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Issue 2 - April 2018

EDITORIAL

Dear reader reader,

In this edition of the newsletter, you will find information about the recent HOSPEEM General Assembly and Sectoral Social Dialogue Committee meeting, the 10th anniversary of the HOSPEEM-EPSU Code of Conduct signature, as well as news from HOSPEEM members and relevant EU News, events and publications for hospital employers.

In preparation for the upcoming HOSPEEM-EPSU Social Partners’ Conference on Occupational Safety and Health that will take place on 23-24 May 2018 in Vilnius, the second meeting of the Steering Group on OSH took place in Brussels gathering more than 15 participants and providing orientation for the conference. HOSPEEM and EPSU would like to use the outcome of the conference to also further shape the Social Dialogue.

HOSPEEM is gathering HOSPEEM members’ priorities. The purpose is to identify relevant issues from the perspective of hospital employers in relation to the relevant developments at national level and European level. HOSPEEM members are invited to complete the questionnaire by 30 April 2018.

This newsletter and the modernised HOSPEEM website have been conceived as interactive tools to facilitate the flow of communication from the EU level, to support the exchange of information between our members and to give your organisation’s voice a broader diffusion across Europe. Therefore, you are invited to send us your contributions for future issues.

Enjoy your reading!

Tjitte Alkema
Secretary General of HOSPEEM

HOSPEEM NEWS

HOSPEEM GA and HOSPEEM-EPSU SSDC-HS in April 2018

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HOSPEEM held its General Assembly meeting on 3 April. HOSPEEM members discussed the Secretariat’s activities, the upcoming member priorities and the Vilnius conference in May.
The HOSPEEM-EPSU Sectoral Social Dialogue Committee Working Group took place on 4 April (SSDC-HS). The HOSPEEM-EPSU survey of Directive 2010/32/EU on the prevention of injuries with medical sharps and existing challenges were discussed as well as the topics of health workforce labour mobility in the EU and the promotion of apprenticeships in the healthcare sector. The International Labour Organisation (ILO, Christiane Wiskow) and the World Health Organisation (WHO, Tana Wuliji) spoke on the joint ILO-WHO-OECD Initiative “Working together for Health”, building on the report of the UN High-Level Commission on Health Employment and Economic Growth.

10-year anniversary of the EPSU-HOSPEEM Code of Conduct on Ethical Cross-Border Recruitment and Retention

In April 2018 HOSPEEM and EPSU renewed their commitment to promote, guarantee and defend decent recruitment and working conditions for migrant workers, from the EU and from outside the EU, in hospitals and healthcare facilities across Europe.
Tjitte Alkema, Secretary General of HOSPEEM reflected on the impact of the EPSU-HOSPEEM Code of Conduct on Ethical Cross-Border Recruitment and Retention signed in 2008: 10 years ago, our Code of Conduct was an inspiration for the work of the World Health Organisation. Nowadays, given the migration flows to and within the European Member States, it is still very relevant.” HOSPEEM and EPSU issued a Joint Media Release at the occasion of the 10-year anniversary of the Code of Conduct.

HOSPEEM-EPSU Social Partner's Conference, 23-24 May, Vilnius

As part of the HOSPEEM-EPSU project on Recruitment and Retention, Hospital and Healthcare Employers Associations, Trade Unions, international stakeholders and experts will explore best practices in the field of Occupational Safety and Health, focusing on prevention and reduction of Musculoskeletal Disorders and Psychosocial Risks and Stress at Work in Vilnius on 23-24 May 2018.
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Main activities and outcomes of the Sectoral Social Dialogue Committee for the Hospital and Healthcare Sector in 2017

In 2017, 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. In this document, published in March 2018, you can find the highlights of the work of the HOSPEEM-EPSU Sectoral Social Dialogue Committee for the Hospital and Healthcare Sector.

HOSPEEM’s Secretary General gave research interview to Social Partner Engagement and Effectiveness in European Dialogue (SPEEED) project

Thomas Prosser, Cardiff University and research affiliate interviewed HOSPEEM Secretary General Tjitte Alkema to receive in-depth data on the involvement of individuals in the Sectoral Social Dialogue Committees (SSDCs). The interview concerned the nature of Tjitte Alkema’s duties on specific SSDCs and challenges associated with this role. This is HOSPEEMs second interview with SPEEED. The first one took place in January 2017.

NEMS FROM MEMBERS

Member's testimonial: Health Service Executive, Ireland

"HSE were among the founding members of HOSPEEM and have continued membership for all of the intervening period. HSE is a strong supporter of the necessity of being centrally represented in the decision making process, that occur at EU Level.
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Being an active participant in HOSPEEM gives us the necessary awareness of developments and the opportunity of working in a way to help shape the final outcome of such processes (...) Membership of HOSPEEM also allows us to engage with fellow employers from other countries and provide wonderful networking opportunities and exchange of ideas in respect of the many problems that are an ongoing feature of all publically provided health services across Europe. The HSE view its involvement in HOSPEEM in a very positive way and look forward to continuing to be proactively involved in all activities in the years ahead."
John Delamere, Health Service Executive, Ireland

Nov’ap, the FEHAP innovation observatory

Nov’ap, the FEHAP innovation observatory collects, analyses, evaluates and disseminates the innovative good practices of FEHAP members.
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To this end, Nov'ap organizes a call for innovation every year aimed at identifying and promoting members' initiatives on a range of topics (professional practice and medical innovation, human resources, management, voluntary sector...). This year, the corporate social responsibility (CSR) theme is in the spotlight in view of the upcoming FEHAP congress on this subject in November. FEHAP members are invited to apply online, directly on the website dedicated to Nov'ap. This website enhances, via an interactive map, 700 initiatives received since 2011.

EU NEWS

Informal Meeting of Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council (EPSCO) - Employment & Social Policy, Sofia

Among others, the participants discussed the contribution of the social partners to the income growth and the implementation of the principles of the European Pillar of Social Rights on 17-18 April.

European Commission Communication on enabling the digital transformation of health and care in the Digital Single Market

The vision outlined in this communication is to promote health, prevent and control disease, help address patients' unmet needs and make it easier for citizens to have equal access to high-quality care through the meaningful use of digital innovations. The European Commission sees the sufficient capacity of the health workforce and acquiring of appropriate skills as central to the success of the digital transformation. By helping to maximise the potential of the digital internal market with a wider deployment of digital products and services in health and care, the proposed actions also aim to stimulate growth and promote the European industry in the domain.

EC Call for proposal for “Improving expertise in the field of industrial relations”

The European Commission opened the Call under budget heading “VP/2018/004Improving expertise in the field of industrial relations. The deadline for the submission of the application is 15 June 2018.

EC Call for proposals for "Information and training measures for workers' organisations"

The European Commission opened the Call under the budget heading “VP/2018/002 – Information and training measures for workers' organisations”. The deadline for the submission of applications is 18 May 2018.

EC takes further action to better protect workers against cancer-causing chemicals

On 5 April, the European Commission proposed to include new exposure limit values for five chemicals in the Carcinogens and Mutagens Directive. Among them Formaldehyde, which is commonly used in the hospital sector.

Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council

On 15 March, the Council held a policy debate on how to close the gender pay gap and exchanged views on those national measures which have been most effective in reducing horizontal and vertical gender segregation in the labour market. Furthermore, the Council adopted a Recommendation setting out a European framework for quality and effective apprenticeships. The aim of the framework is to encourage the development of a highly skilled and qualified workforce which is responsive to the labour market. The Council adopted conclusions on the 2018 annual growth survey and the joint employment report. The annual growth survey outlines priority actions to be taken by member states to ensure better coordinated and more efficient policies.

ATTENDED EVENTS

21/02/2018: Prioritising patient safety post-Brexit organised by 14 European organisations, Brussels

22/02/2018: 10th meeting of the European Alliance for Apprenticeships, Brussels


07/03/2018: HOSPEEM Board Meeting, Brussels

20/03/2018: EU-OSHA Healthy Workplaces campaign partnership meeting, Brussels

22/03/2018: Social Partner Engagement and Effectiveness in European Dialogue (SPEEED) Dissemination Workshop by a partnership of 5 higher education institutions (UK, SE, DE), Brussels

13/04/2018: Social Dialogue Committee in the Central Government Administration sector, Brussels. HOSPEEM and EPSU presented on theAdded-value and application for the multi-sectoral guidelines to tackle work-related third-party violence at work in the hospital sector” during the SDC CGA. After the presentation, HOSPEEM and EPSU welcomed the Sectoral Social Partners to endorse the multi-sectoral guidelines.

FUTURE EVENTS

HOSPEEM events
- 25/05/2018: HOSPEEM Study Visit in Lithuania
- 20/06/2018: HOSPEEM Steering Committee/General Assembly, Brussels
- 13/11/2018: HOSPEEM Steering Committee/General Assembly, Brussels
HOSPEEM-EPSU events
- 23-24/05/2018: Social Partner’s Conference on OSH, Vilnius
- 21/06/2018: Sectoral Social Dialogue Meeting Working Group 2/2018, Brussels
- 12/11/2018: Sectoral Social Dialogue Plenary Meeting 2018, Brussels
Other events
- 27/04/2018: Annual Convention for Inclusive Growth 2018, European Commission, Brussels
- 29-31/05/2018: The Paris Healthcare Week with a spotlight on hospital architecture

PUBLICATIONS

EC Handbook on classification of European Skills, Competences, Qualifications and Occupations (ESCO)

The ESCO handbook is a digital, multilingual tool used to classify European Skills, Competences, Qualifications and Occupations available. The EC has developed ESCO to improve the communication between the education and training sector and the EU labour market, to support geographical and occupational mobility in Europe and to facilitate the exchange of data between employers, education providers and job seekers.

EC Report on labour shortages and surpluses 2017

This report identifies shortage and surplus occupations in the EU, Norway, Iceland and Switzerland. Within the top twenty-one shortage occupations, the health related occupations dominated the list with four different occupations; these were ‘generalist medical practitioners’; ‘nursing professionals’; ‘specialist medical practitioners’ and ‘associate professional nurses’.

2017 Annual EC report on intra-EU labour mobility

This report presents an overview of mobility and its characteristics within the EU and the EFTA countries. In 2016 some 11.8 million EU citizens of working age were living in an EU country other than their own. The report focuses this year on the mobility of health professionals and the gender dimension of mobility, language and other barriers to cross-border mobility in neighbouring regions.

EC Final report of the study on Core Competences of Healthcare Assistants in Europe (CC4HCA)

The final report of the study on ‘Core Competences of Healthcare Assistants in Europe (CC4HCA) exploring the desirability and feasibility of a common training framework under the professional qualifications directive was published in February. The aim was to map the position of healthcare assistants in all 28 EU Member States and to explore the feasibility and interest among Member States for adopting a common training framework for this professional group under Directive 2013/55/EU, amending the Professional Qualifications Directive (2005/36/EC).

2018 European Semester: 27 Country Reports

The publication of country reports is an important step of the European Semester cycle. Throughout the year, the Commission is in dialogue with stakeholders and Member States' authorities to closely monitor policy implementation. These country reports published in March for each Member State analyse its economic situation and progress with implementing the Member State's reform agenda. Find out more about the European Semester in your country here and download the country reports here.

EC adopts proposals for a European Labour Authority and for access to social protection

The EC published its proposal for a European Labour Authority, as announced by President Juncker in his 2017 State of the Union address, as well as a proposal to ensure access to social protection for all workers and self-employed. These initiatives are accompanied by a Communication on the monitoring of the implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights, which will be closely linked to the European Semester of policy coordination.

EC Behavioural study on the effects of an extension of access to social protection for people in all forms of employment

The emergence of the new forms of work offered by online labour platforms is fuelling the debate on social protection of precarious workers. This study gathers evidence in support of the European Commission initiative aiming at providing adequate social protection regardless the type of employment contract.

ILO Guidelines for fair recruitment of migrant labour videos

To tackle abusive and fraudulent recruitment practices, the ILO has developed general principles and operational guidelines for fair recruitment of migrant labour. These videos show guidelines that can be helpful in the recruitment process.

HOSPEEM Activity Report 2017

2017 has been a productive year for HOSPEEM with a number of achievements and activities presented in this report.
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