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Quality Public Services

In co-operation with other global federations of unions, PSI has launched the Quality Public Services – Action Now! campaign. This campaign unites public and private sector trade unions, municipal governments and civil society groups in advancing quality public services as the best means of building equitable, sustainable, peaceful and democratic societies. We believe investment in quality public services backed by fair taxation policies is a key solution to the economic crisis.

UN WOMEN + UBER = A VISION for precarious work

12 March 2015
Taxi drivers have a discussion in the street during a protest over Uber outside City Hall in Chicago

PSI calls for UN WOMEN to cancel its partnership with UBER. During the annual UNCSW, the UN’s leading agency for women’s rights, UN WOMEN, announced a strategic partnership with UBER to “create 1,000,000 jobs for women as drivers on the Uber platform by 2020.”

Deregulation of transport safety can be lethal, say Korean unions

19 January 2015

Creating safe workplaces and a safe society. Under this slogan the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) and the Committees for the Sewol ferry tragedy organized an international symposium on 1-3 December 2014 in Seoul.

International day for the elimination of violence against women

24 November 2014
VAW poster

Trade unions are mobilizing against discrimination and break the silence around violence at the workplace. United for social justice and against gender-based violence!

Download the poster

Bachelet calls on PSI to fight for an ILO resolution on the elimination of violence against women at work

01 November 2014
Mujeres de la ISP el “Encuentro Internacional sobre Violencia de Género en los lugares de trabajo y el empleo público”

Before an audience of more than 140 women members of the PSI, the President of Chile, Michelle Bachelet, called on the organisation to continue fighting for approval of an ILO resolution on the elimination of violence against women at the workplace and in public employment.

The Ebola outbreak: a symptom of privatisation and austerity

31 October 2014
Illness observation

PSI and EPSU support the demands of Spanish health unions to upgrade the public sector health system, and create safe working environments against the risks of EVD contagion.

PSI participates in ILO meeting in Peru

15 October 2014
Part of PSI delegation members

PSI has just taken part, with a delegation of 48 members, in the 18th American Regional Meeting of the International Labour Organization (ILO) held in the capital of Peru, Lima, from 13-16 October.

No Quality Public Services without Decent Work

07 October 2014
World Day for Decent Work

On 7 October we celebrate the World Day for Decent Work.

Public Services International (PSI) joins the international trade union movement in demanding decent work for all. We want jobs that provide decent salaries and social security with safe working conditions.

PSI delegation visits UCLG

08 September 2014
UCLG logo

PSI recently met with the senior staff of United Cities and Local Governments – UCLG – which is a global federation of cities and local governments. The aim of the meeting was to seek areas of common interest. This statement was jointly agreed.

PSI meets UNCTAD Secretary-General to discuss public services, trade and development

21 July 2014
PSI meets UNCTAD Secretary-General

PSI recently met with Dr Mukhisa Kituyi, Secretary-General of the United Nations Committee on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) to discuss the role public services play in development and how trade agreements can undermine this.

Alliances for public services in South Africa

09 July 2014

The Municipal Services Project (MSP) is a research project that explores alternatives to the privatization and commercialization of service provision in electricity, health, water and sanitation in Africa, Asia and Latin America. It is composed of academics, labour unions, non-governmental organizations, social movements and activists from around the globe who are committed to analyzing successful alternative service delivery models to under- stand the conditions required for their sustainability and reproducibility.

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.

Audio: A RadioLabour interview with Rosa Pavanelli on World Public Services Day

23 June 2014

Monday June 23: World Public Services Day. All around the world governments are attacking public services and the workers who help supply them. As well, a number of international trade agreements are jeopardizing the right of governments to provide public services instead of corporations.

FETAMCE highlights World Public Services Day

23 June 2014
FETAMCE

To mark World Public Services Day, that took place on 23 June, the Federação dos Trabalhadores no Serviço Público Municipal do Estado do Ceará (FETAMCE) in Brazil encouraged municipal employee unions to focus on the importance of building a decent and democratic municipality with efficient public administration and decent work.

With tax justice, we can end poverty and inequality

19 June 2014
PSI Korean affiliates KGEU at a protest rally in 2013

World Public Services Day - 23 June 2014

From the south to the north, Public Services International affiliate unions 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.

Annual Report 2013

18 June 2014

This report covers the first year of PSI’s work to implement the comprehensive five year plan adopted by delegates to the 2012 PSI Congress in Durban, South Africa. In the context of very difficult times for public services unions, our delegates laid plans to work for alternatives to privatisation, promote quality public services, fight inequality, and strengthen the trade union movement.

Impact of the economic crisis and austerity measures on women

04 July 2012

Women are losing jobs in both the private and public sectors, which has an immediate effect on household income but a much longer term effect on the role of women in the labour force.

Global Corporate Taxation and Resources for Quality Public Services

28 November 2011

The study has been commissioned by Education International Research Institute on behalf of the Council of Global Unions. The current debate on sovereign debt is conducted as if there were no other option than austerity. This report changes the focus. Here the focus is on the revenue side.The problem with the ‘no option but austerity’ line is that it thrusts national economies into downward spirals. There is another way. Public revenues can be boosted, if there is political will do so.

Annual Report 2010

05 April 2011

In the face of widening cuts to public services and attacks on the rights of public sector workers around the world, leaders of private and public sector trade unions, municipal governments and civil society groups made the unprecedented joint commitment to work together to promote investment in quality public services backed by fair taxation policies as the key solution to the economic crisis, and the best way to build peaceful, equitable, democratic and environmentally-sustainable societies.

Annual Report 2009

03 April 2010

Environmental and social sustainability provided the primary theme for PSI’s work in 2009. Leading into the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 15) in Copenhagen in December, trade unions and civil society allies worked hard to ensure that world leaders would agree on an ambitious plan to reduce carbon emissions. Alas, this dream did not become reality. But we are committed to continuing this struggle and achieving real results.

Annual Report 2008

03 April 2009

Looking back at 2008 the one word that comes to mind is CHANGE. We saw a dramatic change in the global economy, it was the keyword in the US election and we initiated changes in PSI.