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Health and Social care services

Quality health care is important to families, societies and the economy – because healthy workers are more productive. The PSI – which represents 8 million health care workers – believes that care must be available to people who need it, not just to those who can pay. Health care is dangerous work. These workers, and the services they provide, are worthy of everyone’s support. Read more

Salute to Amit Sengupta!

14 December 2018

Dr Amit Sengupta, a leading figure in the global struggle for the right to health, died on 29 November in a swimming accident off the Betalbatim beach in Goa, India, at 60 years of age. For four decades, he committed his life to the struggle for a better world, a struggle which prioritised the furtherance of scientific knowledge and public health for all

4th Peoples Health Assembly held in Bangladesh

14 December 2018

In the week of 15- 19 November 2018, over a thousand delegates, including grassroots health activists, civil society organisations, academic institutions, NGOs and policymakers from across the world, including a delegation from Public Services International, gathered in Savar, Dhaka, Bangladesh for the fourth People’s Health Assembly (PHA-4).

Quality Public Health for All: Time for Action

12 December 2018

12 December has been marked as Universal Health Coverage day, for some years now by UHC 2030 a multi-stakeholder partnership.

France: What care model do we want for the elderly?

12 December 2018

In France, EHPADs are residential establishments for elderly dependent people, sometimes known as a retirement home. EHPADs house elderly people over the age of 60 who have lost some physical and/or mental faculties and are no longer able to live at home. There are 7,200 EHPADs and 10,000 home care services in France. They house or provide support for 1.4 million elderly people and employ more than 700,000 workers.

Financing Social Protection

12 December 2018

The international labour movement is examining the question of financing social protection on the national and international levels. PSI and other unions took part in the Global Conference on Financing Social Protection organised by the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) and Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES), on 17-18 September 2018, in Brussels.

Fighting for a People’s National Health Insurance in South Africa

12 December 2018

On 29-30 August 2018, the PSI Southern African Sub-regional Office hosted a Conference entitled “Towards a People’s National Health Insurance”. The conference was an initiative of PSI Young Workers, and brought together approximately 27 trade unions, civil society organisations and progressive academics to debate and wrestle with the National Health Insurance (NHI).

PSI warns: transnational companies are bad for your health!

12 December 2018

Transnational companies (TNCs) have increased their investments in Brazil’s health sector. They have made a big adverse impact, causing deterioration in working conditions and a fall in the quality of services.

Migration: Australia National Report

24 November 2012
Cover page

Quality healthcare and workers on the move. The Australia National Report is one of several research studies in key origin and destination countries carried out under the International Migration and Women Health and Social Care Workers Programme of Public Services International (PSI).

Migration: Kenya National Report

24 November 2012

Building trade union solidarity and action for workers on the move.

“Quality health care and workers on the move”

24 November 2012

Public Services International is proud to present the Ghana National Report. It presents the results of a comprehensive literature review, and first-hand on-the-ground research on the health and social care sectors in Ghana.

Rio+20 Working for a sustainable world

16 July 2012

The general failure of the Rio +20 negotiations presents both threats and opportunities for public service unions. These will require local and national level responses, as well as coordination across regions and globally.

Impact of the economic crisis and austerity measures on women

04 July 2012

Women are losing jobs in both the private and public sectors, which has an immediate effect on household income but a much longer term effect on the role of women in the labour force.

South Africa National Report on Migration in Health and Social Care Sectors

25 November 2011

The report documents innovative participatory research carried out in South Africa by PSI affiliated unions under the PSI’s Programme on Women and International Migration in the Health and Social Care Sectors. The programme seeks to build the capacity of public sector trade unions in addressing the causes and impact of migration in the health and social care sectors.

Canada: pre-decision and information kit

19 November 2011

The B.C. Government and Service Employees’ Union (BCGEU) and the National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) are working with their sisters and brothers affiliated with Public Services International (PSI) to strengthen labour’s response to migration and to promote quality public health services.

Bermuda - Migration Pre-decision kit

19 November 2011

Bermuda’s small population limits its ability to provide adequate workers in specific areas of public services. For this reason, Bermuda relies heavily on migrant workers and is considered a country of destination.

PSUFASA Newsletter 2011

18 November 2011

The newsletter for public sector unions fighting HIV and AIDS in southern Africa (PSUFASA) is produced quarterly by the Project Coordinator based in the PSI Sub-Regional office for Southern Africa in Johannesburg.

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Pre-decision kit

07 November 2011

Public Services International (PSI) and its affiliated unions have prepared this kit to provide basic information on the facts, realities and issues concerning migration in the health sector. It is designed to help potential migrant health workers make an informed choice and to support unions that wish to assist health workers in making the right decisions

Annual Report 2010

05 April 2011

In the face of widening cuts to public services and attacks on the rights of public sector workers around the world, leaders of private and public sector trade unions, municipal governments and civil society groups made the unprecedented joint commitment to work together to promote investment in quality public services backed by fair taxation policies as the key solution to the economic crisis, and the best way to build peaceful, equitable, democratic and environmentally-sustainable societies.

Annual Report 2009

03 April 2010

Environmental and social sustainability provided the primary theme for PSI’s work in 2009. Leading into the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 15) in Copenhagen in December, trade unions and civil society allies worked hard to ensure that world leaders would agree on an ambitious plan to reduce carbon emissions. Alas, this dream did not become reality. But we are committed to continuing this struggle and achieving real results.

Annual Report 2008

03 April 2009

Looking back at 2008 the one word that comes to mind is CHANGE. We saw a dramatic change in the global economy, it was the keyword in the US election and we initiated changes in PSI.

Ghana: pre-decision and information kit

22 April 2008

In Ghana, where unemployment and poverty are on the rise, many Ghanaian health workers are enticed and compelled to seek ‘greener pastures’ in Europe and in North America. Without adequate information preparation, aspiring migrants cannot make informed decisions on whether it is really in their best interest to migrate.

Framework guidelines for addressing workplace violence in the health sector

22 November 2005

Workplace violence - physical (homicide, attacks, beating) or psychological (mobbing, bullying, harassment) - affects all categories of workers in just about all sectors. However, the health sector is at major risk due to fundamental characteristics of the services delivered and the present work environment. Under the strain of reforms, social instability, increasing pressures from long working hours and shift work, demoralisation of workers, workplace violence is rapidly spreading in the health sector.