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Health and Social care services

Quality health care is important to families, societies and the economy – because healthy workers are more productive. The PSI – which represents 8 million health care workers – believes that care must be available to people who need it, not just to those who can pay. Health care is dangerous work. These workers, and the services they provide, are worthy of everyone’s support. Read more

Social security workers hold rally on Public Service Day

16 August 2017
Health workers and trade unionists rally in São Paulo

One of the highlights of the World Public Service Day, commemorated on 23 June, was the rally held in the centre of the city of São Paulo and organised by the National Confederation of Social Security Workers affiliated to the trade union centre CUT and by the São Paulo State Union of Public Sector Health Workers.

Support and solutions for psychological distress at work

16 August 2017
Man showing signs of stress and backache

In Quebec, there is no end to reforms in the health and social services sector, which have an adverse psychological impact on the workforce. For more than 20 years, health workers have had to constantly adapt to new standards, guidelines and structures, as determined by different governments.

AFT demands Healthcare NOW!

16 August 2017
Randi Weingarten, President of AFT, at the protest in Washington

“What do we want? Healthcare. When do we want it? Now!” These and other chants of protesters echoed off the white marble-clad U.S. Capitol during a recent protest led by Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers.

Brazil: Nursing in danger from government reforms

16 August 2017
Health workers demonstrate in São Paulo

The national federation of nurses in Brazil (Federação Nacional dos Enfermeiros, FNE), has worked for many years to obtain better working conditions, fair working hours and decent pay for nurses across the country, including in São Paulo. Despite the economic crisis, it continues to fight on behalf of thousands of nurses to allow them a better quality of life which would also enable them to provide better care for patients.

Ukraine: the struggle for social dialogue in health reforms

16 August 2017
Participants from Ukrainian unions FPU and HWUU met the AFL-CIO representative

On 2 August, Grygorii Osovyi, President of the Federation of Trade Unions of Ukraine (FPU) and Viktoriia Koval, President of the Health Workers’ Union of Ukraine (HWUU), her deputy Iryna Shvets, and FPU staff members met Tristan Masat, AFL-CIO Solidarity Center Country Program Director to discuss the current state of the healthcare system in Ukraine.

Continuing professional development and life-long learning

16 August 2017
There were around 100 participants at the conference

EPSU (European Federation of Public Service Unions) and HOSPEEM (European Hospital and Healthcare Employers’ Association) organised a two-day Conference on Continuing Professional Development in Amsterdam, on 19-20 June, with the theme: “Working together, learning together – Switching to the learning mode.”

Kerala nurses take on powerful private hospital industry

16 August 2017
Health worker in India prepares to vaccinate baby

On 20 July 2017, nurses from the southern Indian State of Kerala achieved an inspiring victory resulting in a substantial increase in wages. This was after a month long struggle, during which they stood resolute against all efforts by the private hospitals industry to break their will.