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Education support and cultural workers

Public Services International affiliates represent hundreds of thousands of educational support workers throughout the world, many of who work without job security, fair compensation and benefits, or recognition that their services are vital to ensuring high quality public education for all citizens. The jobs of support workers are on the frontlines of the privatization and casualization struggle within the education sector, and many of these workers face challenges in pursuing their basic freedom to form a union and collectively bargain their terms and conditions of service. More information

PSI video: Building quality public services for all

10 December 2018

#SolidarityWithRefugees  PSI is launching the third video, of a series of three, on building quality public services for Syrian refugees in Lebanon. This third video focuses on the PSI project on refugees and migrants in Lebanon and on the importance of building quality public services for all.

PSI video: Public education for all

29 November 2018

#SolidarityWithRefugees  PSI is launching the second video, of a series of three, on building quality public services for Syrian refugees in Lebanon. This second video focuses on quality public education for all.

Pushing for social dialogue in Kenya

23 May 2018

PSI has contacted the Kenyan government regarding the trade union rights situation in the country and the creation of an inter-ministerial committee on education reform. We encourage affiliates to send protest letters to the government, asking them to deal with these two matters urgently.

Africa Non-Academic, Academic and Research Workers Educational Network meeting (Kenya)

04 May 2018

The Africa Non-Academic, Academic and Research Workers Educational Network (ANARWEN) meeting is being held at the Meridian hotel in Nairobi (Kenya) on 4-5 May 2018. The meeting aims at fostering and building solidarity towards enhancing trade union rights, fighting PPPs in the education sector and providing a platform for sharing best practices, including challenges facing the education sector in this region.

In Canada, entire new school to be built with savings from ditched PPP projects

14 March 2018

The Canadian Union of Public Employees is celebrating a major victory against Public Private Partnerships after the Manitoba government reversed plans to use the controversial PPP model for the construction of new schools in Winnipeg and Brandon.

Open letter – 88 organisations urge investors to cease support for Bridge International Academies

02 March 2018
Photo: GPE/Mediabase - Creative Commons 2.0

In an open letter published on 1st March, 88 civil society organisations have urged investors to cease their support for the multi-national for-profit chain of private schools Bridge International Academies (BIA), which runs over 500 schools in Kenya, Liberia, Nigeria, Uganda, and India.

TUAC Working Group on Education and Skills (Paris)

15 January 2018

PSI attended the TUAC Working Group on Education and Skills on 15-16 January 2018 at the OECD Conference Centre, 2 rue André-Pascal, 75016 Paris. Discussions were held on a wide range of OECD policies that attempt to address the needs of young people, teachers and workers overall.

Fight Privatization at Bridge International Academies!

18 July 2017

Civil society call on investors to cease support to Bridge International Academies - Growing evidence and analysis published in the last two years that raise grave concerns regarding Bridge’s transparency, relationship with governments, labour conditions, and breach of educational standards.

Stand with the Pearson 100 and let your voice be heard

25 April 2016
Tell Pearson - Private Schools in Developing countries

Public employee and education unions have mobilized a global capital campaign in support of shareholders resolution at the Pearson PLC Annual General Meeting.

Support the Korean Education workers' strike on 1st April!

22 March 2016
Poster: Support Education Workers' Strike

On 1 April, PSI affiliate KPTU-EdSol and other education support workers' unions will go on a 24-hours strike calling for improvements in working conditions and job security for all education support workers. Show your support for the strike - #SupportKPTUEducationWorkers

Government of Ecuador wants to overturn democratically elected rector of university

22 January 2016
César Montaño

The government of Ecuador is trying to overturn the democratically elected rector of the Andean University of Simon Bolivar. PSI has recently sent a letter of solidarity to our brothers and sisters of the faculty and professional-technical union. Please send your own letter of solidarity!

Support PCS strike at London's National Gallery

21 August 2015

Staff at London's National Gallery, organised by PSI affiliate the Public and commercial services union (PCS), have been on strike since February 2015 following the Gallery's decision to privatise almost all staff, including those who look after the paintings and help the gallery's six million annual visitors.

Deep concern about the World Bank support for privatisation in education

18 May 2015

On 14 May, more than 100 organisations across the world released a joint open statement expressing deep concerns about the World Bank’s support for the development of a multinational chain of low-fee profit-making private primary schools targeting poor families in Kenya and Uganda.

Solidarity with Korean education support workers

13 June 2013

Public Services International has received a request from the Korean Public & Social Services and Transportation Workers’ Union, Education Workers Solidarity Division (KPTU-EdSol), an affiliate of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions KCTU, a member of PSI. They are asking for PSI affiliates to send letters of support in their struggle on behalf of education support workers.

PSI expressing Solidarity with Quebec Students

01 June 2012
Students protesting in Montreal

The executive board of PSI has expressed support for students in Quebec.

Spotlight Report: "Reclaiming Policies for the Public"

07 July 2017

Report by the Civil Society Reflection Group on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Policy brief EB-148 : Educational Support and Cultural Workers Network (ESCW)

04 October 2016

This policy brief on Educational Support and Cultural Workers Network (ESCW) was produced for the PSI Executive Board EB-148 held at the ILO in Geneva (Switzerland) on 19-20 May 2016. Its objective is to inform EB-148 of work in the Educational Support and Cultural Workers Network (ESCW) sector. The brief is available in English, French, Spanish, German, Swedish and Japanese.

Canada & USA North America Binational Meeting Report

24 March 2016

The PSI North America Binational meeting was held on March 4, 2016 in Ottawa and hosted by the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC). Robyn Benson (PSAC), the Canadian titular, and Candice Owley (American Federation of Teachers-AFT), the United States titular, co-chaired the meeting. This meeting followed the Canadian SUBRAC and the United States SUBRAC, both held on March 3, 2016.

Charter: PSI Education Support and Cultural Workers’ Network

22 April 2015

During the founding meeting of the PSI Education Support and Cultural Workers Network (ESCW), that took place on 18-19 November 2014 in Buenos Aires, Argentina, a charter of the network was adopted.

Survey results - Founding Meeting of PSI Education Support and Cultural Workers Network

20 April 2015

The survey's aim was to identify PSI affiliates that organize Education Support Workers. The survey was released in July 2014 in 7 different languages. There were 40 respondents from 21 different countries.

PSI and EI Cooperation Agreement

18 December 2014

On 18th December 2014, PSI General Secretary, Rosa Pavanelli, and EI General Secretary, Fred Van Leeuwen, signed a cooperation agreement that will strengthen public sector unions in their joint action.

PSI Educational Support Workers' Network Survey

20 October 2014

Public Services International affiliates represent hundreds of thousands of educational support workers throughout the world, many of who work without job security, fair compensation and benefits, or recognition that their services are vital to ensuring high quality public education for all citizens. These jobs are on the frontline of the privatization and casualization struggles within the education sector and many of these workers face challenges in pursuing their basic freedom to form a union and collectively bargain for their terms and conditions of service.

Congress Resolution 33: Education support workers

15 January 2014

RESOLUTION No. 33) EDUCATION SUPPORT WORKERS

Working for the alternative: Implementing PSI's mandate in 2013 and beyond

19 March 2013

The 2012 PSI World Congress provided a framework for Public Services International's discussions and decisions. However, it is necessary to focus priorities. This document presents a detailed implementation plan for PSI's mandate in 2013 and beyond.

PSI Congress Resolutions

12 March 2013

Resolutions adopted at the 29th World Congress of Public Services International, held in Durban, South Africa, 27-30 November 2012. The resolutions are available in English, French, Spanish, German, Swedish, Japanese and Russian.

Resolution 14: The global fight-back against austerity

30 November 2012

The 29th World Congress of Public Services International (PSI), meeting in Durban, South Africa, on 27-30 November 2012

Resolution 13: Taxation

30 November 2012

The 29th World Congress of Public Services International (PSI), meeting in Durban, South Africa, on 27-30 November 2012

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.

Global Dialogue Forum on Employment Terms and Conditions in Tertiary Education (Geneva)

13 September 2018

The Forum will examine employment terms and conditions, professional rights and social dialogue mechanisms, including collective bargaining and collegial governance in tertiary education, with the aim of adopting points of consensus, including recommendations for future action by the International Labour Organization and its Members.

Africa Non-Academic, Academic and Research Workers Educational Network meeting (Kenya)

04 May 2018

The Africa Non-Academic, Academic and Research Workers Educational Network (ANARWEN) meeting is being held at the Meridian hotel in Nairobi (Kenya) on 4-5 May 2018. The meeting aims at fostering and building solidarity towards enhancing trade union rights, fighting PPPs in the education sector and providing a platform for sharing best practices, including challenges facing the education sector in this region.

TUAC Working Group on Education and Skills (Paris)

15 January 2018

PSI attended the TUAC Working Group on Education and Skills on 15-16 January 2018 at the OECD Conference Centre, 2 rue André-Pascal, 75016 Paris. Discussions were held on a wide range of OECD policies that attempt to address the needs of young people, teachers and workers overall.

Providing Education to Refugee Children from Conflict Areas in the Middle East - Fast track to Equal Opportunities and Integration (Sweden)

15 November 2016

On 21-22 November, PSI will be participating in a Conference organised by Education International (EI) in Stockholm, Sweden, on Providing Education to Refugee Children from Conflict Areas in the Middle East - Fast track to Equal Opportunities and Integration.

Founding Meeting PSI Educational Support and Cultural Workers Network

20 October 2014

PSI affiliates represent hundreds of thousands of educational support and cultural workers throughout the world, many of whom work without job security, fair compensation and benefits, or recognition that their services are vital to ensuring high quality public education and culture for all citizens. The jobs of these workers are on the frontlines of the privatization and casualization struggle within the education and cultural sector, and many of them face challenges in pursuing their basic freedom to form a union and collectively bargain their terms and conditions of service.

Video: Precarious work situation of education support workers in Korea

08 June 2015

Representatives of PSI affiliates met in Geneva on 25-26 May 2015 for the PSI World Women’s Committee. In this interview, Bohee Choi, Vice President of the KCTU Korean Public Service and Transport Workers’ Union (KPTU), talks about the precarious work situation of education support workers in Korea.

Video - Greek youth: austerity cuts to education rob our future

06 January 2014

Under forced austerity measures, the Greek government is cutting education funding by almost half, laying off staff and privatising remaining services. For months, there have been no classes, no new enrollment and no exams at Greece's oldest university, the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, and its partner school, the National Technical University of Athens, as administrative workers strike to protect public education and stop cuts to vital services including libraries and technical support.