On Nursing Day: All eyes on health and social professions

On 12 May, the Day of Care, the trade unions are making an appeal to the federal government: sustainable solutions are needed to ensure a strong health and social sector now and in the future. The challenges are great: increasing burdens, a lack of predictability and inadequate financial security characterize the everyday life of many employees. Claudia Neumayer-Stickler, Head of the Department for Health Policy of the ÖGB, calls for more funding: "There is a need for sustainable and sufficient financing in the health care system and long-term care system. Financing security is the basis for us to be able to guarantee people good care tomorrow."

Emotional closeness and real conversations

"Time for real conversations and emotional closeness - that's what being human means. To do this, we need framework conditions that see not only numbers, but people," emphasizes Martina Lackner, expert in the Department for Social Security Policy of the ÖGB.

Roul Maszar, deputy chairman of younion Team Health, also advocates respectful cooperation in the healthcare sector: "We work with and for people – fairness and mutual respect must not be lost under increasing pressure."

Better working conditions and predictability

Edgar Martin, Chairman of younion Team Health, demands: "Together for good working conditions, that is our goal. Because we can only be strong together if we have fair conditions - for all professional groups."

"I am committed to predictable free time and stable duty rosters. Those who only step in at short notice can hardly live themselves," says Sylvia Gassner, central works council member at the Styrian Red Cross and chairwoman of the social services department in the trade union vida.

Recognition for care in the work with the disabled

Beatrix Eiletz, Chairwoman of the Works Council of Volkshilfe Steiermark, emphasizes: "Enhance care in the work with the disabled! This is the only way we can shape a well-supplied society."

Fair pay and appreciation for social professions

"Professionals must be paid well! Social work is worth more than it is currently ascribed," explains Eva Scherz, collective agreement negotiator of the GPA trade union.

"Your knowledge deserves recognition! Medical professions require bright minds - and they need fair pay and development opportunities," demands Jehona Filka, DGKP and works council member at the University Hospital Wiener Neustadt.

"The work in the nursing and care sector deserves much more respect! The colleagues do hard physical and emotional work," adds Reinhard Waldhör, chairman of the GÖD health union.

Increasing staff for good care

Gerald Mjka, chairman of the health department in the trade union vida, demands: "We need more staff. Without staff, good care is no longer possible - neither for the people nor for us employees."

Demand for concrete measures

The common message of the trade unions: "All eyes on us! In order to be able to take good care of our nursing staff and the health system in the future, we need concrete measures now. We must improve working conditions, ensure fair pay and secure long-term financing in the health and social sectors. A heartfelt thank you to all those who work in the health and social sector every day and take care of the well-being of the people with a lot of commitment and dedication."

Actions for Nursing Day

In the run-up to this, there was already an action in Lower Austria on 5 May at the Buchenberg therapy centre and in Carinthia on 9 May a press conference on the dramatic shortage of staff in nursing homes.

In Styria , trade unionists set up 70 life-size cardboard figures in the city of Graz on 12 May, symbolising the diversity of all occupational groups in the health, care and social sector - from cleaning to medical technology. The aim of this media campaign is to create visibility and emphasise the systemic relevance of all those involved. In Vorarlberg , colleagues distributed information postcards with the slogan "With us in safe hands" early in the morning at the train stations in Bludenz, Feldkirch, Hohenems, Dornbirn, Bregenz and Riedenburg. In Feldkirch, there is also a large information campaign at the cat tower with resuscitation dummies, blood pressure and blood sugar measurement as well as illustrative material. In doing so, they made tangible what people in health professions achieve. In Tyrol there was a large demonstration on 12 May, to which the ÖGB called together with the trade unions vida, GPA, GÖD and Younion. The central demand: real improvements for employees in the care and health sector.

In Vienna , a team of trade union representatives met with Federal Minister Korinna Schumann to raise political awareness for urgently needed improvements.

Demands for care

• More staff
• Stable duty rosters
• Fair pay
• Expansion of care services
• Sufficient funding