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Public Funding/Tax Justice

The gap between the rich and the rest of us is growing rapidly. In many countries, the richest 1% pay less tax than everyone else. Profitable multinational corporations use loopholes and tax havens to avoid paying their share. Around the world, inequality is growing. A taxation system based on fairness and ability to pay is the first step in reversing this attack on the middle class.

Increasing trade union and CSOs participation in the fight against IFFs in Nigeria

03 July 2018

As part of the events to commemorate Public Service Day, trade unions and civil society organizations (CSOs) held a meeting on 22-23 June in Abuja on fighting illicit financial flows (IFFs) and asset theft in Nigeria. The importance of involving trade unions and civil society organisations in this fight was stressed as well as the need to increase awareness and education of the public on tax issues.

Tax Justice for finance a public service that transforms gender relations

29 June 2018

Regional Meeting on Tax Justice and Gender gathered for two days in Buenos Aires almost 60 trade unionists to discuss how the trade union movement must address the inequalities produced by the tax policies in our continent.

End the patriarchy of the state in order to provide public services that change gender relations

28 June 2018

Verónica Montúfar, Gender Equality Officer for Public Services International (PSI), analyses a recent case study (Peru) on the impact of tax evasion and avoidance on public services provided to women and girls 2006-2016 and its contribution to the discussion on gender within this global union federation.

Tax evasion and avoidance hinders efforts to improve the lives of women and girls in Peru, says a PSI report

28 June 2018

A report launched on Public Service Day, 23 June, concludes it would have been possible to double the budget allocated to social services with the amount lost to tax evasion and avoidance in Peru between 2006 and 2016. This would have increased the chances of improving the quality of life and development options for women and girls.

“No Longer!” - Trade unions in Tanzania take a stand to end tax injustice

12 June 2018

At a two-day meeting in Dar es Salaam (June 7-8), participants agreed on a set of demands to the Tanzanian government, including reviewing all tax incentives and tax treaties, and ensuring better transparency of corporate affairs, including through public registers on beneficial ownership of companies and trusts. The meeting also called on the government to provide more resources to the Tanzanian Revenue Authority in order for them to collect more taxes to better fund public infrastructure and public services.

Revised Global Tax System could easily fund SDGs says UNCTAD Director

25 May 2018

Attending the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development’s Civil Society Hearing, Public Services International welcomed the institution's increased focus on addressing tax avoidance and discussion of a Global Tax Treaty.

FOCUS on tax justice - International union rights

17 May 2018

FOCUS on tax justice is Volume 25 Issue 1 2018 of the journal of International Union Rights. The journal is published four times a year in English and has earned a reputation as the leading independent forum for global trade union debate, winning a readership in more than 100 countries worldwide. The editorial "Corporate tax dodging is stealing from workers and must be stopped" in this issue was written by PSI.

Chevron’s tax schemes: piping profits out of Australia?

11 September 2015

Chevron’s tax practices, and those of other corporations, have huge implications for the living standards and public revenues to fund essential services in countries across the globe.

Briefing on BEPS implications for developing countries

10 September 2015

Many commentators have long recognized that the international tax system is broken, especially in relation to corporate taxation. A major effort has now begun to try to fix it. This is being led by developed countries, but it has major implications for developing countries,

Comments by TUAC on the OECD action plan on BEPS

09 September 2015

On 19 July 2013, the OECD published its Action Plan on Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS). This paper presents the broad features of the Action Plan including examples of aggressive tax planning schemes.

Fair tax and quality public services delivery in Africa

09 September 2015

Resources that could be made available for the provision of public services have been drained out of the African continent but illicitly and “legally” through unfair taxation systems that multinational corporations exploit to the detriment and often with the support of African states.

McJobs - Low wages and low standards around the world

03 July 2015

This report details abusive employment practices in the McDonald’s system that make the iconic golden arches a global symbol of the low-road economy.

ICRICT declaration

11 June 2015

On 2 June 2015, the Independent Commission for the Reform of International Corporate Taxation (ICRICT) launched a global declaration calling for an overhaul of the outdated international corporate tax system and demanding broad, sweeping changes in the current rules and governing institutions.

Global Labour Tax Summit

28 July 2015
Photo: Tax - Creative Commons - 401Kcalculator.org

PSI is organising a Global Labour Tax Summit in partnership with the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES), to examine tax issues from a labour perspective; with inequality rising rapidly and tax scandals increasingly making front page news, public anger is growing.

ICRICT panel: Expanding the debate on taxing global corporate profits

22 May 2015

The Independent Commission for the Reform of International Corporate Taxation (ICRICT) is a group of public intellectuals from around the world who believe that, at this moment in history, there is both an urgent need and an unprecedented opportunity to bring about significant reform of the international corporate taxation system.

May Day 2015

14 April 2015

Public service trade unions and the Global Alliance for Tax Justice invite members to join in marching this May Day under the banner “Working people pay taxes – corporations must pay their share!”

Funding Democracy - Practical alternatives to global austerity

26 January 2015
Funding Democracy

PSI's Canadian affiliate, the Association of Canadian Financial Officers (ACFO) is organising an event on 16-17 June 2015 in Ottawa, Canada, to discuss issues of austerity, tax reform and funding public services.

PSI at the G20 and related events

09 October 2014

The G20 leaders meeting is taking place on 15-16 November 2014 in Brisbane, Australia. Public
Services International (PSI) has been following G20 progress this year, especially in relation to the
work the OECD is doing on behalf of the G20 to ensure that multinational corporations pay their
fair share of tax, called the Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) project.

Chile: Struggle for social justice

07 October 2014

A debate will be held on 7-8 October in Santiago de Chile about corruption and tax justice. Approximately 70 PSI representatives will be attending.

World Public Services Day 2014

22 June 2014

On the occasion of World Public Services Day, Public Services International and its affiliates are working together across borders to end tax havens, tax avoidance and corruption, and to bring in progressive tax systems that are properly resourced and enforced. Tax justice enables public spending for the common good, and provides the means for economic self-sufficiency for municipal, regional and national governments.

Video: Why we need a tax justice campaign in Ghana

21 February 2014

Watch this inspiring two minute video interview about the need for a tax justice campaign in Ghana, with Bernard Adjei, Deputy General Secretary, Public Service Workers Union (PSWU TUC).

Video: Greek journalists occupy public broadcast stations

06 January 2014

Members of the PSI-EPSU Communicators' Action Network, an expert team of international labour journalists, recorded the last inside interviews with workers occupying Greek public broadcast stations, before the government violently raided and evicted the workers in early November 2013.

Video - Greece: Austerity cuts take ironic toll on tax collection

06 January 2014

There were 18,000 tax administration staff members in Greece before the economic crisis. Austerity measures have forced a 50% cut in staff – at the end of 2013 just 9,000 workers remained.

Workers must fight tax dodging in the financial sector

02 July 2013

PSI Senior Policy and Advocacy Officer, Daniel Bertossa, spoke at a TUAC conference in June 2013, about tax dodging in the financial sector.

Audio: Money lost through corruption could fund decent public services.

26 June 2013

Every year about $2.6 trillion is stolen by corruption. This money could be used to fund decent public services and help developing countries.

Video: PSI Anti Corruption Forum ILC June 2013

17 June 2013

Public Services International hosted this forum as an official side event of the International Labour Conference in Geneva, Switzerland.
Participants discussed how corruption undermines public services and democracy. Corruption wastes public money by diverting it into the hands of corrupt politicians, businesses and their agents.

Photos: Public Finance Control and Anti-Corruption Strategies forum

14 June 2013

Ending corruption requires public and political organising to demand that political leaders represent public interests, not the interests of rich individuals and powerful companies, and to hold them accountable.