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Privatisation

Quality public services are the foundation of democratic societies and successful economies. They ensure that everyone has equal access to vital services, including as health care, education, electricity, clean water and sanitation. When these services are privatised, maximizing corporate profits replaces the public interest as the driving force. Privatisation is a dangerous trend that must be reversed.

The Alternative World Water Forum has begun!

20 March 2018

Academics, social movements, trade unions and civil society organisations are meeting in Brasilia until 22 March to discuss how to resist the commodification of water in the world.

India's health system challenges

20 March 2018
Women workers at a sit-down demo

On 17 January 2018, in an enormous show of strength and determination close to 6 million community-based workers in health, education, nutrition and care services, 90% of them women, went on strike across India. But less than a month later, when the union budget was presented, their legitimate demands for decent work and quality public services were ignored.

In Canada, entire new school to be built with savings from ditched PPP projects

14 March 2018

The Canadian Union of Public Employees is celebrating a major victory against Public Private Partnerships after the Manitoba government reversed plans to use the controversial PPP model for the construction of new schools in Winnipeg and Brandon.

NO to Privatisation of Ambulatory Surgical Care at HUG

13 March 2018

The Geneva University Hospitals, HUG (Hôpitaux Universitaires de Genève) recently issued tenders for private “partners” to run its ambulatory operation services, through a public-private partnership (PPP). This, as PSI Swiss affiliate le Syndicat des Services Publics (SSP) has pointed out, is a surreptitious introduction of privatisation of surgical care.

Open letter – 88 organisations urge investors to cease support for Bridge International Academies

02 March 2018
Photo: GPE/Mediabase - Creative Commons 2.0

In an open letter published on 1st March, 88 civil society organisations have urged investors to cease their support for the multi-national for-profit chain of private schools Bridge International Academies (BIA), which runs over 500 schools in Kenya, Liberia, Nigeria, Uganda, and India.

Privatization Watch - 01/2018

16 February 2018

Latest issue of #PrivatizationWatch (01/2018) - The Global newsletter on privatization of public services around the world.

Jeremy Corbyn: People across the world are waking up to the fact that privatisation has failed

12 February 2018

The Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn, closed the Labour conference "Alternative Models of Ownership Conference" outlining how the Labour wants the community to take back control of the British economy and put it in the hands of the many, not the few. He also referred to the PSI report "Reclaiming Public Services" - how cities and citizens are turning back privatisation around the world.

Lagos water Workshop: "claims that PPP is not privatization should not be believed”

08 February 2018

A heightening campaign among trade unions is pushing back against the Adiyan Phase II Water Scheme which constitutes a major threat on the security of water of Nigeria’s capital.

Algeria: New government attack on independent energy union (update)

26 January 2018

The government of Algeria is escalating its war on the independent union of electricity and gas workers SNATEGS, which organizes workers at the state energy company SONELGAZ.
SNATEGS lives and fights, and needs your support. ActNOW! Join the LabourStart campaign, send a message of protest!

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.

Turin city council votes to fully remunicipalize its water utility

22 December 2017

In early October 2017, the city council of Turin (Italy) voted to change the legal status of its local water provider - the “Turin Metropolitan Water Company (SMAT)” - from a publicly-owned joint stock company governed by private law to an inter-municipal enterprise governed by public law.

Privatization Watch - 08/2017

21 December 2017

Latest issue of #PrivatizationWatch (08/2017) - The Global newsletter on privatization of public services around the world.

Privatisation of Migration & Refugee Services & Other Forms of State Disengagement

11 December 2017

This research, written by Jane Lethbridge, Public Services International Research Unit (PSIRU), examines the effects of the privatisation of services for refugees and migrants at national and international level.

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.

World Bank must stop promoting “dangerous” public-private partnerships – New Global Campaign launched!

23 October 2017

A new campaign aimed at reversing the dangerous rush to promote expensive and high-risk public-private partnerships (PPPs) was launched yesterday by Public Services International and by 151 civil society organisations from all over the globe.