PSI at the Inter-American Development Bank

In April 2013, PSI Inter-American region leaders met with several country directors of the bank to discuss the critical role of public services for development and how best to engage the bank's leadership on questions and concerns held by affiliates throughout the region. During the past year PSI has joined with the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) to intensify these consultations.
 
During the past months, ITUC's representative in Washington and PSI's Sub regional Secretary for North America, Mark Langevin, have worked jointly to carry out a number of consultations with the Brazilian and United States country directors, the Manager of Infrastructure and Environment department, the Manager of the Labor Markets division, the Safeguard Unit, and the Institutional Compliance Mechanism staff.  In the coming weeks, ITUC and PSI's representatives in Washington will conduct a high level meeting with the IDB's Vice-President of Countries to discuss the need for a formal dialogue, sustained consultations, and the possibility of erecting a labor safeguard to insure that the IDB plays a positive role in guaranteeing safe and secure working conditions while respecting the rights to organize and collectively bargain.

PSI has received a letter from the IDB Vice-president for countries, Roberto Veullutini, in which he accepts to hold a meeting on labor matters (see attached).

According to Mark Langevin, PSI Subregional Secretary for North America,
 
"Both ITUC and PSI are committed to engaging the bank and we understand that through dialogue we can protect workers' rights in much of the region, but we can also assist the bank's loan project development process and technical assistance programs to further boost economic and social development throughout the Americas."