PSI - The global union federation of workers in public services

Public Water Matters

Fri, 20 Mar 2026 14:06:00 GMT

On World Water Day 2026, PSI calls on the international community to prioritise public water and public financing to accelerate progress towards realising the human rights to water and sanitation and achieving Sustainable Development Goal 6 to ensure access to clean water and sanitation for all.

CSW70: Motion of No Action Blocks US Resolution on ‘Gender’ Amid a Global Dispute and Strong Trade Union Involvement

Thu, 19 Mar 2026 17:02:16 GMT

The 70th session of the Commission on the Status of Women was marked by an unprecedented event: a motion of no action tabled by Belgium blocked the vote on a resolution put forward by the United States that sought to redefine the term “gender” within the United Nations framework.

Desde los municipios, el cuidado se instala como una disputa política por la democracia, los derechos y los servicios públicos

Thu, 19 Mar 2026 14:06:21 GMT

En las Jornadas de Gobiernos Locales y Regionales organizadas por CGLU en el marco de la CSW70, la intervención de Juneia Batista, en representación de la Internacional de Servicios Públicos (ISP) y la Confederación de Trabajadores Municipales de América Latina (CONTRAM), puso en el centro una advertencia tan clara como urgente: no basta con producir documentos ni acumular declaraciones, es hora de traducir la agenda del cuidado en acción política concreta.

Justice for women cannot be separated from decent work, public services and trade union organisation

Wed, 18 Mar 2026 09:36:26 GMT

At a side event held in New York during CSW70, Global Unions agreed that access to justice for women will only become a reality if labour rights, public services and care systems are strengthened. Catherine McKenna, UNISON president representing PSI, highlighted the central role of trade unions in turning rights into concrete realities in the world of work.

Voices of Women Union Leaders at UNCSW70

Tue, 17 Mar 2026 14:06:51 GMT

Four leaders of PSI unions attending UNCSW explain why care is a human right. Drawing from recent discussions around the Agreed Conclusions, they offer compelling insights into what is at stake—and what must change.

PSI Condemns the Killing of Dozens of Health Workers in Lebanon by Israel

Mon, 16 Mar 2026 16:45:55 GMT

PSI condemns in the strongest possible terms Israel's latest strikes on health workers, ambulances, and medical facilities in Lebanon.

UNISON’s Catherine McKenna warns that without labour rights there will be no real access to justice for women

Mon, 16 Mar 2026 16:10:32 GMT

During the 70th session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW70), Catherine McKenna, President of UNISON, highlighted the progress made in the agreed conclusions on access to justice for women and girls, but warned that structural gaps remain which particularly affect women workers.

Pakistan: Union Wins Precedent-Setting Case in Industrial Court Against Privatisation

Mon, 16 Mar 2026 07:59:50 GMT

The CDA Mazdoor Union won a groundbreaking ruling from Pakistan’s National Industrial Relations Commission requiring management to consult the recognised CBA before outsourcing key departments. The decision strengthens collective bargaining rights and protects thousands of public sector workers from unilateral privatisation measures.

El cuidado es trabajo, y ese trabajo tiene derechos

Fri, 13 Mar 2026 13:34:23 GMT

La intervención de Verónica Montúfar, en representación de la Internacional de Servicios Públicos (ISP), marcó la posición sindical del panel “Acceso a la justicia y trabajo de cuidados: impulsando el cuidado como derecho humano, desde América Latina hacia un movimiento global”, realizado el 11 de marzo en la sede de Naciones Unidas en Nueva York, en el marco de la 70ª sesión de la Comisión de la Condición Jurídica y Social de la Mujer.

African Trade Unions Rally in Lagos to Defend Public Services and Nurture the Next Generation of Leaders

Fri, 13 Mar 2026 11:42:39 GMT

Trade union leaders from nine countries in East and West Africa met in Lagos in February 2026 to discuss mounting threats to workers’ rights, restrictions on union activity, and growing pressure to privatise public services. They called for stronger regional cooperation, investment in young and women leaders, and expressed solidarity with Nigerian health workers while reaffirming the importance of cross-border unity to defend labour rights and public services.

A Call for Health Equity and Justice in Southern Africa

Fri, 13 Mar 2026 11:39:40 GMT

The Southern African Health Sector Unions Network (SAHSUN) issued a communiqué calling governments in the region to honour the Abuja Declaration by allocating at least 15 percent of national budgets to health, prioritise primary health care, and take concrete steps to recruit, retain, and properly support health workers.

Care must be recognised as a human right and a public good

Thu, 12 Mar 2026 16:07:48 GMT

More than 200 people took part in a virtual side event organised within the framework of the 70th session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW70), where Public Services International (PSI) and allied organisations promoted a global agenda to recognise care as a human right and a public good.

Financing Justice, Resourcing Resistance: Feminist Pathways To Secure Justice And Equality In An Era Of Rollbacks

Thu, 12 Mar 2026 14:57:53 GMT

At a side event to the UNCSW70, Kimalee Phillip of CUPE Canada, stressed that strong, well-funded public services are essential to advancing equality, warning that privatisation weakens workers’ rights and undermines progress on gender and migration rights.

PSI Unions Study New York City's Universal Childcare Strategy led by Mayor Mamdani

Thu, 12 Mar 2026 14:17:05 GMT

PSI unions met during UNCSW70 with Tovah Gottesman, the Deputy Executive Director of the New York City Mayor's Office of Child Care and Early Childhood Education, to discuss the future of childcare. The conversation focused on the progress being made toward universal childcare in New York City under the leadership of Zohran Mamdani. Participants highlighted both the opportunities and the challenges facing the system.

Strengthening the Social Organisation of Care and Gender Pay Equity in Public Sector

Thu, 12 Mar 2026 11:48:56 GMT

At an IWD meeting in Jakarta, PSI and Indonesian unions discussed gender pay equity and care, highlighting structural inequalities and outlining union-led strategies to advance justice for women workers.

PSI Unions Join Forces at CGT Conference to Counter Far-Right Threats

Thu, 12 Mar 2026 09:12:00 GMT

PSI General Secretary Daniel Bertossa met with union leaders from France's CGT, Spain's CC.OO., Italy's CGIL, Finland's JHL, Netherlands' FNV, and USA's SEIU. The conference reinforces PSI's Public Service Fightback, a global initiative launched in response to escalating attacks on public services by billionaire oligarchs, corporate power, austerity, and far-right authoritarianism.

CSW70 Agreed Conclusions: PSI Welcomes Labour Rights Advances but Warns of Shortcomings in Recognizing Care as a Human Right

Wed, 11 Mar 2026 15:09:00 GMT

Adopted in New York on 9 March, the conclusions commit to equal pay, an end to workplace discrimination, and stronger protections against violence and harassment - while exposing deep political resistance by the United States after a first-ever recorded vote. At the same time, the final text still stops short of recognising care as a human right guaranteed through universal, publicly funded systems.

The Human Right to Care: Women Workers in Public Services Lead the Way

Sun, 08 Mar 2026 14:31:00 GMT

On 8 March 2026, International Women’s Day, women workers in public services across the world stand united in making visible their struggle to secure the recognition of care as a human right.

Pandemic Agreement Annex on PABS: All Governments Must Put People Over Profit

Fri, 06 Mar 2026 15:05:00 GMT

On May 20, 2025, the 78th World Health Assembly adopted the WHO Pandemic Agreement after three years of INB negotiations. Consensus was not reached on Article 12 (Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing, PABS). An Intergovernmental Working Group (IGWG) was established to negotiate a PABS annex. The sixth meeting is scheduled for March 23–28, 2026, with adoption expected at WHA79 in May 2026.

PSI calls for Ceasefire in Iran and the Middle East

Tue, 03 Mar 2026 13:01:23 GMT

PSI and other Global Union Federations condemn the ongoing military attacks carried out by the United States and Israel against Iran and subsequent escalation of violence across the region. We demand an immediate ceasefire and full de-escalation to prioritise diplomacy and dialogue, including a strengthened, coordinated role for the United Nations.