30 January 2012

The report (published in 2011) notes that alongside the continuing economic crisis and growing demand for more and better care services, Europe has the capacity to create millions of well-paid, good jobs delivering services to older people and people needing long-term care.  EPSU argue that a regulated, formal care sector has the advantages of achieving high employment rates, quality jobs with decent working conditions and giving possibilities for people to combine professional and family responsibilities.

However the report shows that in countries where formal care provisions exist, these risk being decimated because of cuts, imposed by governments as a result of wrong policy choices.  In other countries, there is literally no public spending on formal care, with the gap filled by a mix of individual arrangements.  Such arrangements often provide insecure jobs, poor quality care and often involve female migrants as care workers with low pay and reduced labour and social rights.

The EPSU report calls for the EU to seize the challenge of creating good quality and secure employment in the eldercare sector with both hands.  A number of recommendations are made in the areas of home care policy, pay, promoting care work, qualifications and training.