Asia-Pacific

For more than 1,000 children every day, water is death. Waterborne diseases kill. It is estimated that half of all hospital beds are occupied by people suffering from waterborne diseases. These are preventable deaths.

During the labour dialogue involving PSI union leaders that was held early this month, President Rodrigo Duterte of the Republic of the Philippines reiterated his office’s commitment to abolish recruitment fees and to promote fair and ethical recruitment of overseas Filipino workers.

David Hetherington, Chair of the People's Inquiry, has penned an article for the Guardian based on what he learned from traveling around Australia speaking to communities about the impact of privatisation. When institutions that fulfil a deeply human function – teaching, caring for people at their most vulnerable moments – are forced to behave like businesses, everyone loses.

The Korean Health and Medical Union (KHMU) held its 2017 Annual Congress on February 22-23 at the International Conference Hall of the Seoul Women’s Plaza. The meeting was attended by delegates from the 180 branches of KHMU, representing 50,000 members.

PSI and its affiliates in the health sector across the world joined in marking March 1, as global Zero Discrimination Day. The day has been set aside since 2014 to raise awareness on the need to roll back all forms of discrimination in access to health services, particularly for persons living with HIV.

Check out our General Secretary Rosa Pavanelli discussing our work alongside our affiliates on the Human Right to Water and why it is so important at a special seminar held at the Vatican by Pope Francis. Trade Unions, NGOs, UN Human Rights experts and the Pope all agree: Water is a human right and needs to be governed publicly, in the public interest. Not by profit-maximizing private corporations.

PSI affiliate the New Zealand Public Service Association (NZPSA), along with other NZ unions representing nurses, doctors, allied health professionals, cleaners, administration staff and paramedics have united under the banner “Yes We Care”. They will tour the country in the lead up to their national election.

On 22 February, delegates of the Korean Public Service and Transport Workers’ Union (KPTU) from around the country gathered at the Kim Koo Museum & Library in Seoul for the union’s annual Congress. KPTU delegates were joined by several guests, including representatives of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) and allied public sector unions.