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Europe

PSI is represented in Europe by the European Federation of Public Service Unions, based in Brussels. For more on our activities in this region, please see the EPSU website

You can also view a list of European affiliates or contact European regional offices

"We require a strong and well-resourced public sector"

19 April 2019

On 18 April, PSI Deputy General Secretary David Boys took part in the Forum on Financing for Development at the United Nations in New York, where he spoke on behalf of the CSO FFD group. Watch his intervention here.

7 April - Time for Universal Public Health Care

05 April 2019

Health is a human right. The 2019 World Health Day (WHD) is an opportunity to advocate for every woman, man and child to have access to quality public health.

The Long Term Plan for the NHS in England

24 March 2019
Health staff discuss the long term plan with UK Prime Minister Theresa May

The UK National Health Service has just published its latest plan for how the NHS in England should be organised over the next five years and beyond. This 136-page document represents a vision of a future health service that is based more on treating patients outside of hospitals, with a larger role for new digital technology and, in theory at least, a much smaller role for market competition.

France: Let's talk about staffing again

24 March 2019
Paramedics and healthcare staff

French union CFDT Santé Sociaux (health and social services) decided to continue with the survey on staffing for paramedics and healthcare staff it initiated in 2017. General Secretary Eve Rescanières explains that this annual barometer is part of the roadmap that the federation has set itself in terms of investment in European bodies and international trade union involvement.

Bulgarian Federation of Trade Unions - Health Services continues to defend workers and public health

24 March 2019
Ivan Kokalov, President of Federation of Bulgarian Trade Unions - Health Services

The Bulgarian Federation of Trade Unions - Health Services works with regional councils around the country to ensure health sector workers all over Bulgaria benefit from labour protection, guarantees on the right to work, decent wages and better quality of life and social status.

22 March - Water for all... no exception

21 March 2019

As we celebrate World Water Day one week after the successful global students strike for climate, similarities between the two events find an echo in the frustration with political systems which refuse to address obvious and urgent needs of the people.

Human rights to water and sanitation lead the way to leaving no one behind, says UN expert

21 March 2019

The call to action comes from Léo Heller, the UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation.

World Bank must stop promoting “dangerous” public-private partnerships – New Global Campaign launched!

23 October 2017

A new campaign aimed at reversing the dangerous rush to promote expensive and high-risk public-private partnerships (PPPs) was launched yesterday by Public Services International and by 151 civil society organisations from all over the globe.

Public administration workers of the Spanish foreign service go on strike on 16 October: 9-year wage freeze must end now!

16 October 2017

For the last nine years, public administration employees working abroad for the Spanish state have suffered an unjust and arbitrary wage freeze. Precarious working conditions and, in many countries, rampant inflation and strong fluctuations of local currencies have further compounded the issue.

Fight Privatization at Bridge International Academies!

18 July 2017

Civil society call on investors to cease support to Bridge International Academies - Growing evidence and analysis published in the last two years that raise grave concerns regarding Bridge’s transparency, relationship with governments, labour conditions, and breach of educational standards.

Turkey: Solidarity fund for trade unions

20 April 2017

In the aftermath of the failed coup that took place last July, the Turkish government has arrested and detained thousands of workers and trade unionists. Public employees have been summarily suspended or dismissed. PSI calls on affiliates to contribute to a solidarity fund to help trade unions and workers operate under these difficult conditions. #SolidarityTurkey

Inspiring campaigning! #TaxJustice for Women's Rights Global Days of Action

27 March 2017

The final week of the #TaxJustice for Women's Rights Global Days of Action has been extremely busy. These have been truly global days of action, as you will see from the photos, events and actions from around the world.

Support Fair and Ethical Recruitment: #NoRecruitmentFees

14 February 2017
Join the PSI campaign to abolish the practice of charging recruitment fees on migrant workers. Sign on to the Manifesto and use it to shift policy and practice towards fair and ethical recruitment. #NoRecruitmentFees

EU: whistleblowers need wide and comprehensive legal protection - Sign the petition!

07 November 2016

On 17 October a platform for a EU-wide whistleblower protection was launched by 44 organizations calling on the European Commission to urgently take action on bringing forward proposals on EU-wide legislation on whistleblower protection with a broad scope of groups and areas of activities protected.

Trade Unions in Transformation

31 July 2018
Photo: Striking dressmakers take a break in diner, ca. 1955 by Kheel Center - CC BY 2.0

With “trade unions in transformation«, the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) contributes to shifting the narrative about trade unions. Moving away from the standard depiction of unions as victims of globalization, this project highlights that unions do have agency and power. The stories of successful trade union action told in this brochure demonstrate how labour can and already does shape globalization.

SDG6: Water and sanitation are fundamental services, privatization is not a means of implementation!

10 July 2018

The ambition and breadth of the UN's Sustainable Development Agenda has been the object of both praise and ridicule. This report examines the challenges facing the implementation of SDG6, water and sanitation, and the bold strategies required to overcome them.

Report: Spotlight on Sustainable Development 2018

09 July 2018

PSI is a partner of the Reflection Group on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and together with other civil society organizations and networks has produced the annual Spotlight Report assessing the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the structural obstacles in its realization.

Alternatives to PPPs – growing instances of de-privatization

09 July 2018

Extract from the Civil Society Report "Spotlight on Sustainable Development 2018" - the new global report assesses obstacles and contradictions in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda.

Global framework agreement on the EDF Group’s corporate social responsibility (2018)

03 July 2018

On 29 May 2018 PSI General Secretary Rosa Pavanelli, IndustriAll General Secretary Valter Sanchez and EDF Group CEO Jean-Bernard Lévy signed a renewed Global Framework Agreement on Corporate Social Responsibility covering human and labour rights in the presence of the International Labour Organization Director General Guy Ryder, during the 107th session of the International Labour Conference with the participation of French trade unions. Later, on 19 June, national trade union federations representing a majority of EDF Group workers affiliated to PSI and IndustriAll completed the signature of the renewed Global Framework Agreement with EDF Group, which entered in full force as of 21 June for a 4-year term.

PSI and IndustriALL sign renegotiated Global Framework Agreement with EDF Group

28 May 2018

On 29 May 2018 PSI General Secretary Rosa Pavanelli, IndustriAll General Secretary Valter Sanchez and EDF Group CEO Jean-Bernard Lévy signed a renewed Global Framework Agreement on Corporate Social Responsibility covering human and labour rights in the presence of the International Labour Organization Director General Guy Ryder, during the 107th session of the International Labour Conference with the participation of French trade unions .

FOCUS on tax justice - International union rights

17 May 2018

FOCUS on tax justice is Volume 25 Issue 1 2018 of the journal of International Union Rights. The journal is published four times a year in English and has earned a reputation as the leading independent forum for global trade union debate, winning a readership in more than 100 countries worldwide. The editorial "Corporate tax dodging is stealing from workers and must be stopped" in this issue was written by PSI.

UN Conference of State Parties to the Convention of Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD)

12 June 2018
Shutterstock

PSI is participating for the first time in the Conference of State Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) held in New York from 12-14 June. PSI is also jointly organising a side event on 13 June, to identify how Social Dialogue is, or could be, used to ensure the implementation of the CRPD.

TUAC Working Group on Education and Skills (Paris)

15 January 2018

PSI attended the TUAC Working Group on Education and Skills on 15-16 January 2018 at the OECD Conference Centre, 2 rue André-Pascal, 75016 Paris. Discussions were held on a wide range of OECD policies that attempt to address the needs of young people, teachers and workers overall.

Celebrating the World Day of People with Disabilities (Geneva)

30 November 2017

PSI celebrates the World Day for People with Disabilities together with ACTRAV and all its members with disabilities! On 4 December, during this event, the ACTRAV publication on "Trade Union actions on decent work for people with disabilities" will be launched. This is a ground-breaking report that will launch a series of actions, with a strong participation of PSI. Sandra Vermuyten, PSI Head of Campaigns, will be speaking during this event.

Conversation with authors of the Civil Society Report "Spotlight on Sustainable Development 2017"

17 July 2017

Authors of the recently launched Spotlight Report will present key findings and recommendations to participants for discussion. The 2017 edition focuses on privatization, partnerships, corporate capture and the impact they have on sustainability and inequality.

Accelerating Women’s Economic Empowerment to Achieve the 2030 Agenda

17 July 2017

PSI General Secretary, Rosa Pavanelli, will be speaking on 17 July at the UNSG’s High-Level Panel (HLP) on Women’s Economic Empowerment. The HLP is a side event at the High Level Political Forum (HLPF), currently taking place in New York.

PSI at the 14th Coordination Meeting on International Migration - 2nd meeting

03 March 2016

Geneviève Gencianos, Public Services International (PSI) Migration Programme Coordinator, participating in the 2nd meeting of the 14th Coordination Meeting on International Migration, organized by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) at the United Nations in New York, 25-26 February 2016.

Video: #ThisIsACoup

11 January 2016

A four-part documentary series telling the story of the European Union's confrontation with the Greek Syriza party in 2015 and how the European Union destroyed the first radical left government in modern history.

Video: PSI@COP21

21 December 2015

Public Services International attended the COP21 climate talks in Paris from 30 November to 11 December 2015, to ensure that a strong union voice was heard at the talks. PSI held a series of expert panels on how climate change affects public service workers.
PSI also co-sponsored a TUED event which saw Jeremy Corbyn, Naomi Klein and others share their ideas with a packed hall.
Cut emissions, not public services!

Video: Update from COP21

05 December 2015

Anabella Rosemberg‎, ITUC, giving an update from the Paris climate summit on 5 December on the negotiations that risk removing a commitment to human rights and “Just Transition” to a low carbon future.

Rosa Pavanelli at the 3rd Local Development Forum, Turin, Italy, October 2015

27 October 2015

Rosa Pavanelli joined a panel of speakers at the 3rd Local Development forum held in Turin, Italy, on 14 October 2015, where she joined UCLG, ILO, UNDP, Caritas, Slowfood, and several local government and municipalities representatives. In this video by Meeting Point SSTC, Rosa denounces privatisation and explains how municipal workers, via their trade unions, can support each other across borders.

Video: Social dialogue and cooperation at the municipal level pays off - the Norwegian experience

31 August 2015

PSI affiliate the Norwegian Union of Municipal and General Employees (Fagforbundet) has produced a new video on how decent work and tripartite cooperation created the foundation for the Norwegian welfare state.

Video: We must improve the governance of the international tax system

15 June 2015

José Antonio Ocampo, Former UN Undersecretary-General, Former Minister of Finance of Colombia and currently Professor, Colombia University, at the ICRICT panel in Trento on 2 June, explains to us the main points of the ICRICT report.