Progress towards social dialogue on social services took a step forward this summer with a meeting between European trade unions and employers in the sector.
The European Public Service Union (EPSU) met with the Federation of Social Employers to discuss better working conditions offering greater dignity to the 10 million social service workers across Europe.
A conference in Brussels heard about new findings on the state of social dialogue across the European Union. Sylvain Renouvel, Director of the Social Employers, also announced the launch of the Social Employers Observatory, a specialised research unit looking at working conditions and sustainability in the social services sector. This was followed by a series of thematic meetings between the Social Employers and EPSU, focusing on digitalisation and recruitment and retention in social services.
The two sides signed a joint letter to European Employment Commissioner Marianne Thyssen and Joost Korte, Director General of DG EMPL, asking for EU support to set up an effective EU-level social dialogue for the social services sector. EPSU and the Social Employers will reconvene on 17 October 2019 for a thematic meeting on socially responsible public procurement in social services.