We've moved to a new site!

Join us at publicservices.international - for all the latest news, resources and struggles from around the world.

We are no longer updating world-psi.org and it will be progressively phased out: all content will be migrated to the new site and old links will redirect eventually.

  1. Home
  2. Regions
  3. Europe

Europe

PSI is represented in Europe by the European Federation of Public Service Unions, based in Brussels. For more on our activities in this region, please see the EPSU website

You can also view a list of European affiliates or contact European regional offices

International Women's Day 2018: Actions from around the world

26 March 2018

On 8 March, PSI affiliated unions from around the world organised mobilisations, events and activities to celebrate International Women’s day 2018 calling for equal pay and wage justice for all. Here are some of the events that took place worldwide.

The End of Water Privatisation?

22 March 2018

Across the world, a wave of remunicipalisations has delivered water services back into public hands, often after decades of private mismanagement.

Stand up for human rights: People over Profit!

21 March 2018

In the lead-up to the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in December 2018, join us in fighting racism and standing up for human rights!

EU’s Financial Watchdog Slams Public-Private Partnerships: “Widespread Shortcomings, Limited Benefits”

20 March 2018

The European Court of Auditors (ECA), the European Union’s very own Financial Watchdog, has slammed Public Private Partnerships in a no-holds-barred report released today.

UNISON’s “Pay Up Now” Campaign’s strategy for better pay

20 March 2018
UNISON Pay Up Now campaign

After the UK’s 2017 general election, UNISON established its “Pay Up Now!” campaign, calling for the end of the public sector pay cap and the restoration of real terms pay rises for all public sector workers.

NO to Privatisation of Ambulatory Surgical Care at HUG

13 March 2018

The Geneva University Hospitals, HUG (Hôpitaux Universitaires de Genève) recently issued tenders for private “partners” to run its ambulatory operation services, through a public-private partnership (PPP). This, as PSI Swiss affiliate le Syndicat des Services Publics (SSP) has pointed out, is a surreptitious introduction of privatisation of surgical care.

Iceland becomes first country to legalise equal pay

09 March 2018

On 1 January 2018, Iceland fully enacted the world's first equal pay law. Equal pay policies are now mandatory for companies with 25 or more employees and those that cannot show that they provide equal pay will be subject to fines. With this new legislation, Iceland's government has committed to eradicate the gender pay gap by 2022. This is part of the PSI's campaign for International Women’s Day.

EQUAL PAY – WAGE JUSTICE

08 March 2018

On March 8, PSI stands with women around the world demanding an end to gender-based discrimination at work and calling for the transformation of the division of labour.

EPSU Strategy regarding the EC’s Action Plan on the Gender Pay Gap

06 March 2018

The European Commission is adopting an Action Plan to tackle the gender pay gap in 2018-2019. In view of this, EPSU has proposed to put into place a series of actions that were adopted at the Women’s and Gender Equality Committee meeting that took place last November. Tackling the gender pay gap is one of EPSU’s priorities. This is part of PSI's online campaign for International Women's Day.

Equal Pay and Closing the Gender Pay Gap

04 March 2018

This statement provides an overview of three key areas where PSI affiliate UNISON has been leading campaigns and collective bargaining to end gender pay discrimination and to win equal pay for its members. This is part of PSI's online campaign for International Women's Day.

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.

Privatization Watch - 01/2018

16 February 2018

Latest issue of #PrivatizationWatch (01/2018) - The Global newsletter on privatization of public services around the world.

PSI admitted into Official Relations with WHO

16 February 2018

The World Health Organization (WHO) has established official relations with Public Services International (PSI). The decision was reached by the WHO Executive Board on 26 January, during its 142nd session.

Norwegian municipal union signs tripartite agreement on worker involvement and social dialogue in public sector digitalisation

06 February 2018
Photo: Ole Morten

In September last year, PSI affiliate Fagforbundet signed a local tripartite cooperation and dialogue agreement to shape an inclusive strategy for the digitalisation of public administration services in Norway. The agreement commits the social partners to engage in social dialogue and active worker participation in shaping the processes and policies that will accompany the roll-out of digital services in Norwegian municipalities.

Strike in France: In Defence of Quality Elderly Care

01 February 2018

Social workers delivering home care, including in Housing Facilities for the Dependent Elderly (EHPAD) across France embarked on a 1-day strike on 30 January. This was to draw attention to several pressing problems confronting elderly care, which the authorities have failed to address.

COP20: The public option in green policies

09 December 2014
Windmills - Photo: Pablo LordFerguson (Creative Commons: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/)

As the UN Climate Change Summit, COP20, in Lima, Peru, draws to an end, PSI highlights the special role of local and national government structures in developing, implementing and monitoring green policies.

Here to stay: Water remunicipalisation as a global trend

01 December 2014
Here to stay

On 13 November 2014, the Transnational Institute (TNI), Public Services International Research Unit (PSIRU) and the Multinational Observatory released a new report called “Here to stay: Water remunicipalisation as a global trend”.

Poster: International day for the elimination of violence against women 2014

25 November 2014
International day for the elimination of violence against women

The PSI poster for the International day for the elimination of violence against women, that took place on 25 November 2014, is available for download in English, French and Spanish.

Outcomes of PSI Steering Comittee SC-18

17 November 2014

PSI Steering Committee (SC-18) met in Geneva on 12-13 November 2014.

The agenda covered all items relating to the implementation of the Programme of Action with a special focus on the global campaigns PSI is leading on trade agreements and tax justice.

Financing health care: False Profits and the Public Good

12 November 2014

The research “Financing health care: False Profits and the Public Good', by Jane Lethbridge of Public Services International Research Unit (PSIRU), University of Greenwich was commissioned by PSI and released on Thursday 13 November at the Australian NSW Nurses and Midwives Association Forum: When profits come first – The true impacts of health privatisation.

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.

PSI Special Report: The Really Good Friends of Transnational Corporations Agreement

30 September 2014

This new report on trade, written by Ellen Gould, was launched by PSI and Our World is not For Sale (OWINFS) at a Global Trade Summit in Washington, D.C., on 15-17 September 2014.

The right to strike and the ILO: the legal foundations

07 July 2014

A new 122-page ITUC legal report, confirming that the right to strike is protected under international law, as employers try to overturn decades of jurisprudence at the International Labour Organisation.

PSI Emergency Resolution on the Right to Strike

30 June 2014

Executive Board of Public Services International, 24-25 June 2014, Nyon, Suisse

Rosa Pavanelli's presentation at the ILC

10 June 2014

Find here the statement read by PSI General Secretary, Rosa Pavanelli, at the International Labour Conference (ILC) on Thursday 5 June 2014.

The Gender pay gap in public services

26 May 2014

This report examines the gender pay gap, the difference between what men and women earn, in public services in Europe. Consisting of two main sections, the report examines how unions have identified and tackled the problem of the gender pay gap on the basis of a survey circulated by EPSU.

Banners: Route of Shame 2014

22 May 2014
Banner: Route of shame

Banners (in pdf) for the 'Route of Shame 2014' bicycle ride.

The banners can be downloaded in English and French.

Campaign materials: Route of Shame 2014

22 May 2014
Route of Shame

Campaign materials for the 'Route of Shame 2014' bicycle ride.

Flyer: Route of Shame 2014

22 May 2014
Flyer Route of Shame 2014

Flyers (in pdf) for the Route of Shame 2014 bicycle ride.

Flyers can be downloaded in English, French and Spanish.

Badges: Route of Shame 2014

22 May 2014
Badges: Route of Shame 2014

Badges (in pdf format) for the Route of Shame 2014 bicycle ride.

Badges can be downloaded in English, French and Spanish.