Unions play a crucial role in advocating for the rights and well-being of care workers and service users all around the work. We fight for well-funded, quality public care with a well-trained, secure, rewarded workforce that can give the best care possible.

Recently PSI launched a new international network for affiliates representing workers within the long-term care (LTC) sector.

The network will act as a global policy and campaigning forum for PSI affiliates representing LTC workers to agree on priorities, challenges and opportunities to inform upcoming work of PSI and affiliates. Also to share best practices and learning between LTC affiliates.  

Daniel Bertossa, PSI General Secretary opened the first meeting of the LTC Network talking about how PSI is shaping the global debate on care and our programme of action.

LTC encompasses a range of services, including nursing homes, home care, and assisted living facilities and PSI affiliates who represent members within these workplaces to join the network were invited to join the network.

The network will be a collective voice committed to addressing issues such as fair wages, safe working conditions, safe staffing levels, and social protection for all LTC workers. It will be an opportunity for unions to share their experiences of successful collective bargaining, organising efforts, campaigns pushing back against privatisation and collectively advocating for policies to promote quality care for all service users.

At the meeting, we launched a new report examining a series of potential reforms to systems of LTC and how unions can use these reforms to campaign for public systems of care and organise for decent work.

We heard directly from the researchers - all leading academics in the field of LTC and workers’ rights - on their methodology, case studies and proposals for reforms to systems of Long-Term Care which benefit workers, service users and the wider public - (download slide presentation here)

We discussed how we can take these proposed reforms and incorporate them into the work of PSI and our affiliates in the medium and long term. 

To accompany the research we developed a guide to help unions understand key indicators of good quality care and principles for decent work in the LTC sector to build the case for reform.

This meeting was an opportunity for affiliates of Public Services International to network and strengthen collaborations with fellow affiliates and actively engage in shaping PSI’s work on Long-Term Care, particularly as we prepare for the upcoming ILO’s International Labour Conference General Discussion on Decent Work in Care. 

Perpetual Ofori-Ampofo, President of the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association spoke about the importance of the Network and how nurses in Ghana are integral to the delivery of LTC. 

Sign up for the LTC Network Working Group

The purpose of the working group is to develop the terms of reference for the network.

The terms of reference will cover logistics and practicalities for the network for example how often and where the network will meet. The working group will draft the mission statement and an initial set of actions to be endorsed by all members of the Network.

If you are an affiliate of PSI who represents workers within LTC and would like to be part of the LTC Network Working Group please email huma.haq@psi.org.uk