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News Hospeem

Press Release on the Representativeness of the European Social Partner Organisations: Human Health Sector

PRESS RELEASE

Brussels, 12 November 2020

HOSPEEM welcomes the findings of the Eurofound representativeness study for the human health sector.

HOSPEEM calls for political support by the European Union and the Member States to promote social dialogue at the national level and to create an enabling environment for sectoral social partners in fostering capacity building processes.

HOSPEEM continues to be the most representative European hospital employers’ association, a leading voice in the EU sectoral social dialogue also initiating Council decision’s[1]. HOSPEEM’s members facilitate the most efficient provision of services while ensuring healthcare professionals and patients’ safety alike. Unlike any other sector, the COVID-19 pandemic is massively impacting the hospital sector, ranging from reorganising healthcare services and putting mental and physical strains on the health workforce and hospital employers, as highlighted in HOSPEEM’s statement on COVID-19. The European Social Dialogue Committee for the Hospital Sector (SSDC HS) continues to be the primary European forum for sectoral social partners to address these and other relevant and challenging topics on both national and EU health agendas.

HOSPEEM believes that the political support by European institutions and Members States is needed to deliver on the envisaged Action Plan on the European Pillar of Social Rights, in particular, the capacity building of social partners to promote social dialogue as well as on the Country-Specific Recommendations of the European Semester.

The European Commission and European Parliament indeed recognise the increasing importance of health, by proposing to build a European Health Union, to include health services in the European Programme for Critical Infrastructure Protection and the Critical Infrastructure Directive. Together with the European Council, the institutions also agreed on a EUR 5.07 billion EU4Health budget[2].

The role and active involvement of sectoral social partners at EU level are therefore essential to ensure that their voice is heard.

[1] Eurofound (2020) European sectoral social partner organisations and their representativeness https://www.eurofound.europa.eu/fr/observatories/eurwork/representativeness-studies

[2] Amount in 2018 prices

Download the Press Release (Pdf)

Activities, News Hospeem

Joint Statement on the 10th anniversary of the Multi-sectoral guidelines to tackle third-party violence and harassment related to work

Brussels, 16 July 2020

A decade ago, the European Sectoral Social Partners, EPSU, UNI EUROPA, ETUCE, HOSPEEM, CEMR, EFEE, EuroCommerce, CoESS identified third-party violence and harassment at the workplace as one of the key health and safety challenges to face within the European Economic Area and signed the Multi-sectoral guidelines to tackle third-party violence (TPV) and harassment related to work. In 2018, EUPAE and TUNED joined these organisations in their work to tackle this pressing issue.

To this date, the Guidelines remain the only instrument signed by multiple European sectoral Social Dialogue Committees and are considered one of the significant achievements of the European Sectoral Social Dialogue.

Today, the Guidelines’ signatories reaffirm that their respective sectors continue to address third-party violence and all forms of harassment related to work, ensuring that, in the upcoming years, each workplace has a targeted results-oriented policy, also in the context of initiatives of the European Pillar of Social Rights.

Download the Joint statement

News Hospeem

HOSPEEM April newsletter is published

In this April 2020 edition, you will find the HOSPEEM statement on the COVID-19 outbreak and on the CEEP launch of the EU platform “SGIs facing COVID-19” as well as information on the latest HOSPEEM General Assembly, and HOSPEEM-EPSU Social Dialogue meeting and project.

This newsletter includes also other relevant news, EU news, events and publications for hospital employers.

HOSPEEM Newsletter 2020– Issue 2 (29 April 2020)

News Hospeem

HOSPEEM Statement on COVID-19 outbreak

The impact on the health services and the need to support joint measures across Europe

The European Hospital and Healthcare Employers’ Association’s thoughts are with the millions of health professional and health workers across Europe and others globally that, under these exceptional circumstances daily provide services to take care of patients at hospitals and other healthcare facilities, while national governments are taking different levels of confinement and containment measures.

Like in no other sector, the COVID-19 pandemic has a tremendous impact on the provision of health services and care, experienced in hospitals and healthcare facilities around the globe, and particularly in Europe. This is adding to the already existing strains of the healthcare system such as recruitment and retention, the ageing and health and safety at the workplace.

Employers in the health sector are facing exceptional challenges that can only be tackled by joint initiatives from social partners, Member States’ governments, and the European institutions. Furthermore, the sector welcomes the potential opportunities and lessons learned as a result of the global pandemic.

Among others, HOSPEEM welcomes the statement of the Members of the European Council2, which “commend[s] the dedication and tireless efforts of the healthcare professionals” and ”the adoption of the decision on the authorisation for export of personal protective equipment” as well as “to increase testing capacities”.

We are standing with our European cross-sectoral social partners’ organisation CEEP, which, together with fellow European sectoral social partner organisations, set up the “SGIs facing COVID-19” Platform3 to help facilitate and share practices between European and national social partners in the public services sector.

Following the measures taken by the European Commission, the European Central Bank and the Members of the European Council, HOSPEEM stresses the importance of:

  • The availability of appropriate Personal Protective Equipment and other medical equipment such as ventilators and testing supplies;
  • The availability of adequately trained staff which is essential to providing appropriate care under extreme circumstances such as that of COVID-19;
  • The availability and development of crash courses for staff working in ICU’s in the COVID-19 context as already launched by the World Health Organization;
  • Exchange of practices and information between national governments and national social partners regarding measures that have been both successful and those that show limited benefits;
  • Organizing the health assistance to provide appropriate care to the people affected by pre-existing health conditions requiring chronic or acute treatment

Looking ahead HOSPEEM would like to echo the statement made by the European Council that we must “reflect on the resilience of our societies”, among others the resilience of services of general interest. In times like these, it becomes evident that investments in healthcare need to be further strengthened to withstand similar potential public health emergencies. HOSPEEM is concerned with the structural long-term effect on the healthcare system and its labour market.

At the moment Member States’ economies are under enormous pressure to perform. Already now, many countries are preparing for financial restructuring to recover from the economic losses caused by the virus and to adjust national budgets towards the different sectors. Even if the current measures as foreseen by the European institutions such as investing in European Member States’ healthcare system are well intended, it is of vital importance that these investments remain in the long-term to indeed sustain a resilient healthcare system and society as a whole, considering to include health prevention activities within the objectives of these investments.

References

  1. Eurostat. European Union Labour Force Survey.
  2. European Council. Joint statement of the Members of the European Council. (2020).
  3. CEEP. Services of General Interest facing COVID-19. https://www.ceep.eu/sgis-facing-covid-19 (2020).

Download the HOSPEEM statement on COVID-19 outbreak

Activities, News, Social Dialogue Hospeem

Sectoral Social Dialogue Committee for the Hospital and Healthcare Sector: Main activities and outcomes in 2019

In this document you can find the highlights of the work of the HOSPEEM-EPSU Sectoral Social Dialogue Committee for the Hospital and Healthcare Sector. In 2019 the Sectoral Social Dialogue Committee for the Hospital and Healthcare Sector  dealt with a wide range of topics in the framework of the EPSU-HOSPEEM Joint Work Programme and carried out project-related activities.

PDF - 304.4 koDownload the document

Activities, News, Social Dialogue Hospeem

Sectoral Social Dialogue Committee for the Hospital and Healthcare Sector: Main activities and outcomes in 2018

In this document you can find the highlights of the work of the HOSPEEM-EPSU Sectoral Social Dialogue Committee for the Hospital and Healthcare Sector. In 2018 the Sectoral Social Dialogue Committee for the Hospital and Healthcare Sector  dealt with a wide range of topics in the framework of the EPSU-HOSPEEM Joint Work Programme and carried out project-related activities.

PDF - 304.4 koDownload the document

Projects, Social Dialogue Hospeem

Kick-off meeting of the HOSPEEM-EPSU Project 2019-2020 on strengthening social dialogue in the hospital sector

On 28 March 2019, HOSPEEM, EPSU and the project partners, Sanitas (EPSU affiliate, Romania), ARAN (HOSPEEM member, Italy) and HSSMS-MT (EPSU affiliate, Croatia) hosted the kick-off meeting of their new joint project in the field of sectoral social dialogue capacity building: “Strengthening social dialogue in the hospital sector in the East, South and Central Europe”.

The meeting was the occasion to discuss the capacity building needs of sectoral social partners in the hospital sector in the three targeted regions as well their involvement in the European agenda, including the European Semester.

The need to strengthen representativeness of the sectoral social partners’ activities also by sharing best practices, ensuring a bottom up approach and the need to foster the capacities of social partner organisations for social dialogue to be successful were among the topics discussed.

The importance of guaranteeing the link between the sectoral social partners’ national priorities and the European Semester process was raised by the participants.  It was highlighted how social partners should be supported in creating and ensuring a social dialogue infrastructure, an enabling political and social environment where they can identify their priorities and bring them to the EU level.

The event gathered around 20 participants, governments’ representatives from the Permanent Missions to the EU, and DG EMPL representatives from the Social Dialogue Unit and from the Unit on Employment and social aspects of the European Semester.

The agenda of the meeting, the presentation of the project and the overview of the main HOSPEEM and EPSU joint activities in the European Sectoral Social Dialogue are now available.

EPSU has also published an event page for this meeting.

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This project has received financial support from the European Union

Social Dialogue Hospeem

Final report 2019 – follow-up on the Directive 2010/32/EU on the prevention from sharps injuries in the hospital and healthcare sector

On 13 February 2019, during the first meeting of the Sectoral Social Dialogue Committee for the Hospital Sector, HOSPEEM and EPSU adopted the final report on the “Follow-up on the Directive 2010/32/EU on the prevention from sharps injuries in the hospital and healthcare sector” as part of the current HOSPEEM-EPSU Work Programme 2017 – 2019.

The report provides information on the role and impact of the national social partners during relevant stages of the transposition and implementation of the Directive.

The report builds on 30 replies from HOSPEEM members and EPSU affiliates (in 3 cases joint replies) from 20 countries, including from outside the EU also from Norway and Serbia. It also contains recommendations to the national and EU-level social partners, to European institutions (in particular to the European Commission and EU-OSHA) as well as to EU MS.

The report published in 2019 is the second follow-up activity carried out by HOSPEEM and EPSU in relation to the Directive 2010/32/EU after their joint project in 2012 and 2013. More information on the project and the project report from 2012-2013 is also available.

 Final report 2019

 Sharps report summary brochure for Social partners

 Sharps report summary brochure for EU institutions and agencies

 Sharps report summary brochure for Member States

Projects Hospeem

CALL FOR TENDER – Subcontracting external expertise

               

Open call for tender for research on strengthening social dialogue in the hospital sector in the East, South and Central Europe

Date of publication on the HOSPEEM and EPSU website: 01 February 2019 
Deadline for submissions: 22 February 2019

Download the Call for Tender

TENDER SPECIFICATIONS FOR SUBCONTRACTING EXTERNAL EXPERTISE

In order to ensure large visibility to this tender, HOSPEEM and EPSU will publish the tender on their websites. This tender will be publicly available for 21 days.

1. Purpose of the contract

Support is being sought from an external team of experts to help to facilitate the implementation of the project run by the EU-level social partners in the hospital/health care sector EPSU and HOSPEEM. The contractors will carry out research, in the form of a survey, to gather information on the priorities of the employers’ organisations and the trade unions and how they could be better articulated in future activities of HOSPEEM and EPSU. The research will also cover on information on the current involvement of the sectoral social partners in the European Semester with the aim to strengthen their role in this regard. The findings of this research will be presented at the regional capacity building workshops in form of draft factsheets. The subcontracted team of experts will also be responsible for the capacity building with social partner organisations in the respective countries and will assist in the organisation of the regional workshops in Bucharest, Rome and Zagreb. HOSPEEM and EPSU also expect the contractors to assist with the coordination of the project to ensure good outcomes.

2. Tasks to be performed by the subcontracted team of experts

  • Participating in the project partners’ kick-off meeting, the three regional workshops, the synthesis meeting and dissemination workshop;
  • Liaising with the project partners in exploring and finding direct or indirect potential contacts from relevant employers’ organisations and/or trade unions in targeted countries where HOSPEEM and/or EPSU are not yet represented;
  • Contacting representatives from national social partner organisations in the hospital/healthcare sector and providing information on the project in collaboration with the respective project partners (when approaching employers’ organisations, HOSPEEM will be the reference point, for trade unions, EPSU respectively);
  • Drafting the survey addressed to national social partner organisations in the hospital/healthcare sector in the targeted countries after liaising with the project partners.
  • Collecting and organising responses to the survey;
  • Drafting the content of the 14 country fact sheets based on three main outcomes: 1) responses collected via the survey, 2) information provided by participants and speakers during the regional workshops and 3) desk research;
  • Presenting draft fact sheets at the regional workshops;
  • Finalising of fact sheets in cooperation with HOSPEEM and EPSU;
  • Drafting of 3 reports on the regional workshops;
  • Presenting the final fact sheets and moderating the respective regional sessions during the dissemination workshop;
  • Writing the final project report

The final fact sheets should build on desk research as well as the surveys of the member organisation and other contacts of HOSPEEM and EPSU.

In order to perform the tasks listed above, the subcontracted team of experts will be asked to work for a total of 40 days.

3. Selection criteria

The offers received to the call for tender will be examined by the HOSPEEM EPSU and Secretariats – which can decide to also consult with representatives of EPSU affiliates and HOSPEEM members, where appropriate – on the basis of the following criteria:

  • At least 3 years of experience in the field of labour market and industrial relation, with a focus on national and European social dialogue;
  • Significant knowledge of carrying out similar tasks in relevant EU projects;
  • Experience in working with European / national social partners;
  • Good knowledge of European Social Dialogue and of its outcomes on a national level;
  • Proven research skills, including identifying relevant stakeholders and conducting surveys;
  • Proven ability to draft documents in English;
  • Particular expertise in the healthcare sector will be considered as an asset.

Next to contributing effectively to the success of this project, the contractor has to ensure a non-discriminatory work environment, including gender equality within the subcontracted team of experts.

The contract will be awarded according to the various elements contained below:

  • Understanding the nature of the assignments
  • Previous experiences (especially in EU affairs)
  • Presentation of the tender

4. Time schedule and reporting

The project duration is from February 2019 until January 2021. Draft fact sheets must be made available no less than 2 weeks prior to each workshop. The workshop reports should be prepared within one month after the workshop. A final project report taking into account proceedings at the dissemination workshop is required by December 2020.

5. Payment and standard contract and price

The total maximum budget available for the fees of the subcontractor is as follows:

Contract with HOSPEEM

  • Assisting in contacting key stakeholders in the target countries
  • Conducting survey
  • Drafting 14 x 1 paged fact sheets
  • Drafting 3 x 5 paged workshop reports
  • Drafting 1 x 20 paged project report

Price

The total budget for the Expertise is 24 000,00 EUR (all taxes and charges included).

HOSPEEM will sign a contract with the subcontracted team of experts. Payments will be made in three instalments dependent on the contractors carrying out the relevant stages of the work as listed above. A first payment of 20% of contract value on signature of the contract, a further payment of 40% of contract value on completion of the reports from the first two regional capacity building workshop (end of 2019) and a final payment of 40% upon finalisation of the project and delivery of the report from the third regional capacity building workshop and the final project report. The travel and accommodation expenses for the contractor to attend the project conferences or meet with the EPSU and HOSPEEM Secretariats will be covered by the overall travel and accommodation budget of the project and paid separately from the above-mentioned instalments.

6. Selection criteria related to the financial in technical capacity of the bidders

The contract will be awarded to the tenderer who is offering presents the best value for money, taking into account the specific criteria set above. The principles of transparency and equal treatment with a view to avoiding any conflict of interest will be respected.

The offer received will be examined on the basis of the following criteria:

  • Verifiable expertise, experience and skills, as required and described above;
  • Proven knowledge/ evidence/track record of research (supported by publications, academic articles etc.) on sectoral social dialogue, in particular focusing on the hospital sector and of the targeted regions listed above;
  • Respect the budgetary constraints.

7. Content presentation of the tender

Tenders must be written in English. They must be signed by the tenderer or his duly authorised representative and be perfectly legible so that there can be no doubt as to words and figures. Tenders must be clear and concise.

They must make it clear that they are able to meet the requirements of the specifications. All tenders must include at least two sections:

i) Technical proposal

The technical proposal must provide all the information needed for the purpose of awarding the contract, including:

  • Description of relevant professional experience with emphasis on the specific fields covered by the invitation to tender;
    • All information and documents necessary to enable the EPSU and HOSPEEM Secretariats to appraise the bid on the basis of the selection and award criteria set out above; A detailed CV of the expert(s) involved in the project activities;
    • Specific information concerning the proposed methodology for delivering the tasks listed in part 2.

ii) Financial proposal

Prices of the financial proposal must be quoted in euros, including if the sub-contractor is based in a country which is not in the euro-area. As far as the tenderers of those countries are concerned, they cannot change the amount of the bid because of the evolution of the exchange rate. The tenderers choose the exchange rate and assume all risks or opportunities relating to the rate fluctuation.

Prices shall be fixed and not subject to revision during the performance of the contract.

8. Content and selection of the bids

Offers must be received within 21 days of the date of publication of this call for tender by HOSPEEM, i.e. by 22 February 2019. Offers must be sent to HOSPEEM in both formats: electronic (by e-mail to s.mohrs@hospeem.eu and hospeem@hospeem.eu) and as a paper copy (see contact details below).

To ensure confidentiality, bidders must submit their offer in a sealed envelope. If self-adhesive envelopes are used, they must be sealed with adhesive tape crossed by the signature of the sender.

All candidates must either deliver their bid by hand or submit them by registered letter to:

Simone Mohrs
HOSPEEM
Rue des Deux Eglises, 26, bte. 5
1000 Brussels
Belgium
s.mohrs@hospeem.eu

 

EPSU has also published the Call for Tender on their webpage

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This project has received funding from the European Commission

News, Projects Hospeem

Media Release: HOSPEEM-EPSU 2019-2020 Project Strengthening Social Dialogue in the Hospital Sector

               

MEDIA RELEASE

HOSPEEM and EPSU have been provided with financial support from the European Commission for a joint project in the field of sectoral social dialogue capacity building: “Strengthening social dialogue in the hospital sector in the East, South and Central Europe” (01.02.2019 – 31.01.2021)

The project will provide an appropriate framework to address capacity building needs of social partners in the following 14 countries: Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Malta, Portugal, Spain, Croatia, Czech Republic, Slovakia and Slovenia, by exchanging on and collecting their priorities and challenges that they are facing at national level.

Three Regional Workshops are planned between June 2019 and June 2020 as well as a  dissemination workshop in Brussels by the end of 2020.

A report, containing the outcomes of the workshops and the conclusions drawn during the final dissemination event will be produced, along with other supporting materials (e.g. fact sheets for each targeted country and videos).

In implementing this project HOSPEEM and EPSU wish to promote a “bottom-up” approach in the capacity building process. The information gathered during the project will be fed back into the regular meetings of the Sectoral Social Dialogue Committee for the Hospital Sector (SSDC HS). Core priorities of the sectoral dialogue between EPSU and HOSPEEM for the targeted regions will be discussed and evaluated, also in view of their use to influence EU-level policy makers.

Download press release

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This project has received financial support from the European Union

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