Season’s Greetings

Dear Colleagues!

As 2009 draws to an end, we can look back on a year that has been dramatic in many ways. As I write these lines, it is still unclear if the world’s leaders will reach an ambitious agreement in Copenhagen to combat climate change.

But with or without an agreement, this year has clearly shown us that there is a huge engagement in environmental issues, and we in the PSI family have certainly realised how closely the fight against climate change is linked to our overall objective to deliver Quality Public Services.

For PSI, COP15 is not the end – rather the beginning!

This year also taught us a new abbreviation - H1N1. This new influenza pandemic gave PSI a new opportunity to strengthen cooperation with the WHO, with whom we have worked closely together in testing health manuals designed for the workplace. We take this as recognition of the perceived importance of the PSI’s work in the Health Sector.

In 2009 we have continued to deal with the effects of the Global Economic Crisis. Together with the other Global Union Federations and the ITUC, we have developed constructive inputs for the leaders of the G20 countries.
 
It is encouraging to see that there is a growing commitment to change the international regulations of the financial sector that led the world into the worst crisis we have seen in our time. There is an increasing support for establishing a global tax on financial transactions -in the Asia Pacific region, PSI, together with BWI and UNI, launched a campaign for an International Solidarity Levy in August.

2009 was also the time when the internal Organisational Review was finalised. We have been through an examination of all parts of PSI and the Executive Board has approved a number of recommendations. Implementation of the review will start in 2010.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you for your strong commitment and your support for the work we do in PSI.
Next year we expect to see a growing pressure on the public services in many countries. The global economic crisis will leave its mark, as we already have seen in the countries hardest hit by the meltdown. We need to stand together to fight back and insist on the important role the public sector must play in getting the world back on its feet.

PSI continues to campaign for quality public services, be they in water, energy or health care. Together with the other Global Unions we will hold a big Quality Public Services conference next year – it will show the strength of the support is from the entire international trade union movement for the delivery of well-functioning public services to all people.

With these encouraging words I would like to wish all of you a successful 2010.

Peter Waldorff
PSI General Secretary

The PSI office will be closed from 4 pm on 24th December until 9 am on 4th January.

The PSI programme of events for 2010 is now available on the PSI Website at: www.world-psi.org/events