The three largest employers in the service voucher sector are calling for the price of the service voucher to be raised by €5, issuing what they say is "a cry for help, because the sector is on the verge of tipping over."
An analysis commissioned by the employers’ organisations from the Graydon Creditsafe firm shows that half of the service voucher companies are loss-making. The price of a voucher has been the same for years but the cost to employers has risen sharply in recent years, according to the organisations.
Those companies that are still making a profit are seeing their margins shrink. The lack of reasonable funding is also to the detriment of the household cleaners and helpers themselves, who are seeing training and support gradually disappear.
According to the employers, an increase in the value of the service voucher by €5 would give the sector a sustainable perspective.
Under the service voucher system, vouchers for services – such as domestic work, home care, bicycle hire etc. – are sold to individuals to use them. The vouchers are subsidised, and their prices fixed, which makes them affordable. At the same time, the system is a source of employment and decent working conditions for employees.
