Services to the family

EESC opinion: Services to the family

Key points

The EESC recommends

To the European Union:

  • to promote the exchange of best practice and disseminate statistics;
  • to prepare a set of recommendations for the social partners comparing gender neutral jobs;
  • to institute a prize for business innovation in services to the family;
  • to promote social innovation in developing services to the family, regardless of the form these services take.

To the Member States:

  • to ratify ILO Convention 189;
  • to legalise undeclared work by means of fiscal aid measures and simple declaration schemes;
  • to ensure that care work and household tasks are seen as activities for both men and women;
  • to establish a general framework to encourage the emergence and development of a professionalised sector for services to the family;
  • to eliminate the legal barriers that are currently significantly reducing declared employment by families.

To the social partners:

  • to recognise diplomas and certificates of qualifications, including accreditation of skills during employment in private family homes;
  • to negotiate collective agreements and job classification tables that take account of all skills.

To business to set up companies to provide services to families and the status of employee to workers.

To unions, employers' organisations and works councils:

  • to promote the image of services to the family and upgrade jobs in this field;
  • to promote training for those involved and certification of the skills acquired;
  • to set up structures to bring services to the family together and organise them;
  • to organise domestic worker and employer representation;
  • to negotiate a contribution from businesses to promote a better work-life balance for all.