External event

Thirty three heads of state and government officials of member countries from the newly founded Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) are expected to attend the third Summit of CELAC taking place in Costa Rica from 28-29 January 2015.

The meetings will address topics of concern to trade unions and will include serious discussions on the policies of the World Bank and IMF in a variety of areas, including:

An ILO technical mission will visit Ecuador on 26-30 January 2015 to examine first-hand a series of complaints received by the Committee of Application of Standards (CAS) on the working conditions of Ecuadorian public sector workers since 2007.

PSI's Canadian affiliate, the Association of Canadian Financial Officers (ACFO) is organising an event on 16-17 June 2015 in Ottawa, Canada, to discuss issues of austerity, tax reform and funding public services.

EPSU, ETUCE, AK and ÖGB are organising a joint training seminar on trade policy. The focus of the training will be on TTIP, CETA and TiSA with the objective of understanding the problems TTIP, CETA and TiSA pose for public services, in particular in education and health / social services.

All too often, the right to strike is denied to public sector workers, due to broad definitions of essential services and limitations to collective bargaining or the right to organize, while some governments commit outright violations of human and fundamental workers’ rights.

The 59th session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW59) will take place at the UN Headquarters, in New York, from 9th to 20th March 2015.

PSI affiliate, the Indian National Defence Workers Federation (INDWF) will be joining the National Protest Day on 5 December 2014. The INDWF and the Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC) are calling on their respective affiliates to organise mass demonstrations, protest meetings and rallies throughout the country.

PSI will take part in the International Summit on Ebola Virus Disease (EVD), organised by the International Council of Nurses (ICN) that represents 13 million nurses worldwide.