The European Trade Union Committee for Education (ETUCE) and the European Federation of Education Employers (EFEE), together with the Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR), the European Federation of Public Service Unions (EPSU), the European Hospital and Healthcare Employers’ Association (HOSPEEM), the European Confederation of Independent Trade Unions (CESI), HOTREC (Hotels, Restaurants and Cafés in Europe), the European Federation of Food, Agriculture and Tourism Trade Unions (EFFAT), and the European Public Administration Employers (EUPAE), have jointly adopted the updated European Multisectoral Guidelines to Prevent and Tackle Third-Party Violence and Harassment Related to Work.
This adoption marks a significant achievement for the European social partners, reaffirming their shared commitment to negotiated, evidence-based solutions for safer and healthier workplaces. The updated Guidelines are the result of a six-month negotiation process, supported by the European Commission, reflecting strong and meaningful cooperation at European level.
The Guidelines offer practical support to trade unions, employers, and workers’ representatives by providing concrete measures for prevention, health risk assessments, complaint procedures, training, and cooperation with relevant public authorities. They address pressing new challenges in today’s workplaces, including the rise in third-party violence after the COVID-19 pandemic, the effects of digitalisation, staffing shortages, and the need to strengthen responses to gender-based violence.
Importantly, the Guidelines underline that every workplace should not only have a clear third-party violence and harassment (TPVH) policy but must also be sufficiently staffed and resourced to ensure that such policies can be meaningfully implemented.
Social dialogue remains central to achieving these objectives, recognising that collaboration between employers and workers is key to building safe, fair, and respectful working environments across sectors such as education, healthcare, hospitality, public administration, and local and regional governments.
“Violence must never be ”part of the job”. We negotiated the update of these European guidelines to combat third-party violence and harassment to make them more concrete and effective. Safe schools and secure working conditions for teachers are essential. School conditions are getting more difficult for teachers across Europe. Addressing this is also crucial if we want to solve the teacher shortage. Social dialogue is key—let’s end workplace violence together.” Jelmer Evers, ETUCE European Director.
“We are proud to have been part of these multi-sectoral negotiations to tackle third-party violence and harassment. These efforts reaffirm our commitment, as a social partner, to creating safe, respectful environments where school leaders, teachers, students, and other education personnel feel protected and supported. This is a meaningful step forward for the well-being of everyone in schools.” – Daniel Wisniewski, EFEE General Secretary
Following their adoption, the signatory organisations are committed to promoting the implementation of the Guidelines among their national members, including through their inclusion in future collective agreements. A comprehensive evaluation of the Guidelines’ effectiveness and relevance is foreseen within six years, ensuring that the framework continues to respond to emerging challenges in the world of work.
The full text of the updated Guidelines and the joint press release can be accessed here:
READ UPDATED GUIDELINES