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Trade unions and the Child Care sector Hotel do Mar, Sesimbra 14 - 17 June 2008 (852.27) |
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This event had the support of the EUROPEAN UNION |
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27 representatives from trade unions affiliated to EPSU participated in a seminar organised by the Education Department of the European Trade Union Institute aiming to:
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examine and learn about the developments and debates on childcare, which take place at EU-level |
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exchange national experiences and see where there are common issues to be tackled, e.g. at EU-level |
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examine and learn in which way trade union strategies could raise trade union’s profiles in the childcare sector |
The participants were welcomed to Portugal by Francisco Paz, President of STAL.
Provision of
childcare services
Tamara Goosens, EPSU, and
Jean-Claude Le Douaron ETUI, introduced the programme and the practical
framework for the seminar. After a comparative overview of childcare systems in
Europe, presented by Jane Lethbridge, a researcher at PSIRU and the Business
School of the University of Greenwich, the
participants exchanged their experiences in working groups about the following
issues:
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What are the arrangements for childcare in your country? (Please specify the differences between age groups). |
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What are the specific responsibilities of national, regional, municipal authorities in childcare? |
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Which sectors (private or public or non profit institutions?) deliver childcare services? |
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How are the providers organised? |
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How is childcare financed? Are there any fees to be paid by parents and if so, how do they relate to the general income levels in your country? |
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What are the strengths/limitations of existing arrangements? |
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Marion Loenhardt, Verdi, and Ben Thomas, UNISON, provided examples of trade union strategies and challenges within the childcare sector in Germany and the United Kingdom. (Their presentations can be downloaded from the "Documents" section of this website.)
The state of play of collective bargaining and the child care sector
The various systems of trade union organisation and collective bargaining in the Childcare sector were the main topics for the discussions in working groups, which focused on questions such as:
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Do childcare workers have a separate collective bargaining agreement? If not which collective agreement(s) cover these workers and at what level are they negotiated? Are there differences between agreements for the private, non-profit, or public sector? |
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What are the main professions in the sector? |
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Are there any specific provisions for childminders or family carers? |
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What is included in the collective agreements? Are there any issues which still need to be covered? |
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What have been the key issues for the trade unions in the last 3 years, e.g. redefinition of childcare work, health and safety questions, qualifications, career development, pay? Have these issues been resolved? |
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Are you involved as trade unions on questions related to quality and quality standards (including staff-child ratios)? |
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What is your union’s view on the existing standards in your country? |
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The final session was devoted to discussing common trade union strategies for the child care sector.
| Do child care workers have a separate collective bargaining agreement? |
| And if not which collective agreement(s) cover these workers and at what level are they negotiated? Are there differences between agreements for the private, non-profit, or public sector? |
| What are the main professions in the sector? |
| Are there any specific provisions for childminders or family carers? |
| What is included in the collective agreements? Are there any issues which still need to be covered? |
| Which were the most topical issues for the trade unions in the last 3 years, e.g. redefinition of child care work, health and safety questions, qualifications, career development, pay? Have these issues been resolved? |
| Are you involved as trade unions on questions related to quality and quality standards (including staff-child ratios)? What do you think as union of the existing standards in your country? |
This site was last updated 06/23/08
