On the Corona Frontline: The Experiences of care workers in nine European countries

It is high time we listen now!

Covid-19 has uncovered many societal fault lines. The virus hit the elder care sector in many countries especially hard, leading to many deaths and pushing care workers fighting on the corona frontline to the end of their limits. The pandemic has underscored the deficiencies in elder care that haven been warned about and protested by trade unions for years. Precarious working conditions, understaffing and underfunding devastatingly undermined the ability to protect the most vulnerable during the corona pandemic: our elderly.

Reports from nine countries

The Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung has on initiative of the Swedish municipal workers unions, Kommunal, and the Swedish progressive thinktank Arena Idé commissioned reports from several Europeans countries. By focusing on the plight of those in need of care and their care givers, the reports shed light on the impact of the pandemic has had on elder care and highlights the justified demands of the care workers’ trade unions as well as the long overdue reforms for the elder care sector in general.

Country, Author, Local partner organizations

• Summary report, Lisa Pelling, Arena Idé
• Denmark: Kasper Manniche, Amalie Dam-Hansen, Charlotte Bredal, FOA
• England: Gerry Mitchell, FES UK
• Finland: Sari Bäcklund-Kajanmaa, JHL
• Germany: Hildegard Theobald, Ver.Di, FES APB
• Norway: Anne-Mari Samskott, Ingvar Skjerve, Fagforbundet
• Portugal: Ana Catarina Fontes, FES Portugal
• Scotland: Dave Watson, FES UK
• Spain: Jorge Hernández-Moreno and Manuel Pereira-Puga, IPP-CSIC, FES Madrid and Fundación Alternativas
• Sweden: Mari Huupponen, Kommunal

"On the corona frontline" is a cooperation with the Swedish Municipal Workers’ Union Kommunal and the progressive think tank Arena Idé.

The country reports will be published during the spring of 2021. Download and read the summary report here: