We've moved to a new site!

Join us at publicservices.international - for all the latest news, resources and struggles from around the world.

We are no longer updating world-psi.org and it will be progressively phased out: all content will be migrated to the new site and old links will redirect eventually.

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

Time for quality revolution in healthcare

19 December 2018
Rosa Pavanelli, PSI General Secretary

A major focus of this edition of Right to Health is the need to go beyond the tokenism which favours profit-making for health companies over the provision of “universal health coverage.” PSI has always maintained that we need quality health for all, and this is possible only when it is publicly delivered, says Rosa Pavanelli, PSI General Secretary.

Health care staff issues: an election issue in Quebec

18 December 2018

For the last few years, the 75,000 members of the Quebec health care workers’ union, the FIQ, have been campaigning for the government to allow them to provide quality and humane health care. A lot of problems can be avoided by having stable well-staffed work teams.

Dismissed care workers reinstated in Germany

18 December 2018

Carmen Laue and Heike Schmidt were reinstated as employees of the social care company Celenus, by a ruling of the Labour Court in Nordhausen in central Germany, on 17 October, 2018. The two union activists are members of Ver.di, a leading affiliate of PSI and the European Public Service Unions (EPSU).

Turkey: Health workers charged for rendering humanitarian services

18 December 2018

PSI attended the court hearing as an international solidarity observer for 14 health workers who face years in prison over their attempts to provide medical assistance to civilians during a curfew imposed by Turkish armed forces in the Kurdish-majority city of Cizre.

Astana Conference: 40 Years after Alma-Ata

18 December 2018

Hundreds of people including policy-makers, academics and civil society activists gathered for the Global Conference on Primary Health Care at Astana, Kazakhstan on 25-26 October. This was to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the first International Conference on Primary Health Care, which was held in Alma-Ata, Kazakhstan.

India: is “Modicare” the answer?

18 December 2018

The Indian government launched what it describes as the largest health insurance scheme in the world, in September. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the 'Ayushman Bharat -Pradhan Mantri Jan Aarogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY)' programme will provide health cover to the tune of 500,000 rupees ($6,900) a year for the poorest 100 million families in the country.

Quality Public Health for All: Time for Action

17 December 2018

Last year the UN General Assembly officially established 12 December as an international day, making 12 December 2018 the first International Universal Health Coverage Day. For PSI, it provides an opportunity to reflect on the unacceptable health inequities between and within countries across the world. Considering the abundant wealth available to humankind and major advances made in healthcare delivery, this situation is indefensible.

Pre-decision & information kit: Leaving South Africa to work in a foreign country

26 June 2013
Cover page South Africa PDK

Globalisation is offering increased opportunities for skilled people to migrate and while there are many opportunities, there are also many challenges to look out for.

World Health Worker Week Engagement Toolkit

04 April 2013
A health worker and a patient walking together, smiling

In many countries, access to health care is limited and people living in rural areas often have the hardest time accessing the most basic health services. This toolkit, created for World Health Worker Week 2013, offers some ideas that can help your organisation to encourage greater apprciation and support of health workers and show your community that health workers count.

Working for the alternative: Implementing PSI's mandate in 2013 and beyond

19 March 2013

The 2012 PSI World Congress provided a framework for Public Services International's discussions and decisions. However, it is necessary to focus priorities. This document presents a detailed implementation plan for PSI's mandate in 2013 and beyond.

Sharp sense - Promoting the safety of healthcare workers

14 March 2013
Cover from the DVD and accompanying booklet Sharp Sense

This is the discussion guide for the PSI DVD Sharp Sense, in which a counsellor, a nurse and a physician each talk openly about the needlestick injuries they sustained, how they faced the possible consequences for their health, for their families and for their communities, and how their lives were transformed.

Tags: 

PSI Congress Resolutions

12 March 2013

Resolutions adopted at the 29th World Congress of Public Services International, held in Durban, South Africa, 27-30 November 2012. The resolutions are available in English, French, Spanish, German, Swedish, Japanese and Russian.

Public sector unions combating HIV/AIDS in Southern Africa

11 March 2013

Public Services International and UNISON, UK, held a three-year joint project in South Africa from 2008-2011. The project, to strengthen public sector trade union response to HIV and AIDS engaged 34 PSI affiliates in 11 countries in good practice sharing and implementation.

Resolution 35: Migration Project

30 November 2012

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

Resolution 14: The global fight-back against austerity

30 November 2012

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

Resolution 13: Taxation

30 November 2012

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

Resolution 3: Building a disaster-resilient society through the enhancement of public services

30 November 2012

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

Resolution 9: Health sector

30 November 2012

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

Resolution 7: Universal access to healthcare

30 November 2012

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

Resolution 34: PSI Sector Networks

30 November 2012

The 29th World Congress of Public Services International (PSI),

Migration: South Africa National Report

24 November 2012

The research gives voice to the experiences and needs of health and social care workers. It provides first-hand evidence to support trade union advocacy on behalf of health and social care workers. This report on the situation in South Africa is part of a global research project being carried out by PSI affiliates in South Africa, Kenya, Ghana and the Philippines, and in other origin and destination countries around the world.