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No Trade in Public Services

The recent wave of trade agreements are direct threats to the provision of Quality Public Services. These new agreements encourage privatisation, restrict governments’ ability to regulate in the public interest and create new and powerful rights for large multinational corporations. They are also a threat to democracy and accountability of government. They are being negotiated in secret, without proper consultation and will bind future governments, often regardless of the decisions of national elections, parliaments and courts. PSI urges all affiliates to understand the implications and join our allies to oppose the harmful effects of these agreements.

Protection of fundamental labour rights in free trade agreements (FTAs): A total failure?

16 April 2018

Free trade agreements (FTAs) contain a labour chapter, including a grievance mechanism for examining labour complaints that could ultimately sanction the offending party. But there is debate over whether the link between trade and labour provisions is positive, or if it weakens international protection for workers.

"When everything is a service, a Trade in Services Agreement affects everyone," says new IUF Report

26 February 2018

A new report release today by the The International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers’ Associations (IUF) highlights the Global Union movement's mounting opposition to the TiSA trade deal.

Free trade or women's rights?

12 January 2018

After 30 years of neoliberal globalization, it has been increasingly acknowledged that austerity, privatization, deregulation of finance, markets and corporations, and trade and investment liberalization have had a devastating and discriminatory impact on women and have driven inequality. Recent large multilateral agreements, designed primarily to enable the unhindered flow of global capital, are significant barriers to the realization of the human rights of women.

A victory for the peoples of the world: the 11th WTO Ministerial Conference ends without agreements

14 December 2017

With decisive role of social movements from around the world, meeting in Buenos Aires failed to reach consensus that would benefit the transnationals and harm the world population, especially the poorest.

Women’s Rights Organizations call on Governments to Reject the WTO Declaration on “Women’s Economic Empowerment”

12 December 2017

According to the signatories of the letter, including PSI, the declaration “fails to address the adverse impact of WTO rules and instead appears to be designed to mask the failures of the WTO and its role in deepening inequality and exploitation”.

Civil society organizations protest against WTO Ministerial Conference

11 December 2017

PSI was one of the organizations that drove the action. According to Jocelio Drummond, Regional Secretary of PSI Inter-America, "the main struggle is to prevent the WTO from expanding its area of action on new issues, for example, electronic commerce".

Argentinian government has revoked union and civil society participation in WTO meeting

05 December 2017

In an unprecedented action, the Argentinian government has revoked the accreditation for union and civil society representatives to the 11th Ministerial Meeting of the WTO in Buenos Aires, advising the WTO that the experts will not be allowed into the country. PSI does not accept such a blatant violation of well-established international norms and calls on the President of Argentina and the WTO Director-General to take immediate action.

Global Unions Statement of Priorities for the 9th WTO Ministerial Conference

28 November 2013

In the wake of the on-going economic crisis brought on in no small measure by the same de-regulatory forces that champion trade liberalisation, there is a real opportunity for the global community to re-think existing trade rules and arrangements. World Trade Organisation’s (WTO) accords have adversely impacted farmers and workers and they have reduced policy and regulatory space needed to actively promote decent jobs and quality public services.

PSI Statement on the 9th WTO Ministerial Conference

27 November 2013

The results of decades of corporate-led globalisation are clear for the majority of the world. Unemployment continues to afflict millions and is especially acute for the world’s youth. Inequality is growing and quality public services and labour rights are being undermined. Liberalisation of and financial speculation in commodities markets has produced ruinous price fluctuations for food and shortages that create untold harm and avoidable loss of life. The global economic crisis caused by the reckless and unregulated actions of the private financial markets has created untold suffering for workers and is now being used as the reason to implement punitive and misguided austerity programmes.

Presentation: Trade and Services Agreement and Public Services

17 October 2013

Trade presentation given by Daniel Bertossa, PSI Senior Policy and Advocacy Officer, at the PSI Asia Pacific Quality Public Services Forum in Bangkok, Thailand - October 2013

Presentation: Multinational Tax Avoidance

17 October 2013

Multinational Tax Avoidance and the OECD's base erosion and profit shifting (BEPs) process

Trade presentation given by Daniel Bertossa, PSI Senior Policy and Advocacy Officer, at the PSI Asia Pacific Quality Public Services Forum in Bangkok, Thailand - October 2013

Presentation: How ‘free trade’ & investment treaties attack public services & why we have to fight them

17 October 2013

Trade presentation given by Professor Jane Kelsey, from the University of Auckland, New Zealand, at the PSI Asia Pacific Quality Public Services Forum in Bangkok, Thailand - October 2013

Presentation: The Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement and health

17 October 2013

A New Zealand perspective

Trade presentation given by Marilyn Head, New Zealand Nurses Organisation, at the PSI Asia Pacific Quality Public Services Forum in Bangkok, Thailand - October 2013

Presentation: Is fracking a trade question?

16 October 2013

Presentation by Geert Decock, Policy Officer, Food & Water Europe. This document was presented at the PSI workship on the Trade in Services Agreement (TISA), held during the WTO Forum in Geneva, Switzerland, 2 October 2013.

Presentation: Public Services and Trade Rules: Preserving Policy Space for Innovation

16 October 2013

Presentation by Scott Sinclair, Senior Research Fellow, Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives This document was presented at the PSI workship on the Trade in Services Agreement (TISA), held during the WTO Forum in Geneva, Switzerland, 2 October 2013.

Presentation: How do trade agreements alter education quality?

16 October 2013

Presentation by Antoni Verger, Globalisation, Education and Socil Policies (GEPS), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (on behalf of Education International). This document was presented at the PSI workship on the Trade in Services Agreement (TISA), held during the WTO Forum in Geneva, Switzerland, 2 October 2013.

First BRICS Cycle of debates

04 September 2013

Statement from the trade union organizations of public sector workers affiliated to Public Services International (PSI), from Brazil, Russia, India and South Africa – BRICS.

PSI brief on Trade in Services Agreement (TISA)

02 August 2013

This briefing note, written in July 2013, explains the Trade in Services Agreement (TISA).

PSI policy on International Trade Agreements

31 May 2013

PSI’s Executive Board (EB–145) endorsed in May 2013 a proposal to increase PSI’s work on trade agreements. This work will focus on the most prominent threats to our affiliates, including ensuring that trade agreements are not used to open public services to private commercial activities but are used to contribute to the application of international labour standards to protect workers’ rights.

Working for the alternative: Implementing PSI's mandate in 2013 and beyond

19 March 2013

The 2012 PSI World Congress provided a framework for Public Services International's discussions and decisions. However, it is necessary to focus priorities. This document presents a detailed implementation plan for PSI's mandate in 2013 and beyond.

PSI Congress Resolutions

12 March 2013

Resolutions adopted at the 29th World Congress of Public Services International, held in Durban, South Africa, 27-30 November 2012. The resolutions are available in English, French, Spanish, German, Swedish, Japanese and Russian.

Resolution 22: Trade

30 November 2012

The 29th World Congress of Public Services International (PSI),
meeting in Durban, South Africa, on 27-30 November 2012