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Water and sanitation

Clean water and sanitation – recently recognised by the United Nations as basic human rights – are critical to good health. They help prevent disease. Yet billions of people have no ready access to safe water. It is an essential service that governments must provide to protect their citizens and serve their common good. Read more here

On World Water Day Nigerians protest against water privatisation

23 March 2018

In Lagos Nigeria, the Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth led protest actions on some major streets in continued campaigns to kick against plans by the Lagos State Government to privatize its water. PSI Nigerian affiliate the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporation Civil Service and Recreational Services Employees participated in the protest.

Marching for Quality Water: PSI Affiliates in Kenya march to promote water safety on World Water Day 2018

23 March 2018

Through the streets of Nairobi, over 300 trade unionists from PSI affiliates, dressed in matching shirts and carrying placards with messages concerning the protection of water, poured onto the streets to celebrate World Water Day.

The End of Water Privatisation?

22 March 2018

Across the world, a wave of remunicipalisations has delivered water services back into public hands, often after decades of private mismanagement.

The Alternative World Water Forum has begun!

20 March 2018

Academics, social movements, trade unions and civil society organisations are meeting in Brasilia until 22 March to discuss how to resist the commodification of water in the world.

Jakarta Closer to Regaining Public Control of Water

12 February 2018
Photo: Indah Budiarti

Jakarta vice-governor Sandiaga Uno met with an international delegation including PSI Deputy General Secretary David Boys, Satoko Kishimoto, researcher with the Transnational Institute and former deputy mayor of Paris and former head of Eau de Paris Anne Le Strat.

Lagos water Workshop: "claims that PPP is not privatization should not be believed”

08 February 2018

A heightening campaign among trade unions is pushing back against the Adiyan Phase II Water Scheme which constitutes a major threat on the security of water of Nigeria’s capital.

Third Short-video Competition of the WATERLAT-GOBACIT Network

26 January 2018

Participation is open to professionals and beginners, regardless of age, country or language, and the reception of videos will close on 31 May 2018. PSI is member of WATERLAT-GOBACIT, an inter- and transdisciplinary network for teaching, research and practical action on the politics and management of water and water-based services.

The impact of water services privatization in Jakarta

19 January 2015
The impact of water services privatization in Jakarta

This leaflet on water privatization in Jakarta is the second in a series of four leaflets published by Public Services International, Transnational Institute, Amrta Institute for Water Literacy and Jakarta Water Trade Union.

Troubled Waters: Misleading industry PR and the case for public water

15 December 2014

Emanuele Lobina of the PSI Research Unit (PSIRU) and author of a new report "Troubled Waters", commissioned by Corporate Accountability International, argues private water companies could spell disaster for the city's water system

COP20: The public option in green policies

09 December 2014
Windmills - Photo: Pablo LordFerguson (Creative Commons: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/)

As the UN Climate Change Summit, COP20, in Lima, Peru, draws to an end, PSI highlights the special role of local and national government structures in developing, implementing and monitoring green policies.

Here to stay: Water remunicipalisation as a global trend

01 December 2014
Here to stay

On 13 November 2014, the Transnational Institute (TNI), Public Services International Research Unit (PSIRU) and the Multinational Observatory released a new report called “Here to stay: Water remunicipalisation as a global trend”.

The work of the ants: Labour and community reinventing public water in Colombia

15 October 2014

Water services in Colombia’s rural and peri-urban areas have traditionally been delivered by a rich variety of autonomous community-owned aqueducts. This action-research project documents the struggles of one such community to preserve and reinforce its aqueduct as an alternative to both private and ‘state’ modes of service delivery.

India: Core labour standards not implemented in ADB funded projects

02 September 2014
India - Sewage treatment plant, Kavoor, Mangalore, India. Photo: ADB

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) Handbook on Core Labour Standards 2005, committed to comply with the internationally recognized core labour standards (CLS) and related labour laws in the design, formulation and operation of its loans to the developing countries. However the workers in the projects have identified union busting, harassment or physical violence against unions and discrimination and dismissals and other work-related anti-union/worker actions etc. in the projects and the compliance according to the CLS handbook is not strictly observed.

Health and safety agreement between Global Unions and GDF-Suez (2014)

16 June 2014

Global Unions and GDF-Suez signed a global agreement on 14 May 2014 that will define and implement fundamental principles regarding health and safety at work within GDF SUEZ companies.