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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.

Video: Hands off our medecines

09 April 2014

Watch what Medicine Sans Frontier has to say about the TPP

Act now on EU-Canada trade negotiations!

03 March 2014
Canadian and European flags

The EPSU Executive Committee meeting in Brussels on 11-12 February 2014 raised a number of concerns regarding current trade negotiations, including the EU-US (TTIP) and EU-Canada (CETA) negotiations.

Trans Pacific Partnership is bad news for workers – call to action

25 February 2014
No TPP

Many unions and civil society groups fighting the Trans Pacific Partnership and the Fast Track process of this terrible free trade deal have been frustrated by the lack of mainstream media coverage, especially in America. The media's conspiracy of silence makes it hard to mobilize our members against the TPP and Fast Track because they aren't hearing anything about it.

Media Release: Bali deal confirms WTO not able to reconcile trade and development

09 December 2013
David Robinson EI - Rosa Pavanelli PSI

The official package agreed in Bali and released with great fanfare on 7 December demonstrates how unbalanced the global trade agenda still is.

The WTO continues to be unable to craft trade policies that serve development and are consistent with the most important issues for the world’s poor, such as food security.

While India’s refusal to accept a temporary solution on food security has been addressed, the terms of the deal are much less favourable, leaving many other developing countries vulnerable in the medium term, with only a much watered down LDC package in return.

WTO: PSI says no to trade in public services

07 December 2013
The dangers of liberalising services

Latest update - 9 december: The official package agreed in Bali and released with great fanfare on 7 December demonstrates how unbalanced the global trade agenda still is. The WTO continues to be unable to craft trade policies that serve development and are consistent with the most important issues for the world’s poor, such as food security.
Read the full media release: Bali deal confirms WTO not able to reconcile trade and development.

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

06 December 2013
PSI Trade In Services Agreement (TISA) forum - 9th WTO Ministerial Meeting in Bali: 5 Dec 2013
Source: Flickr

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?

Will America destroy the WTO?

03 December 2013
Rosa Pavanelli - PSI General Secretary

EDITORIAL OPINION - 3 December 2013:

The World Trade Organisation (WTO) Ministerial Conference opens in Bali today. A tang of fear and desperation wafts from huddles of developed world negotiators. In the last 48 hours, India and other developing countries have been put under intense pressure to agree a deal at any cost.

The collapse of the talks in Geneva last week, that sent the USA and its allies scurrying to blame India and the developing world, was dramatic. However it was entirely predictable.