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Energy

Reliable electricity improves lives and supports economic development. Just ask anyone who gathers wood to cook. Private corporations – motivated by profit – have frequently failed to expand electrical services to those who need it most. They also charge all the market will bear. Public enterprises – motivated by serving the public interest – are better placed to provide clean, affordable energy.

EDF unions and management have training on implementing human and labour rights

27 February 2019

Eight months on from the signature of the renewal of the Global Framework Agreement (GFA) of EDF Group, over 25 trade union and management representatives came together on 19-20 February at the ILO International Training Centre in Turin to hone their skills to enable its implementation.

South Korean government responds to workers’ demands for justice for young worker Kim Yong-gyun

04 February 2019

The South Korean government has announced today a series of measures in response to the tragic death of 24-year-old power plant worker, killed in an industrial accident resulting from the “outsourcing of danger” and lack of safety measures at Taean Power Plant.

PSI extends full support to nationwide strike in India

08 January 2019

On 8-9 January, Indian workers and their trade unions are holding a two-day nationwide general strike to protest against "anti-labour, anti-people and anti-national policies " of the Modi government. PSI extends full support and solidarity to its affiliates, other unions and the workers of India participating in the strike action.

PSI video: Building quality public services for all

10 December 2018

#SolidarityWithRefugees  PSI is launching the third video, of a series of three, on building quality public services for Syrian refugees in Lebanon. This third video focuses on the PSI project on refugees and migrants in Lebanon and on the importance of building quality public services for all.

Union strategies to bring public services back in-house

04 December 2018

PSI Global Labour Remunicipalisation workshop is taking place at the ILO in Geneva from 4-5 December. Trade union affiliates from around the world are showcasing local experiences of remunicipalisation and giving union strategies to bring public services back in-house.

JALGO collaborates with Solar Head of State to promote renewable energy in Jamaica

27 July 2018
James Ellsmore of Solar Head of State receives donation of prize money from Helene Davis-Whyte, general secretary of JALGO

Earlier this year, the NGO Solar Head of State held a challenge targeting youth and young adults in which the goal was to inspire local or school communities to recognize the many advantages of solar energy. PSI affiliate the Jamaica Association of Local Government Officers (JALGO) was the only sponsor from the trade union movement and has contributed prize money to the challenge.

A Just Transition based on social justice, and labour rights

12 July 2018

PSI General Secretary, Rosa Pavanelli, took the floor at the UN High Level Political Forum during the review of SDG 7 Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all

South Korean government responds to workers’ demands for justice for young worker Kim Yong-gyun

04 February 2019

The South Korean government has announced today a series of measures in response to the tragic death of 24-year-old power plant worker, killed in an industrial accident resulting from the “outsourcing of danger” and lack of safety measures at Taean Power Plant.

The support for energy privatisation in Nigeria is not acceptable

23 July 2015
Nigeria stop privatisation

Millions of pounds of UK aid money has been used to support the privatisation of Nigeria’s electricity system. The result has been a disaster with escalating energy prices, job losses and declining quality of services. PSI has joined Global Justice Now and UNISON in their campaign to stop this privatisation.

FirstEnergy locks out utility workers in US

28 November 2013
Demonstrators holding banners, one saying "I want to work"

FirstEnergy Corp. – one of the largest electric power corporations in the United States – locked out 150 members of the Utility Workers Union of America (UWUA) in the early morning hours of November 25, three days before the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday.

Russia: A power engineer must not be poor

18 February 2013
November demonstrations in Moscow

Russian energy workers are in discussion with their employers concerning wages and working conditions. They request that PSI and its affiliates send messages of support and solidarity.

The new generation of PPPs in infrastructure – meeting the needs of institutional investors

10 July 2017

Extract from the Civil Society Report "Spotlight on Sustainable Development 2017" -the new global report assesses how privatization and corporate capture have become obstacles to progress under the 2030 Agenda.

Policy brief EB-148 : Utilities

04 October 2016

This policy brief on utilities was produced for the PSI Executive Board EB-148 held at the ILO in Geneva (Switzerland) on 19-20 May 2016. Its objective is to inform EB-148 of activities in the utilities sector since the PSI Steering Committee SC-19 that took place in Geneva (Switzerland) in November 2015 and inform EB-148 of activities planned for 2016. The brief is available in English, French, Spanish, German, Swedish and Japanese.

Overview of proposed privatization of Electricity Sector in Ghana

22 June 2016

This recent analysis by PSIRU shows the influence of the US government and its Millennium Challenge Corporation in the planned energy privatization in Ghana.

Public ownership of the UK energy system – benefits, costs and processes

18 April 2016

A new report by Public Services International Research Unit (PSIRU) and the UK NGO We Own It, calls for a return to public ownership and management of key elements of the British energy system. The report builds on years of research that demonstrate the excess costs of privatization, the negative impact on energy workers and on UK households, and the distortions of UK energy policy.

Publication: Why Public-Private Partnerships don’t work

17 March 2015
Why Public Private Partnerships don’t work

The new report Why Public-Private-Partnerships (PPPs) don’t work: The many advantages of the public alternative contains a combination of 30 years of research by David Hall, former Director of Public Services International Research Unit (PSIRU) University of Greenwich, UK.

Privatising Power: UK aid funds energy privatisation in Nigeria

17 March 2015

This new research, released on 17 March, by campaign group Global Justice Now shows that since 2002, £140 million of UK aid money has been spent by the Department for International Development (DfID) on projects to support the privatisation of Nigeria’s energy system, with disastrous consequences for people in Nigeria.

COP20: The public option in green policies

09 December 2014
Windmills - Photo: Pablo LordFerguson (Creative Commons: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/)

As the UN Climate Change Summit, COP20, in Lima, Peru, draws to an end, PSI highlights the special role of local and national government structures in developing, implementing and monitoring green policies.

Health and safety agreement between Global Unions and GDF-Suez (2014)

16 June 2014

Global Unions and GDF-Suez signed a global agreement on 14 May 2014 that will define and implement fundamental principles regarding health and safety at work within GDF SUEZ companies.

The impact of hurricane Sandy on consolidated Edison of New York

10 February 2014
UWUA

This position paper produced by the Utility Workers Union of America, AFL-CIO, is an assessment of restoration efforts and gives recommendations for the future.

Resolution 25: Labour brokers/employment agencies in the public sector

03 February 2014

The 29th World Congress of Public Services International (PSI),
meeting in Durban, South Africa, on 27-30 November 2012

Resolution 24: Austerity and Privatisation

31 January 2014

The 29th World Congress of Public Services International (PSI),
meeting in Durban, South Africa, on 27-30 November 2012

Resolution 37: Ethical International Recruitment

30 January 2014

 The 29th World Congress of Public Services International (PSI), meeting in Durban, South Africa, on 27-30 November 2012

Resolution 12: Educating and Mobilizing Workers and the Public in Support of Fair Tax Systems to Fund High-Quality Public Services

30 January 2014

The World Congress of Public Services International (PSI), meeting in Durban, South Africa, on 27-30 November

Resolution 11: Redress taxation systems to adequately fund public services

29 January 2014

The 29th World Congress of Public Services International (PSI),
meeting in Durban, South Africa, on 27-30 November 2012

Energy in India: Private investment not a panacea for all ills

07 January 2014

This article, published in India Together, outlines some of the key areas that need to be focused on, in order to make the country's energy sector genuinely healthy and inclusive. In particular, it identifies areas that need improvement and special attention beyond attracting private investment, namely energy access, environmental management and governance.

Inter-American Regional Executive Committee & Women’s Committee - IAMREC/IAMWOC (Panama)

04 June 2018

Between the 1st and 3rd of August, the meeting of the Inter-American Regional Executive Committee (IAMREC) will be held in Panama City. On the same occasion, the meeting of the Regional Women's Committee of Inter-American PSI and an international seminar on corporate power will take place.

State of Power: Energy Democracy and Labour perspectives (India)

13 October 2016
State of Power: Energy Democracy and Labour perspectives (India)

During the People’s Forum on BRICS on 13 October from 14-17h, TUED (which PSI is part of) and TNI are co-organising a workshop called “State of Power: Energy Democracy and Labour perspectives”. PSI’s affiliated union representatives will be intervening in the workshop that will be held in Goa, India.

Power to the People: A Strategy Discussion on Advancing Social Ownership of Energy

11 September 2014

PSI General Secretary, Rosa Pavanelli, with representatives of PSI affiliates will be taking part in a strategic discussion on advancing social ownership of energy organised by the Trade Unions for Energy Democracy (TUED) on 20 September 2014 in New York. The TUED delegation will join in the People's Climate March on 21 September 2014.

World Water Day

22 March 2014

PSI Global Energy Meeting

24 September 2013

PSI unions will deal with the major challenges facing workers in energy and develop strategies to organise and mobilise in-country, by region and globally. We will ask 4-5 unions to help develop the agenda.

PSI’s 29th World Congress in Durban, South Africa, 27-30 November 2012

22 November 2012

As part of its World Congress events, PSI is holding a series of pre-congress meetings on key issues.

UN Climate Change Conference 2011

31 January 2011

The 17th Conference of the Parties (COP17) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the 7th Session of the Conference of the Parties serving as the Meeting of the Parties (CMP7) to the Kyoto Protocol, will be held in Durban, South Africa.

Bonn2011 Nexus Conference

31 January 2011

The primary objective of the Bonn2011 Nexus Conference is to bring together a broad range of stakeholders from the water, energy and food sectors in an effort to improve understanding of the interdependencies and develop a joint perspective on the common challenges.

Video: Towards Energy Democracy

06 September 2016

How are people across the world taking back power over the energy sector and re-imagining how energy might be produced, distributed and used?

Video: Why Public-Private Partnerships don’t work

16 March 2015

In this video, PSI Deputy General Secretary David Boys introduces the new publication “Why Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) don’t work” by Public Services International Research Unit (PSIRU).

This is what energy democracy looks like

10 March 2015

With climate change looming, we are facing an energy emergency. How can unions fight for change? Watch and share TUED's new animated video on energy democracy.

Video: Water and power: are public services still public?

10 February 2015

This new video by the Municipal Services Project examines the question of corporatisation and how it can affect public services, specifically in the energy and water sectors.

Photos: People's Climate March 2014

23 September 2014

Following the strategic discussion on advancing social ownership of energy organised by the Trade Unions for Energy Democracy (TUED), PSI General Secretary, Rosa Pavanelli, and participants joined in the People's Climate March where over 400,000 people demonstrated in the streets of New York.

Video: Climate Change and Energy Democracy

22 September 2014

Ahead of the People's Climate March on 21 September in New York City, PSI General Secretary, Rosa Pavanelli, and author and activist Naomi Klein, talk about Climate Change, Energy Democracy and the role of the trade unions.

Video: The fightback against austerity

07 July 2014

Public Services International (PSI), the European Federation of Public Service Unions (EPSU), together with our affiliate unions, ADEDY, and allies in Greece brought together a team of expert union journalists and communicators. This solidarity exchange enabled PSI communicators from other countries to learn more about the issues facing Greek trade unionists and share this understanding with their union members and communities around the world.

Photos: World Social Forum, Tunis 2013

15 April 2013

Public Services International had the strongest global union presence at the World Social Forum 26-30 March 2013 in Tunis, Tunisia. PSI hosted and co-sponsored numerous events on trade union rights, youth, water, women’s issues, tax justice, energy and climate change.

Photos: Strike in India - Feb 2013

22 February 2013

An estimated 100 million workers took to the streets for a two-day strike organised by national trade union centres in India. PSI affiliated unions representing workers in the electricity, defense, water and municipal sectors were there in force.

Video: World Social Forum Dakar 2011

28 June 2011

PSI utilities officer David Boys tells us about the nature and mechanisms of worldwide privatization of key public services such as water, energy, waste treatment and pension funds in an interview at the 2011 World Social Forum in Dakar.