John Delamere speaks at online seminar of the cross-sectoral social partners on working time

HOSPEEM Vice-Secretary General John Delamere participated in a seminar of the cross-sectoral social partners on the topic “Shaping working time: role of collective bargaining” which explored the perspectives of social partners and addressed key priorities, including sector-specific needs related to working time, as well as the challenges and opportunities associated with working time organisation. The goal of the meeting was to promote mutual learning on policy initiatives and practical actions taken by social partners in this area.

During the seminar, John Delamere emphasised the challenges of hospital and healthcare employers in relation to the Working Time Directive and the organisation of working time in Europe, given the healthcare sector’s continuous operational nature, which often cannot align with rigid working time limits. Alongside other representatives of public service employers, John Delamere highlighted the difficulties in offering working time reductions in sectors experiencing labour shortages and an ageing workforce. The continuity of care and the need for timely emergency responses require a re-evaluation of rest periods and shift patterns, while also considering workers’ well-being and avoiding staff overburdening.