News

UNI Europa attended on 12September 2013, a conference organised by Eurofound, (European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working conditions) on “more and better home-care services in Europe”. During the conference Eurofound presented its most recent study on recruitment and retention measures in community-based care and support services for adults with disabilities and health problems. The study examines 30 case studies from 10 EU Member States and can be downloaded on the Eurofound website: http://www.eurofound.europa.eu/areas/labourmarket/home-care.htm



The research by and large confirms the trend identified by many UNI Europa members that the health and social care sector is growing in nearly all Member States, with an increasing trend towards home care services. The number of care workers across Europe has also been growing tremendously since 10 years and will further grow to meet the increasing demand of an ageing European population.



During the conference researchers, policy makers, trade unions and service providers unanimously agreed that care workers across Europe face difficult working conditions, low pay, a high turnover, and limited possibilities for career development. The sector also is challenged by a high degree of undeclared work, important financial cutbacks due to austerity measures, a largely female workforce, a high proportion of migrant workers, the need to better value the work in the sector and to better coordinate informal and formal care. Several participants of the conference also deplored the absence of specific European social dialogue structures for the care sector.



In the light of the findings of the Eurofound research and conference and the most recent experiences of affiliates at national level, UNI Europa’s members will address the challenges of the care sector during their forthcoming working group meeting on social insurance & care which will take place on 02 October 2013 in Brussels.