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Asia Pacific

PSI's Asia and Pacific region covers 122 unions in 22 countries and related territories with a membership of two million workers. The regional office is based in Singapore. Contact the regional offices.

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.

Trade agreements put our right to water at risk

20 March 2019
Access to tap water in unequal between the poor and the rich in Jakarta.

Trade agreements like the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) are designed to make it easier for foreign multinational corporations to invest and do business. In doing so, they put the rights of citizens and workers second to profits. Read an Op-Ed by Abdul Somad, president of PSI affiliate Jakarta Water Workers’ Union (SP PDAM Jakarta).

Union voices at Asia RCEP trade talks highlight undermining of workers’ rights

19 March 2019
 RCEP CSO National Meeting: At a national meeting of CSOs in conjunction with the 25th round of negotiations for RCEP, Indonesian trade unions raised their concerns about the challenges that RCEP poses to the right to water, workers' rights, and democratic decision-making.

The 25th round of negotiations for the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnerships (RCEP) concluded on February 28th in Bali, Indonesia. At a half-day consultation organized by trade negotiators, trade union representatives raised the challenges that RCEP poses to democratic decision-making, the right to water, and workers’ rights.

Addressing the human rights implications of privatization for women and girls

14 March 2019
This interactive side event to #CSW63, jointly organised by PSI, FEMNET and APWLD and opened by UN Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights, Philip Alston, focused with a human rights-based perspective on the privatization of public services.

There Can Be No Gender Equality Without Quality Public Services

11 March 2019

In an Op-ed published around the world, Rosa Pavanelli, PSI General Secretary, writes about gender responsive quality public services and how women and girls are also the most impacted when countries offer poor basic facilities. Women´s access to social protection, gender-responsive quality public services and infrastructure is a priority of the international community and the main theme of UNCSW63, in which PSI is participating as part of the global union delegation.

A Quantum Leap for Gender Equality: For a Better Future of Work for All

11 March 2019

This new ILO report highlights key gender gaps and obstacles to decent work for women.

Trans Pacific Partnership is bad news for workers – call to action

25 February 2014
No TPP

Many unions and civil society groups fighting the Trans Pacific Partnership and the Fast Track process of this terrible free trade deal have been frustrated by the lack of mainstream media coverage, especially in America. The media's conspiracy of silence makes it hard to mobilize our members against the TPP and Fast Track because they aren't hearing anything about it.

Korea: Support railway workers' right to strike

19 December 2013

Since June, the South Korean government has been pushing forward a new rail restructuring and privatisation programme despite widespread opposition. Faced with the government and Korea Railroad Corporation's (KORAIL's) flat out rejection of social dialogue, the Korean Railway Workers' Union (KRWU), an ITF affiliate, has been on strike since 9 December.


KRWU is also a member of the KCTU-Korean Federation of Public Services and Transportation Workers' Unions (KPTU), a PSI affiliate.

Take action: International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women - 25 November 2013

21 November 2013
PSI violence against women poster

PSI is calling on all its affiliate members, men and women, to make a pledge to end violence against women and girls, at each of their workplaces around the globe.
Violence against women is an age-old problem – it is time to end it now.

Please send donations for the Philippines after Typhoon Haiyan

18 November 2013

Public Services International is collecting donations via the PSI Aid Fund to help our sisters and brothers in the Philippines, further to the PSI Steering Committee decision and in coordination with our affiliates in the country.

UN derecognizes staff unions, refuses to negotiate

12 November 2013

PSI urges all trade unionists to call on your UN Member States and Foreign Ministers and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to respect the rights of workers and immediately resume bargaining.

Join the LabourStart campaign send a letter of protest now

Typhoon Haiyan: Solidarity support to all PSI affiliates in the Philippines

12 November 2013

Members of the PSI Steering Committee have expressed their solidarity and deepest condolences to all people in the Philippines in the devastating wake of Typhoon Haiyan.

Solidarity with Korean education support workers

08 November 2013

KPTU-EdSol, the Korean trade union that organises education support workers, would like to receive solidarity statements and photos of education support members from PSI affiliates around the world, in time for their strike on 15 November.

Defending trade union rights in South Korea

10 October 2013

PSI calls on all its members to request the authorities of South Korea to recognize the Korean Government Employees' Union (KGEU), to refrain from cancelling the registration of the Korean Teachers' and Education Workers' Union (KTU) and to amend its legislation in line with ILO recommendations.

Solidarity with Korean education support workers

13 June 2013

Public Services International has received a request from the Korean Public & Social Services and Transportation Workers’ Union, Education Workers Solidarity Division (KPTU-EdSol), an affiliate of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions KCTU, a member of PSI. They are asking for PSI affiliates to send letters of support in their struggle on behalf of education support workers.

The new generation of PPPs in infrastructure – meeting the needs of institutional investors

10 July 2017

Extract from the Civil Society Report "Spotlight on Sustainable Development 2017" -the new global report assesses how privatization and corporate capture have become obstacles to progress under the 2030 Agenda.

Spotlight Report: "Reclaiming Policies for the Public"

07 July 2017

Report by the Civil Society Reflection Group on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

PSI Releases Booklet series on Healthcare Workers in South Asia

14 April 2017

Non-Standard Work in the Healthcare Sector in South Asia is a series of publications aimed at disseminating information on the challenges facing the health workforce in the region, both in the public and private sector. Overall, we hope that the booklets published under the series will provide a window into the issues of interest of Public Services International, South Asia and areas of possible collaboration with existing and future allies in the struggle for Health for All with Decent Work around the world.

Manifesto of the PSI Human Right to Health Global Campaign

13 April 2017

A better Future with Public Health for All: PSI's global campaign for the Human Right to Health aims at building a mass global movement that could influence concrete policies towards attaining Universal Public Health Coverage (UPHC).

Global Unions Statement: Support the inclusion and retention of the full and substantive role of the ILO in the UNCSW61 Agreed Conclusions

22 March 2017

Member states at the annual Sessions of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (UNCSW) are currently negotiating ‘Agreed Conclusions’ on this year’s priority theme: ‘Women’s economic empowerment in the changing world of work’.

Zero Fees in the Recruitment Process

14 February 2017

What are recruitment fees and why should they be scrapped? Join PSIs' campaign for fair and ethical recruitment. www.world-psi.org/NRF -- #NoRecruitmentFees.

Health Ministerial Meeting: Joint trade union statement

13 January 2017

The Trade Union Advisory Committee to the OECD (TUAC) and the Public Services International (PSI) have prepared a joint statement prior to the OECD Health Ministerial Meeting taking place in Paris on 17 January where Ministers from over 35 OECD and partner countries will exchange their ideas, ambitions and challenges for The Next Generation of Health Reforms.

PSI briefing: The Future of Health

13 January 2017

PSI has commissioned a new briefing entitled “The Future of Health: Person Centred Care in Policy and Practice”, by Kate Baylis, SOAS, University of London.

Banners: A better future with public health for all

12 December 2016

The banners "A better future with public health for all" - size 700x430 and size 800x800 - are available for download in English, French and Spanish (jpg format).

Posters: A better future with public health for all

12 December 2016

The posters "A better future with public health for all" are available for download in English, French and Spanish.

Posters: Int'l Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women

17 November 2016

Trade unions are struggling to end violence at the workplace and in society. In all countries, we need a strong commitment from governments to address the deeply rooted causes of violence against women: inequality and discrimination. Download PSI's posters for International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.

Ten key points for Fair Cities and an inclusive New Urban Agenda

16 November 2016

The 10 key points on the following pages represent PSI’s priorities for a New Urban Agenda encompassing decent work for city workers – including public workers - universal access and adequate public investment in essential public services, such as water and sanitation, energy, health care, transportation, education, social housing, public space etc.

PSI supports the release of ICRICT's second declaration

16 November 2016

"Four Ways to Tackle International Tax Competition" was launched on 15 November in Brussels by the Independent Commission for the Reform of International Corporate Taxation (ICRICT).

Memorandum of Undertaking for Disaster Risk Reduction between the local government of Bislig city and the PSILINK union

11 November 2016

The 2016 Memorandum of Undertaking (MoU) was negotiated and concluded between PSI affiliate PSILINK and the local government of Bislig city, Surigao del Sur, Mindanao, the Philippines.

Overview of global megatrends affecting local and regional governments

12 October 2016

This paper was commissioned by PSI to inform a meeting of the PSI Local and Regional Government Committee held on 19 September 2016 in Brussels. The purpose of the paper is to provide an overview of issues which affect local and regional governments (LRGs).

PSI at the Open-ended intergovernmental working group on transnational corporations and other business enterprises with respect to human rights

24 October 2016

From 24 to 28 October 2016, Public Services International, together with Governments, regional and political groups, intergovernmental organizations, civil society, NGOs and many other relevant stakeholders, will be participating in the 2nd public meetings of the Open-ended intergovernmental working group on transnational corporations and other business enterprises with respect to human rights (OEIWG), which could lead to the adoption of an international legally binding instrument on transnational corporations (TNCs or MNEs).

Workshop: Smart cities and challenges of urbanisation (India)

13 October 2016

During the People’s Forum on BRICS on 13-14 October, PSI is co-organising a workshop called “Smart cities and challenges of urbanisation” together with Peoples Front against IFIs, NHF and NAPM. PSI’s affiliated union representatives will be intervening in the workshop that will be held in Goa, India.

State of Power: Energy Democracy and Labour perspectives (India)

13 October 2016
State of Power: Energy Democracy and Labour perspectives (India)

During the People’s Forum on BRICS on 13 October from 14-17h, TUED (which PSI is part of) and TNI are co-organising a workshop called “State of Power: Energy Democracy and Labour perspectives”. PSI’s affiliated union representatives will be intervening in the workshop that will be held in Goa, India.

Culmination Conference of the PSI Project on Decent Work and Social Protection for Migrant Workers in the Public Services (Philippines)

06 October 2016

The PSI Project on Decent Work and Social Protection for Migrant Workers in the Public Services, is a three-year project (2014-2016) which aims to promote access to decent work and social protection for migrant workers in the public services. This conference will launch key campaigns of the project, culminate the work over the last three years, and pave the way to the future work of the PSI on migration and refugee issues.

International Conference: Free trade and the right to (not) migrate (Brussels)

27 September 2016

The Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung is organising a Conference on Free Trade and the Right to (Not) Migrate on 29 September – 1 October in Brussels. PSI Migration Programme Coordinator, Genevieve Gencianos, is speaking in a panel on “Lessons for the future: 21st Trade Agenda, TTIP and Migration” on 30 September between 16h30 and 19h.

How unpaid internships undermine human rights

22 September 2016
unpaid internships

This event "How unpaid internships undermine human rights", taking place in Geneva on 27 September, is co-organized by the Fair Internship Initiative (FII), Public Services International and the "We Pay Our Interns" coalition representatives. On the sidelines of the Human Rights Council, Unions, NGOs and youth activists come together to highlight the urgent need for international organisations and governments to tackle the issue of unpaid internships, both in the wider economy and within their own halls.

Public meeting on neoliberalism and healthcare in South Asia

22 September 2016

The healthcare sector in South Asian countries has seen significant restructuring with an increase in private sector participation in provisioning. The discussion will explore the linkages between neoliberal reforms and informalisation of employment; explore the trends in employment patterns in Nepal, India and Sri Lanka; as well as look into some of the trade union responses to this growing phenomenon.

ILO Tripartite Technical Meeting on Recruitment

06 September 2016
ILO TTM on refugees

The Tripartite Meeting of Experts to Develop Guidance on Fair Recruitment is being held at the ILO in Geneva on 5-7 September. The objective is to adopt ILO guidelines on fair recruitment, encompassing both cross-border and national recruitment. PSI Migration Programme Coordinator, Genevieve Gencianos, delivered a speech on 5 September at the opening session of the meeting.

The People's Inquiry into Privatisation

05 September 2016

Australian affiliates have come together and asked an independent panel to investigate the impact of privatisation on workers and their communities. The Panel will also investigate what sort of services people want and need into the future. This inquiry seeks to hear from workers and the communities who rely on these services.

Civil Society Days: 9th Global Forum on Migration and Development (Dhaka)

21 July 2016

PSI and the Global Union Federations are planning to bring a delegation of trade union activists to the GFMD Civil Society Days (CSD). The Civil Society Days will take place on 8‐9 December 2016, to be followed by the GFMD on 10‐12 December 2016. Both events will take place in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

UNCSW60: Commission on the Status of Women

13 March 2016
Photo: CTF - FCE/Flickr

The sixtieth session of the Commission on the Status of Women will take place at the United Nations Headquarters in New York from 14 to 24 March 2016.

Forum: Privatisation - Alternatives in the Public's Interest

23 June 2015

A one-day forum for public sector unions and their allies

Philippines Migration Project Planning and Stakeholders Meeting

17 June 2015

The Philippines Project Monitoring and Stakeholder Meetings within the PSI’s Decent Work and Social Protection for Migrant Workers in the Public Services Project will bring together PSI affiliates in the Philippines, Germany and Finland, other trade union partners, government agencies, policy makers, ethical recruiters, civil society organizations and migrant associations in order to tackle the challenges to decent work and social protection for migrant workers.

Video: Trade agreements and the threat to quality public services

24 June 2014

Sanya Reid Smith - Third World Network, Guest speaker at PSI's Executive Board meeting in Nyon, Switzerland 24-25 June 2014.

Audio: RadioLabour report on global day of action TISA

06 May 2014

A report by C. Marie Ainsborough, Senior Labour Reporter with Radio Labour, reports on the preparations for the global day of action on 28th April in protest of the TISA negotiations. See our web page for more information.

Video: Global Labor Unions Step Up the Fight for Women's Empowerment

21 March 2014

To achieve gender equality and empower women around the world, leaders are increasingly looking to history's pioneers of progress and social inclusion: Labor Unions.

Photos: Demonstration in Geneva in front of the Korean mission

20 January 2014

PSI staff members joined by other Global Union staff members in Geneva demonstrate in front of the Korean mission - 17 January 2014.

Photos: PSI/FES Forum on Pension and Social Security

08 January 2014

Public Services International (PSI) Asia Pacific region and Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES), Regional Cooperation office (Singapore), jointly held a Forum on Pension and Social Security for the affiliate unions on 14-15 December 2013 in Singapore.

Audio: A special RadioLabour report on migrant workers and their families

07 January 2014

There are 232 million migrants in the world. Many are living and working in horrible conditions. A special RadioLabour report on migrant workers and their families. The report features interviews with two international labour movement activists: Chidi King of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) and Genevieve Gencianos of Public Services International (PSI).

David Boys of PSI at GWOPA’s global forum

02 December 2013

David Boys, Public Service International’s (PSI) deputy general secretary, talks to Akvo's Mark Charmer and challenges theories that market-based financing is the right approach for financing water utilities around the world at the Global Water Operators’ Partnerships Alliance’s (GWOPA) global forum that took place in Barcelona from 27-29 November 2013.

Photos: Singapore Forum on the Elimination of Violence against Women

27 November 2013

PSI affiliates in Singapore held an event on 23rd November on Ending Violence against Women and invited the Speaker of the Parliament as the guest speaker, Mdm. Halimah Yacob. Together they said violence against women is an age-old problem – it is time to end it now!

See photos on Flickr.

Photo gallery: PSI at the UN HLD and the PGA

07 October 2013

PSI at the UN High Level Dialogue on Migration and Development and the Peoples Global Action on Migration, Development and Human Rights, New York (USA), 30 Sept - 4 October 2013.

Videos: BRICS Cycle of Debates

04 September 2013

The CSPB News Special Edition on the BRICS Cycle of Debates

Photos: KGEU sit-in May 2013

21 May 2013

49 trade unionists, members of PSI affiliate Korean Government Employees’ Union (KGEU), were arrested Monday 20 May, for holding a sit-in in front of the Ministry of Security and Public Administration.

Photos: Strike in India - Feb 2013

22 February 2013

An estimated 100 million workers took to the streets for a two-day strike organised by national trade union centres in India. PSI affiliated unions representing workers in the electricity, defense, water and municipal sectors were there in force.

PSI General Secretary sends a message of solidarity and support to KGEU

31 January 2013

PSI General Secretary, Rosa Pavanelli, sends a message of solidarity and support to KGEU, PSI affiliate in South Korea.

Bankable versus taxable

04 November 2011

Interview with David Boys (Public Services International and appointed to the UN Secretary General's Advisory Board on Water and Sanitation - UNSGAB) at the Water Operators' Partnerships conference in Amsterdam, 2 November 2011.