From the Parliament of the EU a comparative analysis shows the impact of the crisis on fundamental rights across Member States. Here's how society has been changed by the crisis
by Emanuele Bonini
Precarious work, lower wages and hours of unpaid overtime, no more exemptions at health and reductions for the incentives to education. How does Europe change in time of crisis and austerity measures? The answer is contained in a special report drafted for the Civil Liberties Committee of the European Parliament. The document examines how and how much the fundamental rights have been severely tested by the crisis in seven Member States: Belgium, Cyprus, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Portugal and Spain. These countries are those under assistance program (Cyprus, Greece, Ireland, Portugal and Spain), plus Italy - because of its high level of public debt - and Belgium - under EU supervision for budget imbalances. Work, healthcare, education, home, property: here's how crisis changed Europe.
Work. Rights at work have been affected in a number of Member States. Hence, the right to collective bargaining was interfered with in Cyprus, Greece, Ireland and Portugal – mostly by limiting the bargaining power of workers. In Portugal, the right to holidays has been brought into question. Restrictions on employment in the public sector were introduced in Cyprus, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Portugal and Spain. Abolition of permanent contracts was recorded mainly in Greece. Greece, Portugal and Spain have made it easier collective redundancies. Italy has reduced the possibility of obligatory return after dispute with the employer. In Cyprus, Greece and Ireland wages were cut across the public sector, while in Italy and Portugal a cut was introduced only for high incomes. In Spain there has been an overall reduction of 5%. In Belgium wages were frozen. Christmas bonus were cut in Ireland, Greece, Spain and Portugal. Minimum wages were reduced in Greece and frozen in Portugal. Overtime to part-time workers have been established in Greece and Spain.
Healthcare. Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Portugal and Spain have been introduced participation fees for some services, such as primary care, specialist outpatient services, laboratory tests, non-emergency medical transport and emergency visits. An automatic indexation of fees was introduced in Portugal. These commissions already existed in Belgium and Ireland, but Ireland were increased due to austerity measures. In Spain, the minimum and maximum participation rates were determined. At the same time Spain reduced the number of hospital beds. In Italy, the regions were mandated to reduce the number of hospital beds from 4 to 3.7 per thousand inhabitants. In Portugal hospital staff was reduced, while Ireland cut the number of beds of nursing homes. Tax relief for healthcare have been cut by two-thirds in Portugal. Greece has introduced a single system to make medical appointments. Ireland has increased the cost of private health insurance. In Cyprus, the cuts have resulted in the exclusion from health care of Cypriots in the North and EU citizens with undeclared work. In Greece, a growing number of unemployed and self-employed professionals not able to pay their social security contributions, are not covered by public health insurance. In Italy, the opening of health centers was not synchronized to the reduction in the number of beds in the hospital, leaving a number of people without adequate health coverage. Still in Portugal a number of hospitals were announced to be closed, in an effort to achieve concentration and rationalisation in State hospitals and health centres, as well as specialisation and concentration of hospital and emergency services. In Ireland, a decline in home help
and home care packages has been recorded. Reductions and freeze in the salaries of medical staff were imposed in Spain, Ireland and Greece. A moratorium on new recruitments was imposed in Greece, Ireland, Italy and Spain.
Education. Cuts in staff costs were recorded in Cyprus, Ireland, Italy, Portugal, and Spain. These cuts are the result of a combination of measures (reduction in wage and reduction in the number of staff, through work termination or freezing of new employments). The number of students per class has increased, while the teacher-student ratio has declined in all countries. Salaries, as well as other benefits for teachers, have been affected. The number of working hours for teachers has increased in Italy, Portugal and Spain, while in Cyprus were abolished the preparation hours for teachers. Reductions in the use of substitute teachers and replacements were introduced in Ireland and Spain, thus limiting the possibility of involving teachers replacement. Besides the cost of the people, some administrative costs were reduced. In Greece vigilantes school were abolished. In Italy, the technical staff and auxiliary staff in schools has been reduced by 17%. Because of administrative cuts, in some areas of Italy there were decreases in the standard of hygiene. In Cyprus and Greece, the operating costs of schools have been significantly reduced: in Greece budget cuts have compromised the ability of schools to support operating costs of essential, such as heating. Spain proceeded in a general reduction of costs in all the organisational structures of the State, including education.
Studying incentives. Cyprus has abolished free school bus service for for children from rural areas and pupils attending technical schools; this now needs to be paid. In Ireland, the cost of transport increased, while the rural transport co-ordination service was removed. Similarly, Ireland abolished, amongst others, grants for school books and funding for poorer children, whereas in Spain, a total decrease of 45% was recorded in the provision of scholarships for the purchase of schoolbooks. Grants for the purchase of clothing and footwear were also reduced in Ireland. In Belgium school allowances aimed at families in financial difficulty were reduced by 15% in 2013, and an additional 15% in 2014. In Spain, subsidies for student meals were reduced by 30-50% in some geographic areas, while in Greece, reductions in school budgets jeopardised the schools’ abilities to bear essential operational costs, such as heating.
Right to housing. It was affected in Belgium, Cyprus, Ireland and Spain in two principal ways: with the increase of foreclosures and evictions and by the interventions into the allocation of social housing and rental allowances
Property. Right to property was affected in Greece through massive increases in taxation and interventions in trade with State bonds. Property rights in Cyprus were affected by seizure of bank deposits exceeding 100.000 Euro – the so-called "deposit haircuts". In Italy, it is argued that the right to property was affected by the failure of the State to pay on time the claims from private entities with public contracts.
Freedom of information. In Greece the freedom of the press has been put into question, particularly after the closure of the national broadcaster.
Social security. Right to social security was interfered with in Ireland and Portugal – mostly by interventions into the system of social benefits, which needed to be cut as a matter of austerity.
Water. Right to water has been raised in Ireland, given that one of the measures introduced was water metering, as of 1 January 2015.
Precarious work, lower wages and hours of unpaid overtime, no more exemptions at health and reductions for the incentives to education. How does Europe change in time of crisis and austerity measures? The answer is contained in a special report drafted for the Civil Liberties Committee of the European Parliament. The document examines how and how much the fundamental rights have been severely tested by the crisis in seven Member States: Belgium, Cyprus, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Portugal and Spain. These countries are those under assistance program (Cyprus, Greece, Ireland, Portugal and Spain), plus Italy - because of its high level of public debt - and Belgium - under EU supervision for budget imbalances. Work, healthcare, education, home, property: here's how crisis changed Europe.
Work. Rights at work have been affected in a number of Member States. Hence, the right to collective bargaining was interfered with in Cyprus, Greece, Ireland and Portugal – mostly by limiting the bargaining power of workers. In Portugal, the right to holidays has been brought into question. Restrictions on employment in the public sector were introduced in Cyprus, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Portugal and Spain. Abolition of permanent contracts was recorded mainly in Greece. Greece, Portugal and Spain have made it easier collective redundancies. Italy has reduced the possibility of obligatory return after dispute with the employer. In Cyprus, Greece and Ireland wages were cut across the public sector, while in Italy and Portugal a cut was introduced only for high incomes. In Spain there has been an overall reduction of 5%. In Belgium wages were frozen. Christmas bonus were cut in Ireland, Greece, Spain and Portugal. Minimum wages were reduced in Greece and frozen in Portugal. Overtime to part-time workers have been established in Greece and Spain.
Healthcare. Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Portugal and Spain have been introduced participation fees for some services, such as primary care, specialist outpatient services, laboratory tests, non-emergency medical transport and emergency visits. An automatic indexation of fees was introduced in Portugal. These commissions already existed in Belgium and Ireland, but Ireland were increased due to austerity measures. In Spain, the minimum and maximum participation rates were determined. At the same time Spain reduced the number of hospital beds. In Italy, the regions were mandated to reduce the number of hospital beds from 4 to 3.7 per thousand inhabitants. In Portugal hospital staff was reduced, while Ireland cut the number of beds of nursing homes. Tax relief for healthcare have been cut by two-thirds in Portugal. Greece has introduced a single system to make medical appointments. Ireland has increased the cost of private health insurance. In Cyprus, the cuts have resulted in the exclusion from health care of Cypriots in the North and EU citizens with undeclared work. In Greece, a growing number of unemployed and self-employed professionals not able to pay their social security contributions, are not covered by public health insurance. In Italy, the opening of health centers was not synchronized to the reduction in the number of beds in the hospital, leaving a number of people without adequate health coverage. Still in Portugal a number of hospitals were announced to be closed, in an effort to achieve concentration and rationalisation in State hospitals and health centres, as well as specialisation and concentration of hospital and emergency services. In Ireland, a decline in home help
and home care packages has been recorded. Reductions and freeze in the salaries of medical staff were imposed in Spain, Ireland and Greece. A moratorium on new recruitments was imposed in Greece, Ireland, Italy and Spain.
Education. Cuts in staff costs were recorded in Cyprus, Ireland, Italy, Portugal, and Spain. These cuts are the result of a combination of measures (reduction in wage and reduction in the number of staff, through work termination or freezing of new employments). The number of students per class has increased, while the teacher-student ratio has declined in all countries. Salaries, as well as other benefits for teachers, have been affected. The number of working hours for teachers has increased in Italy, Portugal and Spain, while in Cyprus were abolished the preparation hours for teachers. Reductions in the use of substitute teachers and replacements were introduced in Ireland and Spain, thus limiting the possibility of involving teachers replacement. Besides the cost of the people, some administrative costs were reduced. In Greece vigilantes school were abolished. In Italy, the technical staff and auxiliary staff in schools has been reduced by 17%. Because of administrative cuts, in some areas of Italy there were decreases in the standard of hygiene. In Cyprus and Greece, the operating costs of schools have been significantly reduced: in Greece budget cuts have compromised the ability of schools to support operating costs of essential, such as heating. Spain proceeded in a general reduction of costs in all the organisational structures of the State, including education.
Studying incentives. Cyprus has abolished free school bus service for for children from rural areas and pupils attending technical schools; this now needs to be paid. In Ireland, the cost of transport increased, while the rural transport co-ordination service was removed. Similarly, Ireland abolished, amongst others, grants for school books and funding for poorer children, whereas in Spain, a total decrease of 45% was recorded in the provision of scholarships for the purchase of schoolbooks. Grants for the purchase of clothing and footwear were also reduced in Ireland. In Belgium school allowances aimed at families in financial difficulty were reduced by 15% in 2013, and an additional 15% in 2014. In Spain, subsidies for student meals were reduced by 30-50% in some geographic areas, while in Greece, reductions in school budgets jeopardised the schools’ abilities to bear essential operational costs, such as heating.
Right to housing. It was affected in Belgium, Cyprus, Ireland and Spain in two principal ways: with the increase of foreclosures and evictions and by the interventions into the allocation of social housing and rental allowances
Property. Right to property was affected in Greece through massive increases in taxation and interventions in trade with State bonds. Property rights in Cyprus were affected by seizure of bank deposits exceeding 100.000 Euro – the so-called "deposit haircuts". In Italy, it is argued that the right to property was affected by the failure of the State to pay on time the claims from private entities with public contracts.
Freedom of information. In Greece the freedom of the press has been put into question, particularly after the closure of the national broadcaster.
Social security. Right to social security was interfered with in Ireland and Portugal – mostly by interventions into the system of social benefits, which needed to be cut as a matter of austerity.
Water. Right to water has been raised in Ireland, given that one of the measures introduced was water metering, as of 1 January 2015.
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