Health and Social care services

Quality Public Health for All: Time for Action

PSI General Secretary’s speech on the eve of the Intergovernmental Conference on the Global Compact for Migration in Marrakech

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. Read more

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Asia Pacific Health Network - the impact of health care systems on workers

10 September 2015

Around 40 members of health sector affiliates from across Asia and the Pacific met in Manila, Philippines on 7-8 September to discuss issues affecting healthcare systems and healthcare workers in the region and to look for ways to strengthen their campaigns and actions through working together.

French health unions call for end to 12-hour shifts

20 August 2015

The FO, CGT, SUD and UNSA health federations have written to the health minister calling for an end to 12-hour shifts in the public health sector.

Public sector health services in a downward spiral of privatization in Québec, Canada

12 August 2015

In Québec, the public sector health system is being systematically eroded through deliberate underspending that has physicians fleeing the public system for private practice. As the physicians leave, the conditions for patients in the public system worsen, justifying criticisms of inefficiency and further cuts.

PSI calls to defend the integrity and independence of the WHO

05 August 2015

Just as PSI’s affiliates fight the detrimental privatization of public services at national level, PSI is fighting the growing influence of the multinational private sector on public policy making at global level in the field of health.

Middle East Respiratory Syndrome outbreak in Korea exposed workers to high risks

05 August 2015

Following an outbreak of MERS CoV (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, Coronavirus) in the Republic of Korea that started on 20 May 2015, the WHO declared as of 29 July that the last laboratory-confirmed case was reported on 4 July 2015, now 1 month ago.

Longer breaks between shifts promote nurses' recovery from work

06 July 2015

A new study by the University of Eastern Finland shows that reducing short breaks between shifts helps nurses recover from work.

Nurses and healthcare workers speak out against the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP)

30 June 2015

Photo: Nurses - Creative Commons - Australian DFAT

PSI, Geneva, 30 June - Nurses, midwives and healthcare workers from the across the Pacific, Latin America and North America condemn the controversial TPP trade deal.

US Supreme Court Upholds Affordable Care Act

26 June 2015

Rosa Pavanelli, General Secretary of Public Services International (PSI) commended the decision by the U.S. Supreme Court in the King v. Burwell case that rejects the Republicans' attack on the Affordable Care Act and on the eligibility of Americans to purchase affordable health insurance.

Germany: Ver.di campaigning for re-evaluation of social services jobs

03 June 2015

PSI affiliate Ver.di is actively campaigning to demonstrate that kindergarten workers’ jobs need to be revalued in terms of status and salary, highlighting the importance of their role in caring for and educating children.

Nurse-to-patient ratios save lives!

15 May 2015

A PSI working group on Safe and Effective Staffing for Health (SESH), that met on 11-12 May at UNISON in London, declares nurse-to-patient ratios saves lives.

Regulation by private enterprise indulges the private sector and obstructs public responsibility

27 March 2015

The International Labour Organization has set important standards in the field of occupational health and safety, notably the Occupational Safety and Health Convention, 1981 (No. 155) and Occupational Health Services Convention, 1985 (No. 161), but it has yet to provide practical guidance on the management of occupational health and safety in the workplace.