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No Trade in Public Services

The recent wave of trade agreements are direct threats to the provision of Quality Public Services. These new agreements encourage privatisation, restrict governments’ ability to regulate in the public interest and create new and powerful rights for large multinational corporations. They are also a threat to democracy and accountability of government. They are being negotiated in secret, without proper consultation and will bind future governments, often regardless of the decisions of national elections, parliaments and courts. PSI urges all affiliates to understand the implications and join our allies to oppose the harmful effects of these agreements.

Protection of fundamental labour rights in free trade agreements (FTAs): A total failure?

16 April 2018

Free trade agreements (FTAs) contain a labour chapter, including a grievance mechanism for examining labour complaints that could ultimately sanction the offending party. But there is debate over whether the link between trade and labour provisions is positive, or if it weakens international protection for workers.

"When everything is a service, a Trade in Services Agreement affects everyone," says new IUF Report

26 February 2018

A new report release today by the The International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers’ Associations (IUF) highlights the Global Union movement's mounting opposition to the TiSA trade deal.

Free trade or women's rights?

12 January 2018

After 30 years of neoliberal globalization, it has been increasingly acknowledged that austerity, privatization, deregulation of finance, markets and corporations, and trade and investment liberalization have had a devastating and discriminatory impact on women and have driven inequality. Recent large multilateral agreements, designed primarily to enable the unhindered flow of global capital, are significant barriers to the realization of the human rights of women.

A victory for the peoples of the world: the 11th WTO Ministerial Conference ends without agreements

14 December 2017

With decisive role of social movements from around the world, meeting in Buenos Aires failed to reach consensus that would benefit the transnationals and harm the world population, especially the poorest.

Women’s Rights Organizations call on Governments to Reject the WTO Declaration on “Women’s Economic Empowerment”

12 December 2017

According to the signatories of the letter, including PSI, the declaration “fails to address the adverse impact of WTO rules and instead appears to be designed to mask the failures of the WTO and its role in deepening inequality and exploitation”.

Civil society organizations protest against WTO Ministerial Conference

11 December 2017

PSI was one of the organizations that drove the action. According to Jocelio Drummond, Regional Secretary of PSI Inter-America, "the main struggle is to prevent the WTO from expanding its area of action on new issues, for example, electronic commerce".

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.

Presentations: Global Trade in Services Forum

18 October 2014

PSI’s Global Trade in Services Forum, From GATS to TISA, held in partnership with the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) and the Our World Is Not For Sale (OWINFS) network, held on 17 October 2014 in Geneva, Switzerland, is the first ever global conference to provide a critical perspective on the TISA.

Wages, social affairs and the environment under attack

13 October 2014

What lurks behind the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP)?

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.

How investor-to-state dispute settlement threatens public welfare and undermines democracy

12 September 2014

Many international trade and investment agreements give individuals and corporations who invest in other countries access to a special legal procedure that can challenge domestic policy decisions in private tribunals. Investors—meaning anyone who buys property in a foreign country, from a hectare of land to stocks and bonds—can use “investor-to-state dispute settlement” (ISDS) to sue governments over laws, regulations and even domestic court decisions that affect current or future profits. You can think of ISDS as establishing special “corporate courts” that have their own rules and that a country’s own citizens cannot use.

PSI Special Report: TISA versus Public Services

28 April 2014
Cover page - TISA versus Public Services

A new report by Public Services International (PSI) warns that governments are planning to take the world on a liberalisation spree on a scale never seen before. According to the report, this massive trade deal will put public healthcare, broadcasting, water, transport and other services at risk. The proposed deal could make it impossible for future governments to restore public services to public control, even in cases where private service delivery has failed. It would also restrict a government’s ability to regulate key sectors including financial, energy, telecommunications and cross-border data flows.

Campaign release kit - TISA

25 April 2014

In order to influence the TISA negotiations PSI has developed a release strategy and campaign kit.

Model press release - TISA

25 April 2014

STRICTLY EMBARGOED – not for publication or distribution until 28 APRIL 2014

World Public Services Day 2014

22 June 2014

On the occasion of World Public Services Day, Public Services International and its affiliates are working together across borders to end tax havens, tax avoidance and corruption, and to bring in progressive tax systems that are properly resourced and enforced. Tax justice enables public spending for the common good, and provides the means for economic self-sufficiency for municipal, regional and national governments.

Geneva: Protest rally against Trade In Services Agreement

22 April 2014

Monday 28 April, members of the Swiss trade unions, global unions and civil society will lead an international day of action to protest against the Trade in Services Agreement (TISA). In Geneva, the protest will take place before the Permanent Mission of Australia (Chemin des Fins 2, 1211 Geneva 19, Switzerland) , where negotiations are taking place in secret.

10th FIQ Congress

11 April 2014
Mark Langevin at FIQ Congress

The FIQ (Fédération Interprofessionelle de la santé du Québec) held its 10th Congress from 7 to 10th April 2014 in Quebec city. 700 delegates from all over Quebec participated.

PSI Trade In Services Agreement event in Bali

05 December 2013
The dangers of liberalising services - forum flyer image

Public Services International is presenting a special forum at the 9th WTO Ministerial in Bali. This forum aims to shed light in dark corners: Why is a new services agreement required? Why must it be negotiated in secrecy outside the multilateral process? Why are so many developing countries refusing to participate? What benefit will it provide to the majority in the community?

WTO 9th Ministerial Conference

03 December 2013

This ministerial meeting will deal with a number of issues of importance to PSI affiliates, including further talks on the Doha Round, trade facilitation and the potentially very dangerous TISA.

PSI Asia Pacific Regional Forum on Quality Public Services

07 October 2013
QPS logo

PSI’s Asia Pacific Regional Office is hosting a forum on quality public services on 16-18 October 2013 in Bangkok, Thailand. The forum will highlight discussion on the priority public services issues of the region, evaluating union strengths and strategies to take the issues to a further level.

World Day for Decent Work 2013

03 October 2013

On 7 October we celebrate the World Day for Decent Work. Public Services International (PSI) joins the international trade union movement in demanding decent work for all and an end to the continuous attacks on trade union rights around the world. We want jobs that provide decent salaries and social security with safe working conditions.

Audio: A RadioLabour interview with Rosa Pavanelli on World Public Services Day

23 June 2014

Monday June 23: World Public Services Day. All around the world governments are attacking public services and the workers who help supply them. As well, a number of international trade agreements are jeopardizing the right of governments to provide public services instead of corporations.

Anti-TISA demonstration, Geneva, 28 April 2014

26 May 2014

On 28 April 2014, Public Services International, together with Swiss trade unions and civil society organisations, held a demonstration in front of the Australian mission in Geneva.

Why unions must stop the new free trade deals

22 May 2014

Watch this short video of Nick Crook, International Officer with PSI affiliate UNISON (UK), who gives specific examples of the threats the TTIP and TISA trade deals pose to public services. Recorded 21 May 2014 at the EPSU Congress in Toulouse, France.

Photos: Anti-TISA demonstration in Geneva

06 May 2014

On 28 April 2014, Public Services International, together with Swiss trade unions and civil society organisations, held a demonstration in front of the Australian mission in Geneva. The Australian mission was the venue of the secret negotiations for the TISA (Trade in Services Agreement) which governments are pushing and which will make it easier for big multinational companies to take over vital public services, such as health care and education, which you and your family rely on. For more information: see our web pages

Audio: RadioLabour report on global day of action TISA

06 May 2014

A report by C. Marie Ainsborough, Senior Labour Reporter with Radio Labour, reports on the preparations for the global day of action on 28th April in protest of the TISA negotiations. See our web page for more information.

Video: Hands off our medecines

09 April 2014

Watch what Medicine Sans Frontier has to say about the TPP

Photos: PSI Trade in Services Agreement (TISA) Forum - Bali

06 December 2013

PSI presented a special forum at the 9th WTO Ministerial in Bali. This forum aimed to shed light in dark corners: Why is a new services agreement required? Why must it be negotiated in secrecy outside the multilateral process? Why are so many developing countries refusing to participate? What benefit will it provide to the majority in the community?