Quality public services

Inspired by Martin Luther King, an American movement, "The Poor People's Campaign", made up of trade unionists, poor workers, members of religious organizations and liberal activists will be in Washington on June 23 to protest for dignified jobs and decent wages. They did not choose this date at random: it is international Public Service Day.

The commitment of trade union members to build a better world is stronger than ever; as greater than ever are inequality and injustice, said PSI Secretary General, Rosa Pavanelli, when she addressed the Plenary of the International Labour Conference in Geneva.

What is at stake is not just protecting public companies in services deteriorating due to the current private sector management policies, but loudly demanding the refoundation of quality public service in the public interest, explains Rosa Pavanelli, PSI General Secretary.

Trade Unions representing workers in Information Technology (IT), Steel, Health-care, Water, Coal, Automotive, Transport, Banking and Insurance met in Bengaluru from 17-18 April for a National Workshop on Trade and Investment Liberalisation: Impacts on Workers in India. The workshop was organised by the Forum against FTAs, Public Services International (PSI), Third World Network (TWN) and Transnational Institute (TNI).

After the UK’s 2017 general election, UNISON established its “Pay Up Now!” campaign, calling for the end of the public sector pay cap and the restoration of real terms pay rises for all public sector workers.

A new report released by Oxfam and endorsed by economist Jeffery Sachs and PSI, confirms that global inequality is spiraling out of control

Young workers from Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Zanzibar, and Sweden met in Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, to discuss issues surrounding Quality Public Services, Tax Justice and Gender Equality.

On 24 November, PSI's General Secretary took part in an international meeting of trade union organisations on the theme "Labor and the workers' movement at the center of a humane, integral, inclusive and sustainable development – why is the world of work still the key to development in the global world?

"Quality Public Services is key to conflict prevention, crisis adaptation, human security, peace-building and resilience." This was the key message delivered by the PSI delegation at the International Trade Union Confederation-Africa (ITUC-Africa) Conference on Peace and Security held on 5-6 October in Abuja, Nigeria.

On September 18th the Independent Commission for the Reform of Corporate Taxation, of which PSI is a member, is organising a public debate in New York to highlight the urgent need for global tax reform to stop multinational tax evasion and avoidance