Background information

Recruitment and Retention issue has been part of HOSPEEM and EPSU work programme since the early stages of the hospital social dialogue committee;

In 2006 HOSPEEM and EPSU agreed to work on Recruitment and Retention “identifying common position for cross-border recruitment of hospital personnel” (EPSU-HOSPEEM work programme 2006-2007);

The European Social Partners set up a working group on this issue in December 2006.

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Code of Conduct on Ethical Cross-Border Recruitment

HOSPEEM and EPSU signed the Code of Conduct on Ethical Recruitment on 7th April 2008 (World Health Day):

To be followed-up and implemented by HOSPEEM and EPSU members within 3 years

Twelve key principles and commitments:

High quality healthcare, accessible for all people in the EU Registration and data collection Workforce planning Equal access to training and career development Open and transparent information about hospital vacancies across the EU Fair and transparent contracting Registration, permits and recognition of qualifications Proper induction, housing and standards of living Equal rights and non-discrimination Promoting ethical recruitment practices Freedom of association Implementation, monitoring and follow up 3

JOINT EVALUATION REPORT on use of instrument by Social Partners in the EU27, adopted on 5 September 2012

• 15 replies to questionnaire from 14 MS

• 8 Social Partners have made use of the Code

• NL: Employers’ and Trade Unions’ joint report on use and implementation

• UK: Code of Conduct for cross-border recruitments (2004), (seven guiding principles

+ best practice benchmarks for recruitment agencies)

• Dissemination and implementation thanks to:

– Translation

– Joint Steering Committees

– Seminars or meetings with members of trade unions and employers organisations,

public authorities at national and local level

– Internet, user guide and other forms of assistance 4

To note: The CoC can be a useful tool for both sending and receiving countries

Why did employers and/or trade unions not make use of the CoC?

Prolonged freeze of collective agreementsNo cross-border recruitment in the country, i.e. no immigration (of any

quantitative importance at least)Lack of formally agreed translation of CoCOther priorities

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Social partners’ perspectiveWith regard to cross-border recruitment and retention

Issues : Tackling present and future shortages of healthcare professionals. In specific areas

significant dependence on migrants workers Recognition of professional qualifications For emigration countries: attractiveness of national labour market to increase retention

of skilled staff Role of Social Partners as gatekeepers for ethical recruitment

Challenges: Making the best use of limited financial resources. Better use of national workforce

resources Improved and easier cross-border recognition of professional qualifications Induction and efficient use of migrant health workers (language skills, training). Need

for language training as a precondition for migrant healthcare workers to start working Increasing the representation of migrant workers (i.e. by TU membership) For emigration countries: urgent need to improve working conditions, convergence of

wages towards EU average, improvement of the quality of public services

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Implementation in the Netherlands

Results: Principles integrated in collective agreement 2011-2014 Code of conduct and evaluation grid accessible to stakeholders in Dutch and English and

posted on the StAZ website Clear overview of measures/gaps in relation to the implementation of Code of Conduct Certification scheme and agreement on black list of recruitment agencies not complying

with ethical recruitment practices and publication on StAZ website Long term objective: database for comparable data and information on migration and

migrant health workers

Steps taken:Issue taken up as important by StAZ Board and referred to the special StAZ Europe working groupTranslation of the Code of Conduct in Dutch for accessibility of stakeholdersMeetings especially dedicated to the Code of ConductEvaluation of the code of conduct in light of legislation and initiatives by Dutch authorities, agreements between special partners and initiatives taken by social partners

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