Resolution 22: Trade

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

 RESOLVES to

• JOIN global union federations, affiliated unions, and civil society allies to oppose international trade agreements which threaten the funding and delivery of public services globally;
• JOIN global union federations, affiliated unions, and civil society allies to oppose trade agreements with countries which systematically violate human and trade union rights;
• WORK with global union federations, affiliated unions, and civil society allies who oppose the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP) being negotiated in the Asia Pacific Region;
• LEND particular SUPPORT to unions in the global south who voice opposition to TPP and other bilateral and multilateral trade agreements;
• WORK with European trade unions, civil society allies in Europe and progressive members of the European Parliament to oppose the Canada EU Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA).

Because:

• International trade agreements such as the TPP and CETA are currently being fast-tracked and negotiated in secrecy;
• These agreements undermine local and national government decision-making power and increase corporate access to public services resulting in the privatization of critical public services;
• Privatization means unequal access to public services harming those who are most disadvantaged in our societies;
• Privatization and corporate profit–taking increases the costs of the delivery of public services and diminishes the quality of the services provided;
• International trade agreements in many countries around the globe overlook, and in many instances intensify, human rights violations against trade unionists, human rights defenders and indigenous populations.
• Work with European and Colombian unions to oppose the EU-Colombia Free Trade Agreement because of the severe violation of human and trade union rights in Colombia and the threat that this agreement poses to public services in the country.

See all Congress resolutions including the Program of Action and the Constitution.