The Financial Economic and Social Crisis Public Services

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The Financial Economic and Social Crisis Public
Services
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European Federation of Public Service Unions

• 250 trade unions
• 8 million paying members
• National and European public administrations
• Local and Regional Government
• Health and Social Services
• Utilities (energy, water, waste)
• Public and Private companies in our sectors,
  including multinational companies

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European Federation Public Service Unions

• All European countries and since Congress June
  2009 also in EU Neighbourhood, Eastern
  partnership countries and Central Asian Republics
  similar as PERC
• EPSU member of ETUC, special rules for social
  dialogue
• EPSU recognised regional organisation of

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European Federation Public Service Unions

• Representatives of all countries in EPSU bodies
  Executive, Standing Committees
• Mikhail Kuzmenko, Russian health workers an EPSU
  vice-president
• Financial Assistance
• Russian available

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Crisis

• Causes are multiple but underlying is
  neo-liberal politics reliance on markets to
  deliver welfare and public goods
• EPSU view Deregulation of Public Services and
  Public Commons (such as banking system and
  oversight) and Privatisation (including of public
  banks) have removed stability and made crisis
  worse Capitalism is unstable
• Blame bankers (greed, products they did not
  understand themselves, lobby to remove barriers)
  but politicians allowed this, failed to act
• And at the same time climate crisis, energy
  crisis (oil will become scarce, 1,7 trillion
  Euros investment needed in energy infrastructure
  in Europe), food crisis and increase of global
  inequalities and poverty

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Crisis its Impact

• Initial impact on Industry and some services
• Governments poured in billions and now clear
  public services are used to balance the books
  many years of austerity to be expected
• Impact on Women in Public Services increasing
  pay gap likely as a result of further
  privatisation and outsourcing, undoing recent
  progress
• Low- and middle income earners (nurses, teachers,
  firefighters, refuse collectors, child care
  workers, police, prison officers, soldiers)

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CrisisUnions in action (1)

• March 1st Health, Social Care, Medical and
  Chemical Industry Workers Independent Trade
  Union of Georgia
• Issues Stop dismissal of workers Ensure decent
  salaries for all medical staff reform of the
  health sector to be done with union and societal
  participation reverse privatisation based on
  faulty procedures when privatisation with the
  unions, including when meeting investors and
  based on long-term planning and secure
  employment public health system to be financed

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CrisisUnions in action (2)

• March 3rd Greece influencing the austerity
  package (earlier demos 10 Feb, 24 March)
• March 4th Portugal wage freeze proposed till
  2013 among others
• Actions in Italy 12 March France 23 March also
  continuing industrial action in Ireland and
  Netherlands strikes in October and February in
  Romania

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Crisis Unions in Action (3)

• Bargaining in all countries is difficult
• Pay freezes or cuts (Greece, Hungary, Ireland,
  Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania Netherlands, Romania,
  Serbia, UK, Ukraine, Bulgaria)
• No respect for collective agreements (opening up
  existing agreements Slovenia, Croatia
• Pension reform Greece, Hungary, Netherlands,
  Spain, Bulgaria
• No replacement of public service workers (France
  only replacing 1 in 3 that go, Greece 1-5, Spain
  1 in 10)
• IMF discussions and packages with B-H, Hungary,
  Iceland, Latvia, Romania, Serbia, Ukraine EU
  procedures on deficits against several countries
  European Commission intervention in pay
  determination in Hungary, Latvia, Romania and
  Greece

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EPSU Strategy (1)

• Tax havens, tax fraud, fair progressive taxation
• Long term sustainable public finance discussion
  with Commission, EP
• Do not have premature exit, support demand,
  public spending not unproductive spending
• Joint statement EPSU CEMR, underlining
  sustainable financing requires social just
  taxation
• Invest in public services and infrastructure
  (including social infrastructure)
• Support shift towards green economy

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EPSU Strategy (2)

• Monitoring impact on public services, collective
  bargaining
• Support unions facing pressure from employers/
  state strong response in case of non-respect of
  collective agreements
• Critique on developments Highlighting problems
  such as with Public-Private partnerships
  www.psiru.org
• Support for ETUC, PSI, ITUC policies

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EPSU Strategy (3)

• Social dialogue KEY we are part of solution
• In return for involvement and support longer-term
  role
• But hard and difficult tasks and choices
• Membership involvement
• Preparation blaming/ shouting not enough/ unions
  active partners in reform.

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EPSU Strategy (4)

• Choices are possible continue exchange of
  information see Balkan network of TU economic
  experts
• And opportunities Association Agreements and
  deep and comprehensive free trade agreements
  (DCFTA). Social dialogue, a substantial basis of
  the European social model, should be adequately
  introduced as a means to secure the necessary
  stability to achieve economic reforms, transition
  to market economies, promote the general
  development of the society, and improve living
  standards.

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