Brussels, 11 September 2024

The number of firefighters was cut in a dozen EU member states last year despite a rising risk of fires caused by climate change, an analysis of new EU data by the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) has found. Eurostat figures published today show that there were 362,400 firefighters in the EU in 2023, which is an increase of 3,200 on the previous year. 

The ETUC  stands with teachers and their European trade union federation, the ETUCE, for the European Week of Teachers. The week of action aims to raise policy solutions in their 10 key demands to make teaching more attractive.

The number of firefighters has been cut in ten EU member states despite the climate crisis increasing the risk of fires, an analysis of new Eurostat data by the European Trade Union Confederal (ETUC) has found.Between 2021 and 2022, France lost the highest number of firefighters (-5,446), followed by Romania (-4,250) and Portugal (-2,907).The biggest percentage cuts over the same period came in Slovakia (-30%), Bulgaria (-22), Portugal (-21) and Belgium (-19).

The Finnish trade unions Tehy and SuPer have reached an agreement with municipal employers covering pay developments over five years, Covid-19 compensation payments and other improvements to working conditions. The average salary in the health and social services sector will increase by at least 17.3% over five years, with an increase of 15.3% in the first three years. Workers who were involved in treating Covid-19 patients will get a separate one-off payment of €600. It will bring nurses’ average monthly pay to over €3,000.

Commenting on the European Commission’s Care Strategy published today, Liina Carr, ETUC Confederal Secretary said “The Commission is right to propose that care services should be expanded, be made more accessible and affordable and of higher quality. This is particularly important because of our ageing population and the cost-of-living crisis that is pushing millions of working people into poverty. “More and more families need quality care services for all people in need whether in early childhood, in old-age or for persons with disabilities.”

Trade unions in Ireland have agreed with the country’s Department of Public Expenditure and Reform on a new framework for remote working, allowing civil servants to apply for ‘blended’ arrangements combining home and office working.

Ireland’s largest public service trade union Forsa has welcomed the government’s €1,000 tax-free award for workers who dealt with the Covid pandemic, in recognition of their hard work and sacrifices. Ireland is also creating an additional annual public holiday and reducing working time for public service workers to pre-austerity levels. From 1 July 2022, full-time public servants will return to the 35-hour week that applied before 2013, when austerity measures were introduced in response to the 2008-09 economic and financial crisis.

The European Commission’s Action Plan to boost the social economy to be an useful initiative for a under-appreciated and often-neglected sector says the ETUC. Liina Carr, ETUC Confederal Secretary said “The social economy accounts for 10% of the EU’s GDP and includes many cooperatives, mutuals, associations, foundations, not for profit organisations as well as enterprises.

By a large majority, Swiss citizens have voted in favour of a trade union-backed initiative calling for better care provision and improved working conditions for health and social workers. In the referendum, which took place on 28 November, 61% of voters supported the ‘Care Initiative’ (Pflegeinitiative) demanding more government support for health services. At present in Switzerland there are 11,700 nursing vacancies, and a further 70,000 new nurses will be needed by 2029. In addition, 4 out of 10 nurses leave their job early.

Trade unions in Lithuania have negotiated a good deal for workers in social and public services. The new collective agreement in social services brings a significant increase in minimum monthly pay, from €642 to €730, while working hours will be cut by one hour a week. Trade union members covered by the agreement will get an extra day’s leave after 10 years’ service.

French energy unions and their allies are celebrating the government’s withdrawal of its plan to break up the majority state-owned energy company EDF and are calling for energy supply to be a public service. Trade unions opposed the government proposal to restructure and split up the national public company Électricité de France, imposing a neo-liberal model that would undermine public energy supply. They warned that workers and consumers would be the victims of price increases and job losses.

The International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) and the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) have followed closely the collective bargaining rounds in the Turkish public sector, informed throughout by our affiliates.

Turkish and Dutch trade unions are working together to defend their countries’ public services.  At an online meeting in May, union leaders discussed how outsourcing, privatisation and commercialisation are affecting their public services, and what trade unions can do to prevent privatisation, or to bring services back into public ownership.  

Italy’s public service unions - Fp CGIL, CISL Fp and UIL Fpl - have signed a new three-year agreement with the Red Cross, running until 2022. It brings a pay increase of around 4.5%, as well as a number of other benefits.

A new collective agreement reached at the end of May will cover thousands of municipal workers in Finland, including teachers, nurses and other healthcare workers, many of whom have been on the front line fighting the coronavirus epidemic.

Public service unions in Croatia have reached an agreement with the government on higher pay, plus a supplement for workers in the education sector. "After a longer period of negotiations we have decided to sign the annex to the Basic Collective Agreement and we must express our satisfaction,” said Anica Prašnjak, president of the nurses' union. “The negotiations were not simple, they were demanding, however we did find a compromise solution. We have accepted it so that our people, after a certain number of years, can enjoy higher basic pay in 2020."

Unions in the Norwegian health sector, including Fagforbundet, YS and unions represented by LO Stat, are celebrating a historic victory following a positive ruling by the National Wages Board. It means that pensions will now be based on all earnings, ensuring that part-time workers will be entitled to a pension for the first time. The Board also confirmed a pay rise meaning that all workers will benefit from an increase already agreed for nursing staff. It was the government that took the issue to the National Wages Board in the summer.

The Czech government has approved funding for a pay increase for public sector workers, negotiated with trade unions in September. It will bring a flat rate CZK 1,500 (€59) salary increase, meaning on average a 7% rise, taking effect on 1 January 2020.

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.

Part-time firefighters in Sweden have won big gains in pay and allowances. The Kommunal municipal workers' union has secured a collective agreement that recognises the importance of this group of workers and the massive challenges they have faced recently as a result of widespread forest fires.

French care provider Korian has reached a deal with trade unions on setting up a European Works Council. It will be the first EWC in the sector of care for the elderly and people with disabilities. The groundbreaking agreement comes after months of negotiations and opens the way for further deals in this growing sector. Korian is a major player in social care with over 52,000 workers in six European countries.

Workers in the municipality of Dobrich in Bulgaria celebrated May Day 2019 in style, with a pay rise negotiated by local trade unions. The framework agreement between the municipality of Dobrich and CITUB Dobrich means an increase in the incomes of workers in specialist areas designated by the state and the local authority. 

After a three-year wait, public service branches of the ETUC’s Spanish affiliates CCOO and UGT have won a new deal on pay and conditions for 40,000 workers in central government administration. The previous Spanish government had refused to negotiate. The agreement brings an overall wage increase of 14% for the lowest paid employees, covering the three years 2018-2020.

Carers and migrant workers are among the groups benefitting from collective agreements secured by the Fagforbundet public services union in Norway. The union is working to ensure that pay for staff in municipal services, including childcare, fully respects their qualifications and experience, including care responsibilities in the family. This could mean up to six years’ extra service related pay and seniority: a salary boost of some NOK 40,000.