Health

Quality health care is important to families, societies and the economy – because healthy workers are more productive. The PSI – which represents 8 million health care workers – believes that care must be available to people who need it, not just to those who can pay. Health care is dangerous work. These workers, and the services they provide, are worthy of everyone’s support.

28 April International Workers' Memorial Day

Apr24
Vaccine box with Kick Polio out of Nigeria logo

Honouring frontline workers who’ve lost their lives while helping others

On 28 April, International Workers’ Memorial Day, Public Services International and affiliate members join in our workplaces and communities to honour fellow workers who have been injured or lost their lives in the delivery of public services.

Greece: Brain drain as 120,000 professionals leave amid crisis

Apr22
Greek demonstrators

Greece's sky-high unemployment and shrinking economy are leading to significant brain drain, a new study has found. The number of young scientists leaving Greece has become very high, as more professionals abandon their homeland for better opportunities abroad. According to the study, the number of young scientists who emigrate has reached 10 percent of the country’s potential.

Emirates’ Laws Trap a Doctor Just Passing Through

Apr16

For more than seven months, Dr. Karabus, 78, a pediatric oncologist, has been trapped in the United Arab Emirates, fighting charges of manslaughter and forgery linked to his treatment of a 3-year-old patient with a severe form of leukemia who had died under his care.

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Voices of the living and the dead cry out for justice in Guatemala

Mar28

Two women trade unionists, Santa Alvarado, member of PSI affiliate SNTSG, and Kira Zulueta Enriquez Mena, have been brutally murdered in two separate incidents in Guatemala. These follow on the murder of Carlos Hernández Mendoza, SNTSG union leader shot dead at 8:30 am on 8 March 2013 by two men on a motorcycle. Some five other members of SNTSG were also murdered in the last year as were several civil society activists, including agrarian reform and indigenous right activists.

Ecuador: 3,000 public employees unfairly dismissed

Dec05

Several thousand public servants, mainly in the health and public administration sectors were recently arbitrarily dismissed leaving Ecuador’s health and central administration services in disarray. Many of those dismissed are members of PSI’s affiliates.

World Health Worker Week Engagement Toolkit

Apr04
A health worker and a patient walking together, smiling

In many countries, access to health care is limited and people living in rural areas often have the hardest time accessing the most basic health services. This toolkit, created for World Health Worker Week 2013, offers some ideas that can help your organisation to encourage greater apprciation and support of health workers and show your community that health workers count.

Sharp sense - Promoting the safety of healthcare workers

Mar14
Cover from the DVD and accompanying booklet Sharp Sense

This is the discussion guide for the PSI DVD Sharp Sense, in which a counsellor, a nurse and a physician each talk openly about the needlestick injuries they sustained, how they faced the possible consequences for their health, for their families and for their communities, and how their lives were transformed.

Tags: 
Health
OHS

Public sector unions combating HIV/AIDS in Southern Africa

Mar11

Public Services International and UNISON, UK, held a three-year joint project in South Africa from 2008-2011. The project, to strengthen public sector trade union response to HIV and AIDS engaged 34 PSI affiliates in 11 countries in good practice sharing and implementation.

Tags: 
Health
Trade union development
HIV/AIDS

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PSI’s 29th World Congress in Durban, South Africa, 27-30 November 2012

Nov22

As part of its World Congress events, PSI is holding a series of pre-congress meetings on key issues.

Second Forum & Federation symposium on workers' health

May22

The next FORUM & FEDERATION Lunch-time Symposium on workers’ health will take place on 26 June from 12:00 to 14:00 at the International Labour Office (ILO), Room 3. The focus is the “Right to Work and Right to Health: Workers with Physical and Mental Disabilities”.

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28 April International Workers' Memorial Day

Apr24
Vaccine box with Kick Polio out of Nigeria logo

Honouring frontline workers who’ve lost their lives while helping others

On 28 April, International Workers’ Memorial Day, Public Services International and affiliate members join in our workplaces and communities to honour fellow workers who have been injured or lost their lives in the delivery of public services.

Photos: World Social Forum, Tunis 2013

Apr 15
WSF Tunis - various photos March2013
Source: Flickr

Public Services International had the strongest global union presence at the World Social Forum 26-30 March 2013 in Tunis, Tunisia. PSI hosted and co-sponsored numerous events on trade union rights, youth, water, women’s issues, tax justice, energy and climate change.

Rosa Pavanelli elected to lead Public Services International

Nov28

Italian trade unionist Rosa Pavanelli has been elected as the new leader of the global union federation Public Services International, representing 20 million public service workers in 150 countries. Pavanelli says her vision is founded on “giving PSI new energy, and standing up for justice, solidarity, equality, a fairer and more sustainable world.”

The leadership vote took place during PSI’s 29th World Congress in Durban, South Africa (27-30 November 2012). Danish trade unionist Peter Waldorff had sought re-election as general secretary following one term in office.

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