-psi.org/en/defending-public-services-together

Childcare: more quality less commercialisation - EPSU unions meet - Europe

http://www.epsu.org/article/childcare-more-quality-less-commercialisation

(2 June 2016) EPSU affiliates from 14 countries met in Brussels yesterday to discuss the latest developments in the childcare sector and the main challenges facing trade unions. While acknowledging the increase in provision in several countries there was serious concern about ensuring quality of service and quality of employment. Several participants also highlighted trends towards privatisation and commercialisation that they saw as undermining attempts to improve quality.

Some of the other common themes identified included:

• Problem of low pay, with childcare workers in some countries on or near minimum wage levels;
• Very challenging working environment and pressure of workloads;
• Staff shortages, inadequate training and high turnover; and
• Funding difficulties, particularly in relation to local and regional government and wide variations of provision across regions.

The afternoon debate focused on the European Semester – the process of economic policy coordination which, more recently, has highlighted the importance of social investment, including early years care and education. Representatives of the public (CEEP) and private (Businesseurope) employer organisations, the European Commission, the European Trade Union Confederation and the Eurochild campaigning and lobbying group joined the discussion.

While there was general consensus about the need for increased investment in childcare the panellists had their own take on some of the detail.

Read the full article at  http://www.epsu.org/article/childcare-more-quality-less-commercialisation

PSI has launched a bi-weekly privatization newsletter – Privatization Watch –

The newsletter collects news from around the world on privatization in water, health, energy, education, municipal and other government services, PPPs and related issues. From the next edition, we will include a regional focus and calls for action. The newsletter is produced in English, French and Spanish and you can subscribe to the languages of your choice by filling in the form on the PSI website. The newsletter is part of PSI’s Global Anti-Privatization Campaign.

Quality public services are the foundation of democratic societies and successful economies. They ensure that everyone has equal access to vital services, including health care, education, electricity, clean water and sanitation. When these services are privatized, maximizing corporate profits replaces the public interest as the driving force. PSI will continue to develop its global anti-privatization campaign: to focus on the drivers of PPPs; the role of the World Bank and the IMF; the link between development and privatization; how privatization is promoted by the G20 and OECD, and to strengthen our work at the sectoral level.

You can read and download the past and current editions of the newsletter and subscribe to it on our website.

Please do share this new tool with your staff, members and research associates who might find it useful.

The last edition of the newsletter includes a short survey. We welcome comments and contributions from you, please contact sandra.vermuyten@world-psi.org, PSI Head of Campaigns.

We look forward to your feedback,

In solidarity,

Rosa PAVANELLI

General Secretary

More information:

·          Subscribe to the newsletter: http://www.world-psi.org/en/e-mail-news-subscriptions

·          Download PDFs or read on-line: http://www.world-psi.org/en/privatization-watch-newsletter-2016

·          See PSI’s work on privatization: http://www.world-psi.org/en/issue/privatisation

EPSU news item - Unions call for higher pay in childcare

Ireland

Unions call for higher pay in childcare

The ICTU confederation has published a report on childcare highlighting low pay in the sector. Unions organising in the sector, including IMPACT and SIPTU, have welcomed the report and the call for a living wage of EUR 11.50 an hour as a starting wage in the sector. Read more at > IMPACT And at > IMPACT And at > SIPTU

European update - Italian unions push for ' training and skills ' / Denmark local govt outsourcing win / EU skills and responsibilities not recognised / UK EDF commitment to wages / Ireland child care workers / Slovenia electricity industrial actions for not honoring commitments and more !!

2016 April epsucob@NEWS 05 epsucob@NEWS Collective Bargaining in the Public Services

Italy	Public service unions to strike across Lombardy region The public service unions - FP CGIL, CISL FP, UIL FPL and PA - are organising a strike in the Lombardy region on 7 April. The mobilization will call for increased investment in public services and in the resources for training and improving skills, along with unfreezing collective bargaining in the public sector. The unions want to see the end of years of mismanagement and to the cuts that have produced a dramatic decline in the quality of services to communities. Read more at > FP CGIL Lombardia (IT) And at > CISL FP (IT)
Denmark	Union wins important outsourcing case  The FOA public services union has won a case against a private care company that had cut certain parts of the salary package when 60 employees had transferred from the Bøgeskov municipal care centre in Aarhus. The tribunal made clear that various payments relating to evening, night and weekend work and increased holiday supplements should be protected in the transfer. The FOA sees this as an important ruling that will be relevant to other cases of outsourcing. Read more at > FOA (DK)
Europe	Report highlights need to revalue care jobs An international analysis of pay in care occupations once again shows that these jobs, dominated by women, are often paid less than other sectors and below average wages. In an international comparison the study also found pay in the Germany care sector lagging behind many other countries. The report by the trade union linked Hans Boeckler Foundation underlines the urgent need to revalue pay in these occupations and properly recognise the skills and responsibilities required in many jobs across the health and social care sectors. Read more at > Hans Boeckler (DE)
Global	US unions relieved after court deadlock Public sector trade unions in the US have welcomed the outcome of a Supreme Court case that leaves intact their right to charge non-members who choose not to join but who benefit from the unions’ collective bargaining work. This right had been called into question by a member of the teachers’ union supported by a group of rich individuals and trusts. The case was referred to the Supreme Court whose deliberations ended in deadlock. Read more at > PSI Read more at > AFSCME
Ireland	Ambulance workers ballot for strike action  Ambulance workers, members of the SIPTU trade union, are being balloted for strike action in protest at the failure of the government to produce a key report on the sector. It is over two years since the government said it would publish a capacity review that the union sees as essential for a proper debate about what is needed to ensure a fully funded and operational service. Read more at > SIPTU
UK	Unions welcome energy firm’s living wage commitment  Unions at EDF Energy have welcomed the company’s commitment to pay at least the living wage to all its employees and to work towards ensuring that all its contractors also pay the living wage. The rate is calculated by the Living Wage Foundation and is currently GBP 9.40 (EUR 11.80) in London and GBP 8.25 (EUR 10.40) outside London. This is not to be confused with the new rate for the official minimum wage. The government has introduced a new minimum wage rate of GBP 7.20 (EUR 9.00) and has called it the "living wage". This applies only to workers aged 25 and over. Workers aged 21-24 continue to get the minimum wage rate of GBP 6.70 (EUR 8.45). Read more at > UNISON And at > GMB
Greece	Unions continue fight against social security cuts  The ADEDY public sector confederation has called a national strike for 7 April to follow up the action on 4 February. The confederation is protesting against government measures to cut the welfare bill, in particular pensions, and introduce higher direct and indirect taxes. According to the union the planned cuts to pensions in 2016 will be EUR 1.8 billion. Read more at > ADEDY (GR)
Ireland	Unions call for higher pay in childcare The ICTU confederation has published a report on childcare highlighting low pay in the sector. Unions organising in the sector, including IMPACT and SIPTU, have welcomed the report and the call for a living wage of EUR 11.50 an hour as a starting wage in the sector. Read more at > IMPACT And at > IMPACT And at > SIPTU
Sweden	New regulations should help tackle stress and overwork  Regulations that came into force on 31 March should help tackle the growing problems of stress and overwork in the welfare sector. Data on sickness absence reveal a growing trend related to stress and fatigue particular in welfare occupations dominated by women. The regulations set out clear responsibilities for employers to address issues of working time and working conditions in relation to reducing stress and overwork. Read more at > Vision (SV)
Spain	Health unions plan legal action over lack of negotiations  Unions representing health workers (CCOO, UGT and CSIF) met on 30 March to plan a legal challenge over the lack of social dialogue in the sector. They cite in particular the Pact for Health and decisions on clinical management and nurse prescriptions which have been implemented without negotiations with the trade unions. Read more at > CCOO Sanidad (ES)
Finland	Competitiveness pact negotiations get underway  Trade unions are in the midst of challenging sector negotiations on measures agreed at cross-sector level. For the public sector this will involve a 24-hour increase to annual working time without a commensurate pay increase and a 30% cut in holiday pay for the next three years. If these measures are agreed then the government should withdraw its proposals for public sector cuts. Read more at > JHL (EN)
Slovenia	Energy union plans strike action  The SDE energy union is planning to take strike action from 4 to 21 April in protest at the government taking unilateral decisions and failing to honour social dialogue outcomes. The union is also concerned about precarious conditions facing many in the industry. SDE (SI)->http://www.sindikat-sde.si/" class="spip_out">Read more at > EPSU (EN)
UK	MPs debate low pay among care workers  A parliamentary debate on the pay and conditions of care workers has highlighted the fact that many care workers are being denied the minimum wage. Reviewing a report published last year MPs heard that many care workers are not paid for travel time between jobs and pressure of work means than many have little time to spend with clients. Read more at > Unison
Austria	Breakthrough in negotiations for doctors  Following last year’s landmark first collective agreement for doctors in non-profit, religious hospitals in Vienna, services union vida has negotiated a new agreement that begins to close the gap with doctors in Vienna’s public hospitals. Working with the doctors’ chamber in Vienna, vida has secured a 1.35% pay increase overall but with additional payments for different categories of doctor. Read more at > vida (DE)
Greece	Wages hit by deregulation of collective bargaining  A report from the INE research institute of the GSEE private sector trade union confederation reveals the rapid impoverishment experienced by many as a result of the the crisis, labour market deregulation, the decline in collective wage agreements and wage cuts. Half of private sector workers take home less than EUR 800 a month, according to the research. Read more > Macropolis news website (EN)