healthcare workers

French public sector workers are preparing for a nationwide strike on Tuesday, September 29, with teachers, healthcare workers, firefighters and public transport staff expected to take part. In Paris, a demonstration is set to march from Place de la République to Place de la Nation via Bastille. The RATP transport network is among the services affected, and travellers are being warned of likely disruptions.

The European Parliament is asking the European Commission in Brussels to provide funding to address a shortage of around one million health workers across Europe. The shortfall affects hospitals and care systems in EU member states, and the Parliament wants Brussels to back workforce measures with dedicated money. The issue highlights growing pressure on European healthcare systems as staff shortages worsen.

A new study indicates healthcare workers are battling persistent long COVID symptoms, with many continuing to experience fatigue, brain fog and other lasting effects well after infection. The findings highlight the ongoing toll of the pandemic on medical staff, raising concerns about workforce shortages and the need for better support and treatment for affected clinicians.

Dozens of Tennessee medical professionals have written to Governor Bill Lee urging that healthcare workers should never take part in executions, regardless of the method. The appeal follows a botched lethal injection in the state in May, which renewed scrutiny of how Tennessee carries out the death penalty. The medical professionals argue that participating in executions violates the ethical obligations of medicine, and they want the governor to commit to keeping clinicians out of the process.

Doctors, nurses and therapists employed by LifeLong Medical Care walked off the job across the East Bay, disrupting care at the community health network's clinics. The strike affects facilities serving low-income and uninsured patients in Berkeley and neighboring cities. Details on the workers' specific demands and the duration of the walkout were not immediately available.

The Service Employees International Union has called off a strike, according to a report from the Daily Emerald. The brief notice gives no details on the workers involved, the reasons for the decision, or whether an agreement was reached with the employer. The SEIU represents healthcare, public service and property service workers across the United States.

A new analysis finds that a majority of Oklahoma's behavioral healthcare workforce is made up of part-time workers. The finding points to deep staffing strains in a state already facing shortages of mental health and substance abuse professionals, raising questions about access to care and whether full-time positions can attract and retain clinicians.

Workers at Cleveland Clinic Lutheran Hospital in Ohio are continuing their strike, according to local reporting from WKYC. The job action is ongoing and no resolution has been announced. The walkout adds to a broader wave of labor disputes involving hospital workers in the United States, where staffing levels, pay and working conditions have been central demands. Patients and residents are watching to see how long the disruption to hospital operations will last.

Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare has taken administrative action against three nurses in Hokkaido. The disciplinary measure, reported by 47NEWS, was announced amid ongoing scrutiny of nursing standards and professional conduct in Japan's healthcare system. Details of the specific violations and the nature of the penalties were not provided in the initial report.

Workers at LifeLong Medical Care in the East Bay walked off the job and held a rally in Richmond, California. The labor action has drawn local attention in the region, with coverage focusing on the workers' grievances and the impact on patients at the community health clinics.

Support staff at the University of Vermont Medical Center are holding a vote on whether to authorize a strike. A yes vote would not trigger a walkout immediately but would give union negotiators the mandate to call one if contract talks fail. The vote comes amid ongoing labor negotiations over pay and working conditions at Vermont's largest hospital.

Health authorities report that Congo's ongoing outbreak has now surpassed 8,000 cases, according to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. The milestone marks a continued escalation of the epidemic in the Central African nation, where health workers have been battling to contain the spread. Observers are watching the numbers closely amid concerns about limited healthcare capacity and regional transmission risks.

The American Hospital Association has published guidance on how hospitals and health systems can retain Generation Z employees. The piece addresses strategies for keeping young workers in healthcare roles, a workforce segment that health employers are increasingly focused on attracting and holding onto.

Technical workers at CommonSpirit's St. Joseph Medical Center are scheduled to hold a strike authorization vote, according to the union UFCW 3000. A yes vote would not trigger an immediate walkout but would give bargaining committees the authority to call one if contract negotiations stall. The vote signals escalating tension between hospital technical staff and management over working conditions and pay.

Teachers, healthcare workers, firefighters and other public sector unions in France are planning hundreds of strikes, with tens of thousands of demonstrators expected to march in Paris. Unions including the CGT and FO are mobilising members for coordinated action on 29 September. The movement highlights growing anger among French public employees over pay and working conditions.

A newly published book takes on three of the most contested issues in medicine and public life: abortion, gender treatments, and rights of conscience for healthcare workers. According to Catholic World Report, the book explores how these conflicts play out for clinicians and institutions caught between professional obligations and moral or religious convictions. It lands amid ongoing legal and political battles over conscience protections and access to both abortion and gender-affirming care in many countries.

A new opinion piece argues that mental health should be treated as an integral part of worker health, on par with physical safety in the workplace. The article contends that employers and policymakers who separate the two risk overlooking conditions like burnout, stress, and anxiety that shape workers' wellbeing and productivity. It calls for workplace protections and healthcare approaches that address mental wellbeing as a core labor issue rather than a personal matter.

A new Crain's New York Business report on New York City's employee healthcare finds that rising costs for city workers are driven by higher prices for care rather than increased utilization. The finding points to what services are charged — not how often they are used — as the key factor behind growing expenses for the city's health plans.