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New Trade Agreements: The Threats to Public Services and Democracy

04 September 2014
'The Really Good Friends of Services' - Photo: Jared Rodriguez - Truthout
#psiglobaltradesummit2014 - Public Services International (PSI), affiliate leaders and partners will convene in Washington, D.C., 15-17 September 2014 to discuss the new threats posed to workers, public services, democracy and our communities by trade and investment agreements.

Undeterred by sharp increases in inequality across the globe, nor the devastation created by reckless deregulation of the financial markets, multinational corporations have been urging our governments that further radical and permanent liberalization is now required through a web of binding trade and investment agreements.

No longer about traditional trade issues, the new wave of agreements deepens corporate power by limiting the role of democratic governments to regulate in the public interest and opens up government services to private profit. These agreements include the Canada-EU Agreement (CETA), the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), the Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), and the Trade in Services Agreement (TISA).

 This meeting of public sector trade union leaders from every continent will be an important global event. Rosa Pavanelli, General Secretary of PSI, along with Dave Prentis, President of PSI and General Secretary of UNISON (UK), will convene the meeting. IBT President James P. Hoffa will welcome participants and public sector union leaders from across the globe.

  • On September 15, 2014 at 6.00pm the PSI Trade Summit will feature a Press Conference and Reception at the National Press Club in downtown Washington, D.C.
  • On September 16th participants will gather at the International Brotherhood of Teamsters' headquarters in Washington, D.C. for a full range of expert presentations and strategic discussions about the critical importance public services play in advancing economic development and shared prosperity, the historical evolution of international trade policy and agreements as they relate to public services and economic development, and the role of multinational corporations in pushing ahead an international trade policy agenda that seeks to restrict the democratic rights of citizens and privatize public services at the expense of taxpayers and government accountability and transparency.
  • On September 17th participants will meet with Congressional representatives and staff to discuss the current set of multilateral trade negotiations and hold an open hearing on Public Services and International Trade at 1:30pm.  The hearing will feature testimony by PSI affiliate leaders from North America, Europe, Asia, Africa and Latin America.  PSI leaders will be available for interviews throughout the day on Sept. 17th.

For more information about PSI's Global Trade Summit, please contact Mark Langevin mark.langevin@world-psi.org in Washington or Vittorio Longhi vittorio.longhi@world-psi.org at PSI head office.

For further information and the Programme see: http://www.world-psi.org/en/psi-global-trade-summit.

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