Cel mai amplu sondaj de până acum arată că salariile mici fac ca sectorul european de îngrijire casnică și la domiciliu să fie „nesustenabil”.

Cel mai amplu sondaj de până acum arată că salariile mici fac ca sectorul european de îngrijire casnică și la domiciliu să fie "nesustenabil".

22 Mai, 2024| Muncitori domestici, In centrul atentiei, Comunicat de presă, Publicații

Bruxelles, 22 mai 2024

Working conditions of domestic and home care workers across Europe are not sustainable, conform unui nou Sondaj la nivel european released today. Most surveyed workers (56.9 per cent) a spusthey will be unable to work in their job until retirement age, În timp ce 59.9 la sută dintre cei chestionați - 96 per cent of which are women - said they have considered leaving the sector in the past three years, two-thirds of them (67.5 per cent) because of low pay.

As a worker from Slovakia testified: "You will only crawl to retirement with burnout. It's a shame because I like this job, but after 18 years, enough is enough. I'm on my way out." That is particularly worrying given Europe's demographic crisis, with the ratio of the population over 65 projected to increase from one fifth to one third by 2050.

The survey suggests that social dialogue and collective bargaining at the European level need to be strengthened for working conditions and quality care as well as domestic services to improve.

"PHS Employment Monitor" survey refers to Personal & Household Services (PHS) workers, the official term used by the European Commission. It is the largest-ever survey produced in Europe in the PHS sectors. Jointly commissioned by social partners, European trade union federations UNI Europa and EFFAT and employer organisations EFFE and EFSI, the survey collected the responses of more than 6,500 PHS workers, employers, and service users from 26 countries.

The results point to an ongoing and serious crisis of labour shortages and turnover in a sector that accounts for an estimated 4 per cent of total employment in the EU. Workers, employers, and service users or users-employers alike see the sector as undervalued, in terms of perception, pay, and public funding. As a PHS employer in France testified: "The salary is not attractive, they do not want to work in this sector or when they work there, it is not the priority."

The results also underline the important role of users-employers within the PHS sectors. Most of them believe they would benefit from representation by an employer's organisation that could negotiate minimum standards in the sector with trade unions. Moreover, more than half (60.8 per cent) of those employers surveyed whose workforces are not covered by a collective bargaining agreement, say they are open to signing a collective agreement. The majority of PHS users who responded to the survey said they would prefer to use a company or organisation that has a collective agreement with trade unions governing the working conditions of PHS workers in their homes.

The survey shows that workers, employers, and many service users, users-employers agree that the PHS sectors lack the public and institutional recognition to match their importance and contribution to society, thus exacerbating the low pay and poor conditions that drive workers to look elsewhere. That is in line with PHS social partners' demands in their joint reaction to the European Care strategy. The lack of recognition is also deeply linked to a lack of public investment in the sector.

În acest context, trade unions and employers' organisations engaged in social dialogue in the PHS sectors can have a crucial role: the results of the survey show that there is significant room for improvement through collective bargaining at all levels. It outlines further solutions ranging from the formalisation of the sector to educational efforts to improve the image of PHS work for workers and users, to increased state funding to resolve the tension between high prices and low wages in the sector, and to overall improved working and living conditions.

Alte constatări cheie includ:

• The majority of PHS workers reported their jobs as being mentally taxing. Among those who work 40 hours or less per week, 50 per cent said their job has caused mental health problems such as stress, anxiety, or burnout. Among those who work more than 40 hours per week, this number rises to 65.8 per cent.
• Nearly all the PHS provider organisations surveyed (96.7 per cent) indicated that they have implemented at least some measures to reduce labour turnover. The most common measures implemented by employers are wage increases, efforts to improve workers' mental health and well-being, access to training and career development opportunities, as well as additional non-wage benefits. In this regard, many pointed out that increased state support and public investment is the only viable solution.
• While forming an important part of the sector, migrant PHS workers experience a significantly worse work-life balance. 38.2 per cent of migrant PHS workers said that their job does not allow for a good work-life balance, compared to 27.5 per cent of non-migrant workers who said the same. Likewise, significantly more have considered leaving the profession in the past three years.
• 40 per cent of migrant workers faced administrative difficulties related to their migration status when trying to find PHS work. The additional critical challenges of being undocumented migrant workers, can be a barrier to declared work, which translates into lack of recognition, rights, and protection, as reported by a PHS cleaner from the Netherlands: "I am undocumented in NL and the government does not recognise my work here, so we do not have benefits like paid sick leave."
• Service users and users-employers unanimously highlighted their sense of the "disaster" that would await them if they no longer had access to PHS workers for their homes. Some who have PHS care workers in their homes expressed how they would have no choice but to move parents and other loved ones into assisted living and out of their homes. Likewise, many women who receive PHS services at home shared their recognition that, without the help of these workers, they would find their career opportunities more constrained and their quality of life reduced.

Undeclared work is a plight of the PHS sector: although difficult to measure, survey evidence suggests that a lack of regulation, collective bargaining, and government support leads to a higher risk of undeclared work in the PHS. In this regard, provider organisations and service users agree on the perceived motivation behind undeclared work. 66.2 per cent of PHS provider companies surveyed identified the 'higher labour cost of declared work' as being a key driver of undeclared work.

UNI Europa Regional Secretary Oliver Roethig said: "Homecare and PHS workers have an essential role in sustaining life and shaping the future of European society. Yet, our survey shows that too often they remain undervalued and lack the recognition they deserve. This can only be changed through strong social dialogue and collective bargaining at all levels to improve pay and conditions for workers across Europe. As European social partners in PHS, today we reaffirm our joint commitment towards increased recognition for the PHS workers and sectors in Europe: this study is a proof that the activities of the PHS social partners will need support and financing in the years to come."

EFFAT General Secretary Kristjan Bragason said: "This survey's exercise is a landmark demonstration of the commitment of all PHS social partners to increase the recognition of the sector. After all, domestic work accounts for 4 % of EU employment. It is time for it to be recognized as any other sector of the economy, governed by viable industrial relations and decent working conditions. Workers and employers agree: strengthening social dialogue and collective bargaining is the way forward and we're on the right path."

EFSI President, Delphine Chilese-Lemarinier said: "The PHS Employment Monitor gives body to well-known realities and challenges of our sector, which were impossible to quantify at the European level until now. It paves the way for joint work towards common and coordinated actions to ensure the sector's sustainability for the benefit of all: workers, employers, and service beneficiaries. The report's findings align with EFSI's long-term commitment to pursue a structured and stronger social dialogue towards granting PHS workers and employers the support they deserve and bringing them out of the shadows."

EFFE General Delegate, Aude Boisseuil: "As our survey reveals, the domestic and home care sector stands at a critical juncture, facing unprecedented challenges exacerbated by persistently low pay and demanding working conditions. Urgent action is needed to ensure the sustainability and vitality of this essential sector, which plays a fundamental role in supporting our communities and addressing the needs of an aging population. Robust social dialogue, encompassing both workers and household employers, is pivotal. It's time for stakeholders across Europe to come together, engage in meaningful dialogue, and implement reforms that prioritise the well-being of workers and the quality of care provided to those who depend on it."

-Ends

Pentru informații suplimentare puteți contacta:
EFFAT : Grace Papa | [email protected], + 32 488 56 46 56
EFFE: Aude Boisseuil | [email protected], + 33 6 26 08 21 66
EFSI | Aurélie Decker | [email protected], + 32 473 66 48 69
UNI-Europa | Mark Bergfeld | [email protected], + 32 473 82 74 22

EFFAT este Federația Europeană a Sindicatelor Alimentare, Agricultură și Turism. Fiind Federația Europeană a Sindicatelor care reprezintă 120 de sindicate naționale din 35 de țări europene, EFFAT apără interesele a peste 22 de milioane de lucrători angajați de-a lungul lanțului alimentar. EFFAT este membru al CES și al organizației regionale europene a IUF.

EF, Federația Europeană pentru Ocuparea Forței de Muncă a Familiei și îngrijirea la domiciliu, reprezintă interesele părților interesate naționale, inclusiv organizațiile partenerilor sociali (lucrători și angajatori) care operează în domeniul ocupării directe a forței de muncă. Acest model se caracterizează printr-o relație contractuală de muncă între două persoane private, fără niciun obiect de tranzacționare sau de profit.

EFSI, Federația Europeană pentru Servicii pentru persoane fizice, este vocea industriei serviciilor personale și gospodărești la nivel european, reprezentând asociații naționale, organizații de angajatori, furnizori de PHS și companii implicate în dezvoltarea serviciilor personale și gospodărești și care activează în prezent în 21 de state membre ale UE.

UNI Europa este Federația Europeană a Sindicatelor pentru 7 milioane de euro lucrători de servicii. Acesta vorbește pentru sectoarele care constituie coloana vertebrală a vieții economice și sociale în Europa. Cu sediul central în inima Bruxelles-ului, UNI Europa reprezintă 272 de sindicate naționale din 50 de țări, inclusiv: comerț, asigurări bancare și bănci centrale, jocuri, grafică și ambalaje, păr și frumusețe, servicii de tehnologie a informației și comunicațiilor, media, divertisment și arte, Servicii poștale și logistică, îngrijire privată și asigurări sociale, curățare industrială și securitate privată, sport și agrement profesional, profesioniști / manageri și lucrători temporari ai agențiilor.