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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

PSI Denounces Decision by United States Trump Administration to Pull Out of the UN Global Compact on Migration

07 December 2017

As delegates from United Nations Member States, international organisations, civil society organisations and various stakeholders gather in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico for the Stocktaking Meeting to prepare for the negotiations for the UN Global Compact for Migration in 2018, the Trump Administration announces that the United States is pulling out of the process.

Sign & share the Bogota Declaration on Tax Justice for Women's Rights!

07 December 2017

The Bogota Declaration on Tax Justice for Women’s Rights is being launched around the world on 7 December 2017 through online platforms and at tax justice events in Argentina and Chile. This launch coincides with the annual 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, leading into UN Human Rights Day on 10 December. Your organisation is invited to join the Global Alliance for Tax Justice, Public Services International, Tax Justice Network, the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung and many other leading groups in supporting this declaration.

Argentinian government has revoked union and civil society participation in WTO meeting

05 December 2017

In an unprecedented action, the Argentinian government has revoked the accreditation for union and civil society representatives to the 11th Ministerial Meeting of the WTO in Buenos Aires, advising the WTO that the experts will not be allowed into the country. PSI does not accept such a blatant violation of well-established international norms and calls on the President of Argentina and the WTO Director-General to take immediate action.

PSI in solidarity with global civil society on the situation of enslaved African migrants in Libya

05 December 2017
Picture: @UNmigration/Twitter

PSI joins in solidarity with global civil society in calling for urgent action to address the human rights situation of enslaved African migrants in Libya, during the Stocktaking Meeting towards the UN Global Compact for Migration, 4-6 December 2017 in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.

Right to Health: central to kicking out HIV/AIDS

01 December 2017

The 2017 World AIDS Day is being marked today with the theme Right to Health, under the slogan Everybody counts. This is aimed at advocacy for universal access to safe, effective, quality healthcare. Public Services International welcomes this. PSI affiliates across the world will be organising or joining manifestations, conferences, workshops and other programmes to sensitize the public.

PSI addresses the 33rd Federal Congress of CFDT Santé Sociaux

29 November 2017
Baba Aye gives his speech at the CFDT Santé Sociaux congress in Vannes

The 33rd Federal Congress of the French health sector affiliate, CFDT Santé Sociaux, was held on 21-24 November 2017 at Vannes, in the North-West of the country. It was a moment for deliberation between the leadership and militants of the union towards building stronger union and its perspective that health workers constitute invaluable assets for the delivery of quality health care services.

At the Vatican, Pavanelli speaks about the contributions of the Laudato si' from the perspective of the workers' movement

24 November 2017

On 24 November, PSI's General Secretary took part in an international meeting of trade union organisations on the theme "Labor and the workers' movement at the center of a humane, integral, inclusive and sustainable development – why is the world of work still the key to development in the global world?

PSI promoting social dialogue through the Global Deal

23 November 2017
Prime Minister of Sweden, Stefan Löfven

PSI has recently joined the Global Deal as part of its commitment to promoting social dialogue as a means for tackling inequality, ensuring workers’ rights and creating the foundations for peace and stability.

International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women

23 November 2017

“Stopping violence against women is everyone’s responsibility and men must play their part” stated Dave Prentis, PSI President, as his initial words at the PSI Congress 2017’s Pledge to end Violence against Women. Lead by Greg McLean from Australia, public services male trade unionists pledged in Geneva to be key actors in this struggle, in of one of the most emblematic acts of political engagement of public services unions.

Paradise Papers: how mega-rich tax dodgers rip off workers and fuel populism

16 November 2017

Check out this Op-Ed from PSI's Director of Policy & Governance, Daniel Bertossa, on how tax dodgers like those exposed in the Paradise Papers are ripping off workers!

Pledge to #EndVaw

03 November 2017

On Friday 3rd November, Congress male participants made a pledge to end Violence against Women.

Municipal workers: the invisible, underpaid people who run our cities

31 October 2017

Millions of staff clean our streets and keep our cities moving. It’s time to recognise their contribution to the everyday fabric of our urban lives

Turkey: Court releases human rights activists

26 October 2017
Taner Kiliç - photo: Amnesty International UK

Court in Istanbul will release Director of Amnesty Turkey, İdil Eser, and other activists who were arrested in July. Campaigners will press for the release of Amnesty Turkey's Chair, Taner Kılıç (pictured), whose separate trial begins on 27 October.

World Cities Day 2017: Municipal workers make cities happen!

25 October 2017

PSI has chosen 31 October – UN “World Cities Day” - to launch a global visual campaign aimed at raising awareness about the work of municipal public service professionals with a view to increasing their visibility and presenting a positive perception of the many essential public services they deliver every day to cities and metropolitan areas.

Taking back control

23 October 2017

The People’s Inquiry into Privatisation launches new report today on how privatisation affects communities and calls for a moratorium on privatisation until greater regulatory mechanisms and proper policy frameworks are implemented around the delivery of public services.

Statements to the 8th Session of the General Assembly Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals

20 February 2014

Public Services International participated in the United Nations Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals, which had its eighth and final stock-taking and information-gathering session 3-7 February 2014 (OWG8), in New York.

Wage-led Growth: An equitable strategy for economic recovery

13 February 2014
Wage-led Growth: An equitable strategy for economic recovery

This original and extensive study published by the ILO examines the causes and consequences associated with the falling wage share and rising inequality in income distribution, relating to both aggregate demand and labour productivity. It presents new empirical and econometric evidence regarding the economic causes and potential impact of changing income distribution.

Resolution 42: Palestinian solidarity: support for the Boycott Disinvestment and Sanctions campaign (BDS)

06 February 2014

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

Human rights are not negotiable: support LGBT workers' rights!

05 February 2014
Russian LGBT logo for Olympic Games - VIXIONS

Educational International (EI) and Public Services International (PSI) join LGBT groups and other human rights defenders in condemning increasing intolerance and attacks on the rights of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) people. Governments the world over appear to be abdicating their duty to protect and advance the human rights of all their citizens, including LGBT people.

Austerity – exposing the confidence myth

21 January 2014

Launching the Annual Growth Survey in November, European Commission President José Manuel Barroso told us: “The return of growth shows that our policies are working. That is why, in this year’s Annual Growth Survey, we keep the same five priorities as we had last year.” And a year earlier he said: "It is crucial to stick to our strategy of growth-friendly fiscal consolidation, economic reforms and targeted investments. This is the only way to restore confidence and create lasting growth.”

Presentation: Worker's Capital and Economic Organising

08 January 2014

Presentation at the PSI/FES Forum on Pensions and Social Security by Colin Meech, UNISON, UK.

Developments in pension fund investment and trade union responses

08 January 2014

Public sector pension funds are some of the largest of the capitalised funds in the world. The combined assets of these public sector funds stand at an estimated US $12 trillion. How these funds invest has a direct impact on the members of PSI affiliates and trade union members and workers in all other sectors in Asia/Pacific and across the world. This paper sets out a summary of the key developments in pension fund governance and the stewardship of the assets that are purchased, looking at the UK’s corporate governance and stewardship systems.

PSI Statement: December 18 - International Migrants Day

12 December 2013

Public Services International joins the international community in commemorating the millions of migrant workers and their families all over the world and re-affirming our commitment to uphold their dignity and human rights.

Impacts of the financial and economic crisis and of austerity measures on health-care systems, on the health workforce and on patients in Europe

05 December 2013

This paper describes the impact of the financial and economic crisis, as well as austerity measures on the health care systems, the health workforce and patients.

Public Services for the Public Good: PSI statement on the Trade In Services Agreement (TISA)

02 December 2013

Universal quality public services and decent work are goals of economic development, to which international trade is but a means. Trade treaty rules should not force privatisation, nor interfere with the restoration or expansion of public services, where experiments with private provision fail or are rejected by democratically-elected governments. Trade treaties must not close policy space or inhibit innovation in public service provision.

Global Unions Statement of Priorities for the 9th WTO Ministerial Conference

28 November 2013

In the wake of the on-going economic crisis brought on in no small measure by the same de-regulatory forces that champion trade liberalisation, there is a real opportunity for the global community to re-think existing trade rules and arrangements. World Trade Organisation’s (WTO) accords have adversely impacted farmers and workers and they have reduced policy and regulatory space needed to actively promote decent jobs and quality public services.

PSI Statement on the 9th WTO Ministerial Conference

27 November 2013

The results of decades of corporate-led globalisation are clear for the majority of the world. Unemployment continues to afflict millions and is especially acute for the world’s youth. Inequality is growing and quality public services and labour rights are being undermined. Liberalisation of and financial speculation in commodities markets has produced ruinous price fluctuations for food and shortages that create untold harm and avoidable loss of life. The global economic crisis caused by the reckless and unregulated actions of the private financial markets has created untold suffering for workers and is now being used as the reason to implement punitive and misguided austerity programmes.

Communiqué: Public Services International Steering Committee SC-17

25 November 2013
PSI Steering Committee and staff, November 2013

Angered by the continuing attacks on public services and the workers who provide these services, distressed by the rising inequality across the world and the failure of the current economic system to provide jobs, particularly for young people, the Steering Committee reiterated its commitments to the 2013-2017 Programme of Action “Social Justice through Quality Public Services” and endorsed priority actions for 2014.

Work-related violence and its integration into existing surveys

20 November 2013

Statistical measurement of violence at the workplace has been neglected, states a new ILO report presented at the 19th International Conference of Labour Statisticians, held in Geneva, 2-11 October 2013.

Posters: International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women

18 November 2013
PSI violence against women poster

PSI calls on all its affiliate members, men and women, to make a pledge to end violence against women and girls, at each of their workplaces around the globe. Use these posters available in eight languages