The Katholische Arbeitnehmerbewegung Deutschlands (Catholic Workers’ Movement of Germany) (KAB) and its partner movements organised their Summer Academy in St. Pölten, Austria, from 23 to 28 June 2024. Under the motto “Fair care and fair treatment: A women’s issue? Realities, models and perspectives” the event served as a platform for 46 representatives of employee organisations from Germany, Austria and South Tyrol to exchange views on current developments and challenges in the care work sector and the role of the social partners. The event was funded by the European Union and organised in collaboration with the EZA.
Core themes and contributions
The Academy focused the discussion on the economisation of care and the effects of such. Prominent experts, including Dr. Brigitte Aulenbacher and Dr. Wasana Handapangoda from the JKU Linz, highlighted the commercialisation of care work in their presentations, notably in the area of 24-hour care and live-in carers. A comparison of various European countries found considerable differences in the legal regulation of personal care. The role of the social partners in particular to work on the organisation of live-in carers and compliance with the relevant labour law standards was emphasised here. Participants discussed how this should also result in a change in care conditions, as one person is unable to provide 24-hour, round-the-clock care while also maintaining reasonable working hours; this should therefore prompt employee organisations to explore new models of care.
Heidemarie Staflinger from the Chamber of Labour presented an overview of the people who mainly provide care and those who predominantly bear the cost of care. It became clear that both professional and private care is still primarily provided by women. The lack of funding is often used as an argument for improved working conditions in the care sector. Countries are able to implement a range of strategies to remedy this situation, including a wealth tax, which has been discussed by the employee organisations involved.
Dr. Eva Hänselmann from the Institute for Christian Social Sciences at Münster University also introduced some socio-ethical perspectives that could be used to design the conditions of care under the heading “Two-person-centred care”. The working conditions must be designed to guarantee both the best possible care for the recipients, taking into account professional ethical standards, and the working conditions that safeguard the health of carers.
Results and contributions
The participants must formulate clear demands for improving the situation around care and support. A central issue is the recognition of nursing and care as a duty of the state that must be adequately funded by the public purse with no consideration of profit. The participants are appealing for the nursing professions to be strengthened through greater recognition, working conditions and further training opportunities. More support is also required for family caregivers.
Attendees focused specifically on the rights of workers in the nursing and care sector. In view of the high workload, calls were made for a reduction in working hours with full wage compensation and the potential of early retirement with no financial loss incurred by the care worker. The participants also stressed the need for gender equality in the nursing and care professions.
The participants are planning practical steps to communicate these demands within the structures of their employee organisations to raise public awareness.
Practical implementation and perspective
The Academy not only provided the opportunity to engage in academic discussions, but to also develop practical solutions. The participants will take the knowledge gained from the event back to their respective organisations and actively campaign for better conditions in care work. The attendees acquired the tools in workshops and discussions to enable them to raise awareness of the importance of care work and to implement it in their daily work.
Conclusion
The Summer Academy 2024 made an important contribution to the current debate around care work. It not only highlighted the challenges, but also explored ways to guarantee fairness in the care work sector. The insights and networks formed during the event will continue to shape the work of the participating employee organisations over the next few years.