ILO meeting to discuss social dialogue in the health services

GENEVA (ILO News) - Representatives of workers, employers and governments will meet at the International Labour Organization's Geneva headquarters on 21-25 October to discuss the need for social dialogue in advancing and sustaining reforms in many areas of the health sector, including efforts to deal with the growing problem of violence against health care providers at their places of work.

Concern about public health and the increasing cost of health care have made this sector one of the most debated political issues in many countries in the past few years. The role of social dialogue between governments and representatives of employers and workers has only been recognized recently.

A report ^* prepared for the five-day Joint Meeting on Social Dialogue in the Health Services: Institutions, Capacity and Effectiveness examines ways in which social dialogue can be strengthened. The report gives detailed examples of good practice of social dialogue in health services in Brazil, Canada, Chile and the United Kingdom. The report also refers to institutional reform and privatization in the health services, new forms of management, employment and migration trends and the financing of health care delivery.

According to ILO estimates, the average share of health services in total employment varies between 4 per cent in some developing countries and 10 per cent in industrialized countries. A comparison of changes in employment in health services between 1995 and 2000 shows only small variations in industrialized countries but an important decline in transition countries in Eastern Europe.

Almost 25 per cent of all violent incidents at work are in the health sector and more than 50 per cent of health care workers have experienced such incidents. A roundtable on workplace violence in the health sector involving participants as well as outside speakers will be held on 24 October at the ILO.

* Social dialogue in the health services: Institutions, capacity and effectiveness , Report for discussion at the Joint Meeting on Social Dialogue in the Health Services: Institutions, Capacity and Effectiveness, Sectoral Activities Programme. Document JMHS/2002, International Labour Office, Geneva, 2002. ISBN 92-2-113232-3. Price: 15 Swiss francs.
For more information, contact Hans von Rohland, ILO Department of Communication, Tel.: +4122/799-7916, rohland@ilo.org.