Uberisation of long-term care sector (video)

Increasing demand for long-term care is a critical issue for the European Union (EU). According to the European Care Strategy, currently around 6 million people work in long-term care in the EU. However, conditions for care workers continue to be characterised by low pay, precarious working arrangements, and limited development opportunities. Despite the increased attention placed on the sector during the Covid-19 pandemic these issues have not significantly improved, and the societal contribution of care work remains undervalued.

The European Institute for Gender Equality (2021) estimate that about 9 out of 10 paid care workers are women, with one in four being migrant. A high level of informality exists in the sector, with the European Labour Authority (2022) finding that about half of care workers in home settings are undeclared workers.

Government policies aimed at addressing quality care provision have failed to ensure decent working conditions. Declining public service provision has facilitated increased privatisation of care services and dominance of market actors in the sector. For unions, organising workers in the sector has always been challenging given the invisible nature of the work undertaken in private homes. The precarity of care workers’ employment is increasing. Workers are taking on additional forms of responsibility in coordinating their work, while having inadequate access to illness benefits or social protection.

Policy change is needed to support well-funded, directly provided public services. However, in the absence of such, the extension of collective bargaining in the sector is needed to address differences in standards across providers and ensure quality jobs that are positive for both workers and those in need of care.