Asia-Pacific

Despite the mounting evidence of the problems of public-private partnerships (PPPs), private concessions, or other forms of turning public water utilities into profit machines for private corporations, the pro-market national government of Japan snuck in a legislative provision to do just that. PSI supports Jichiro, Zensuido and allies opposing water privatisation bill in Japan.

In the week of 15- 19 November 2018, over a thousand delegates, including grassroots health activists, civil society organisations, academic institutions, NGOs and policymakers from across the world, including a delegation from Public Services International, gathered in Savar, Dhaka, Bangladesh for the fourth People’s Health Assembly (PHA-4).

12 December has been marked as Universal Health Coverage day, for some years now by UHC 2030 a multi-stakeholder partnership.

Led by PSI General Secretary Rosa Pavanelli, PSI came to Marrakesh with a 45-member strong trade union delegation. In addition to participating in the Adoption Conference, PSI organised a Strategy workshop and participated in the civil society days of the Global Forum on Migration and Development, the Peoples Global Action and in the Global Unions Forum on Migration. On the eve of the Adoption Conference, PSI also organized a side event to promote a Stakeholders' Dialogue on Health Worker Migration and the Global Skills Partnerships, with the support of EPSU, WHO, FES and the German Federal Government.

The Council of Global Unions strongly denounces the ill-conceived decision of a number of UN Member States not to sign the historic agreement on 10 December 2018, the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM).

Today, 10 December, we celebrate International Human Rights Day and the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Australian PSI affiliates’ campaigns in aged care are gaining momentum as the industry comes under significant and broad scrutiny.

Since November this year, PSI has become a member of the Equal Pay International Coalition-EPIC. Among the 15 members, PSI is the second global union federation taking action as a member of EPIC to reduce the gender pay gap.

PSI Global Labour Remunicipalisation workshop is taking place at the ILO in Geneva from 4-5 December. Trade union affiliates from around the world are showcasing local experiences of remunicipalisation and giving union strategies to bring public services back in-house.