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Local and Regional Government/Municipal sector

Local and regional governments (LRG)/municipal sector workers run essential services in cities, metropolitan areas and territories servicing millions of people and communities every day. Our members work in public administrations; public utilities such as water and sanitation, electricity, and solid waste. They operate public transport and maintain public spaces; work in social, culture and education services such as libraries, museums, kindergartens, schools and universities. They are health and social services workers. Firefighters, emergency, medical first responders and municipal police are also among LRG/municipal workers. PSI defends and promotes the union and labour rights of LRG/municipal workers and advocates their decent working and living conditions so that they can sustainably deliver accessible, quality public services to the local communities and territories they serve and successfully confront the many challenges posed by rapid urbanization and globalization. Join the discussion on PSI's LRG/Municipal Workers Facebook Group.

Major gender pay gaps in the UK labour market

04 April 2018

Gender pay gap figures disclosed by the UK's biggest companies have shown that the vast majority of them pay men more than women. 78 percent of the companies pay men more.

8 things you should know about the US Supreme Court case: Janus vs AFSCME

05 March 2018

And why it may represent one of the biggest attacks on trade union rights in recent decades.

After a 10-year freeze, Italian public service unions win new collective agreement for local and regional government workers

21 February 2018

After almost ten years of a negotiation freeze unilaterally imposed by Italian public sector employers, in the night between 20 and 21 February, public sector trade unions signed the preliminary agreement towards the renewal of the national-level contract for local and regional government workers.

Trade unions at World Urban Forum 9: “cities will not be inclusive until workers and labour rights are fully taken on board”

16 February 2018

On 11 February 2018, PSI together with BWI, Action Aid, WIEGO and the UCLG - brought the voices of trade unions, informal workers and local and regional governments in a roundtable at UN Habitat’s World Urban Forum 9, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The ILO offered concluding remarks.

Norwegian municipal union signs tripartite agreement on worker involvement and social dialogue in public sector digitalisation

06 February 2018
Photo: Ole Morten

In September last year, PSI affiliate Fagforbundet signed a local tripartite cooperation and dialogue agreement to shape an inclusive strategy for the digitalisation of public administration services in Norway. The agreement commits the social partners to engage in social dialogue and active worker participation in shaping the processes and policies that will accompany the roll-out of digital services in Norwegian municipalities.

PSI General Secretary addresses world mayors: “You have a responsibility to be fair employers”

29 January 2018

On 25 January 2018, Rosa Pavanelli joined many mayors of world cities in Barcelona, including local Ada Colau, where the third United Cities and Local Government (UCLG) Annual Retreat and Campus took place.

Turin city council votes to fully remunicipalize its water utility

22 December 2017

In early October 2017, the city council of Turin (Italy) voted to change the legal status of its local water provider - the “Turin Metropolitan Water Company (SMAT)” - from a publicly-owned joint stock company governed by private law to an inter-municipal enterprise governed by public law.

Working for the many - public services fight inequality

07 April 2014

The UK-based NGO Oxfam has published a 26-page booklet "Working for the many," that calls on governments to urgently reform tax systems and increase public spending on free public services, such as health and education, to tackle inequality and prevent us being tipped irrevocably into a world that works for the few, not the many.

The tragedy of the private, the potential of the public

17 March 2014
Man dressed as clown holding banner against water privatisation

This new booklet co-published by Public Services international and the Transnational Institute surveys anti-privatisation campaigns by PSI affiliates around the world. From South Africa to Brazil, from Italy to the US, in Uruguay, Greece, Norway, the UK and in many other countries, municipal councils are taking services back under public control.

PSIRU Paper - Energy Liberalisation, privatisation and public ownership

20 September 2013

This paper reviews the trends in privatisation and liberalisation in the energy sector, and the development of remunicipalisation and renationalisation in Germany and elsewhere.

PSI CONTRAMA: Conclusions

09 September 2013
Cover page of CONTRAMA conclusions

Municipal trade unions from eleven Latin American countries met in Brasilia, 5-7 August 2013, to establish a new confederation of municipal workers – PSI CONTRAMA. Attached are the conclusions of the meeting.

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 35: Migration Project

30 November 2012

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