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Health and Social care services

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

The impacts of austerity on health

05 April 2019
Health sector workers checking through files

Austerity is a policy used by governments to save money, either as an overall reduction in government spending as a percentage of GPD (Gross Domestic Product), or specific reductions in government spending. However it is defined, austerity causes specific losses to specific people.

PSI participates in 144th Executive Board Session of the WHO

05 April 2019
Genevieve Gencianos, PSI, speaking at the WHO Executive Board

A seven-person delegation from Public Services International (PSI) took part in the 144th session of the World Health Organization (WHO) Executive Board which took place in Geneva from 24 January to 1 February. The PSI delegation intervened on five crucial items on the agenda.

United Nations adopts Two Landmark Global Compacts on Migrants and on Refugees

04 April 2019
Health workers caring for refugees

In December 2018, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the UN Global Compact for Migration and the UN Global Compact on Refugees. The compacts were adopted after two years of intensive consultations and negotiations. PSI actively engaged in advocacy and lobbying during these processes and welcomed their adoption.

Liberia: Trade union actions on decent work for people with disabilities

04 April 2019
Daintowon Domah Paybayee, Advocate for persons with disabilities in Liberia

The Liberia Labor Congress held a joint workshop with ILO ACTRAV and the ILO Abuja office on decent work for persons with disabilities in December 2018. Since the end of the civil war in 2003, the nation has made significant progress towards decent work for all, but still has progress to make on eliminating social, economic and cultural injustice for persons with disability.

Government set to reform Kenya’s health system

04 April 2019
Sicily Kariuk, Cabinet Secretary for Health and James Wambugu, Chair of the panel of experts.

Kenya’s National Health Insurance Fund is undergoing reform, and the government has called on an independent panel of experts to assist. The objective is for the country to progress to universal health coverage. The main issue must be the building of a strong public health system, putting people over profit.

Unions, Social Inequalities and the Senegalese Health System

04 April 2019
Dr. Mbaye Kamara

From the 1980s, the Senegalese health system has evolved from a relatively modern and efficient system into a two-tiered system of privatised and commercialised healthcare delivery. Private provision has become increasingly widespread, while user fees and pharmaceutical charges finance a significant part of the public health sector.

25 Years After Apartheid: Health Inequities Persist in South Africa

04 April 2019
Young workers at the PSI People’s National Health Insurance Conference.

Although South Africa’s health system has undergone many positive changes in the last 25 years, social inequalities in health are widening across social groups and races. 50 million South Africans access the under-funded public health system while just over 8 million have access to well-resourced private care that is steeped in corruption.

Solidarity call for aid against impacts of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD)

23 October 2014
The fight against Ebola in Guinea - Healthworkers in protective equipment

#protecthealthworkers - PSI is calling on all affiliates to donate to the PSI Aid Fund. The funds will be used for the immediate relief and assistance of our members and their families, especially in cases where health workers have died and their families have no access to social protection.

28 April International Workers' Memorial Day

25 April 2014

No more excuses!


It is the duty of governments and enterprises to protect the health and safety of workers

Urge the Turkish President to let doctors treat their patients

14 January 2014
Physicians for Human Rights logo

The Turkish president is considering signing a health bill that will criminalize emergency medical care and punish doctors with heavy fines and imprisonment for simply doing their jobs.


Physicians for Human Rights is calling on citizens around the world to write to the Turkish President in order to stop the health bill from becoming law.

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

28 March 2013

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

05 December 2011

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.

Tackling Violence in the Health Sector - A Trade Union Response

16 April 2018
This report on trade union preparedness and actions to tackle violence against women and men in the world of work, was first released in 2016. In 2018, an updated version of the study is being released, integrating the latest achievements of our affiliated unions in the health sector. The workers, many of whom are women, daily face ever-increasing levels of violence and harassment in the world of work. They respond and deliver quality service with deepest commitment and ethical principles.

Executive Summary - Tackling Violence in the Health Sector

14 April 2018
PSI is pleased to present the updated report entitled “Tackling Violence in the Health Sector - A Trade Union Response”, a consolidated research effort first released in 2016. The 2018 updated version of the study integrates the latest achievements of our affiliated unions in the health sector.

Equal Pay and Closing the Gender Pay Gap

04 March 2018

This statement provides an overview of three key areas where PSI affiliate UNISON has been leading campaigns and collective bargaining to end gender pay discrimination and to win equal pay for its members. This is part of PSI's online campaign for International Women's Day.

Double standards: How the UK promotes rip-off health PPPs abroad

02 October 2017

The Jubilee Debt Campaign has released a new report: ‘Double standards: How the UK promotes rip-off health PPPs abroad’ (24 pages, with a 4 page executive summary). PSI and its affiliates has substantially contributed to the content of the report.

Right to Health Newsletter (all issues)

04 September 2017

The Right to Health newsletter is our voice, bringing to you news and perspectives on the campaign and struggles around the world to realise health as a fundamental human right.

Healthcare is not a commodity but a public good

12 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.

The Health Policy and Systems Research Agenda on Gender and Intersectionality: Where are the gaps? What can we learn? (Dubai)

24 April 2018

The objectives of the meeting are to inform broader thinking on the health policy and systems research agenda for gender and intersectionality and guide the framing of an upcoming call for research proposals to be issued by the Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research (the Alliance) on gender and intersectionality in health systems. The focus is on low and middle-income-country institutions.

PSI Health and Social Services Task Force meeting

14 February 2018

PSI affiliates in the health and services sectors join in Geneva for the first post-congress Taskforce meeting to discuss the implementation of the Program of Action

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.

PSI/ILO Health Campaign Meeting (Tajikistan)

02 May 2017

We convene this meeting with affiliates in the health and social services sector to strengthen PSI health and social services strategy, and to collect views and develop a consensus on the actions that affiliates and PSI will pursue with regard to the major issues that we have identified for the sector.


Это заседание будет проведено при участии членских организаций сектора медицинского и социального обслуживания с целью усиления стратегии PSI в секторе медицинского и социального обслуживания, а также сбора мнений и выработки консенсуса в отношений действий PSI и его членских организаций по основным вопросам, предварительно определенным для сектора.

ILO Tripartite Meeting on Improving Employment and Working Conditions in Health Services (Geneva)

06 February 2017

The purpose of the meeting will be to discuss decent work strategies that effectively address health workforce shortages, as a prerequisite to enable provision of equal access to health care for all in need, with a view to adopting conclusions on future programme development and to inform policy-making on the selected topic at the international, regional and national levels.

More information on ILO website.

 

ITUC/Global Unions and World Bank/IMF High level meetings

31 January 2017

PSI is part of the trade union delegation attending the two and a half days meetings with the IMF and World Bank and will be represented as a discussant in the session on "Joint work towards universal social protection and healthcare"'.

140th WHO Executive Board

23 January 2017

The Executive Board is composed of 34 technically qualified members elected for three-year terms. This year the annual Board meeting is held from 23 January – 1 February. The members will agree upon the agenda for the World Health Assembly and the resolutions to be considered by the Health Assembly.

Audio: WINS Radio reports on dismissed Liberian health workers

11 April 2016

WINS Radio reports on PSI's call to action for the reinstatement of two Liberian health union leaders dismissed in February 2014 with 22 other workers following a nationwide strike in protest of working conditions and the lack of protective equipment and medication.

Video: The IMF, health systems and the Ebola crisis

09 June 2015

Alexander E. Kentikelenis, University of Cambridge (UK), speaks at the PSI Executive Board meeting (EB-147) that took place in Geneva, Switzerland on 27-28 May 2015.

Video: Why Public-Private Partnerships don’t work

16 March 2015

In this video, PSI Deputy General Secretary David Boys introduces the new publication “Why Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) don’t work” by Public Services International Research Unit (PSIRU).

Video: PSI names the 325 health workers killed by Ebola

25 November 2014

"Over 300 workers have died on the job in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea, trying to save lives and contain the Ebola outbreak. They were doctors, nurses, midwives, cleaners, ambulance drivers, pharmacists, community health workers – among others.
PSI wants to remember all of those workers one by one, name by name. We will honour their sacrifice by pledging to ensure that all workers enjoy safe working conditions everywhere and to strengthen the fight for quality public healthcare for all."

Video: The fightback against austerity

07 July 2014

Public Services International (PSI), the European Federation of Public Service Unions (EPSU), together with our affiliate unions, ADEDY, and allies in Greece brought together a team of expert union journalists and communicators. This solidarity exchange enabled PSI communicators from other countries to learn more about the issues facing Greek trade unionists and share this understanding with their union members and communities around the world.

Video: Nigerian public services union demands right to health in new constitution

03 June 2014

Watch this interview with Ayuba Wabba, President of the PSI-affiliated Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria (MHWUN). Brother Wabba has been selected to join a constitutional review committee considering health-related rights for the drafting of Nigeria's new constitution.

Video: Liberian Government denies compensation to health workers who die from Ebola while saving lives

03 June 2014

Watch an interview with Paul Tilame of the PSI-affiliated National Private Sector Health Workers Union of Liberia (NPSHWU) talking about the protests at the health ministers summit in Monrovia in April and the deaths of the health workers from Ebola.