Next Steps

PSI Building Stronger Sector Engagement 

This blog has been part of the PSI Asia Pacific Local Government and Utilities Network for around 10 years , with over 2335 posts. 

The Network it itself dates back till the late 1990's, including the engagement in building Networks through resolution of Resolution 34 at PSI Congress 2012 . https://gmpsiaprec.blogspot.com/2012/11/resolution-psi-sector-networksworld.html

Resolution 34 / 2012 (below) …..strengthened and rolled out not just the informal structures also argued the informal Networks would need to be strengthened to provide more formal structures , including . 
"  That PSI should in addition to the affiliate networks examine thoroughly which existing or future structures are most useful for sectorial work within PSI. This should involve solid and dependable structures that would work closely with the PSI Secretariat. Informal networks are a first start but will not be enough in the longer term " 

PSI Congress end of 2017 , took further steps , to invest , support, resource and build on this work with more formal use and mainstreaming of sector activities, including in the Asia Pacific Region , having dedicated responsibilities through its Staff . Section 7 of the current program of Action states - 

"Making Sectors Stronger, details the important role of sectors in PSI’s struggle. It outlines how equalities, cross-cutting issues, privatisation and trade union rights work will be incorporated and driven through sectoral work. It sets out how we will strengthen our sector networks and organise to defend our affiliates and their members. It lists specific action for each of PSI’s five sectors."  (this includes Utilities and Local Government )
http://congress.world-psi.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/EN-Introduction-to-the-PoA.pdf

PSI has also strengthened its Sector engagement with the employment and assignment of dedicated Sector Officers/Responsibilities at a Global level and more recently within the Asia Pacific Region with - 

Raman Kannan - taking responsibility for Local Government across the Region. Kannan is also the full time PSI Sub Regional Secretary for the South Asia Sub Region .

Ian Mariano - taking responsibility for Utilities . Ian is also the full time PSI Sub Regional  Secretary for the South East Region.

PSI Asia Pacific Region Contacts - 
Kate Lappin Regional Secretary for the Asia Pacific Region  kate.lappin@world-psi.org

Ian Mariano Sub-Regional Secretary for South East Asia ian.mariano@world-psi.org 

Kannan Raman Sub-Regional Secretary for South Asia kannan.raman@world-psi.org

PSI Global Contacts - 

David Boys – Deputy General Secretary – Utilities david.boys@world-psi.org 
Daria Cibrario - Local and Regional Government Officer daria.cibrario@world-psi.org  

You can also contact Raman and Ian at 

https://www.facebook.com/PSIAPRO/posts/1524036660964280

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The 4th ITUC World Congress concluded in Copenhagen 7th December - " Change the Rules "

More than 1,200 participants took part in five days of debate to shape the policies and priorities for the international trade union movement for the next four years. The Congress was addressed by Prime Minister of Denmark Lars Løkke Rasmussen, the Lord Mayor of Copenhagen Frank Jensen and International Labour Organization Director-General Guy Ryder.

ITUC President João Felicio read a letter from former President of Brazil, Lula de Silva, thanking the trade union movement for the solidarity and collective action to protest against his unjust imprisonment.

Refugees and migrants were recognised by Congress with the message that refugees are welcome in our workplaces and our communities. Trade unions are committed to campaign for peace and provide not only the right to decent work, but also the right to safe haven and access to public services including health and education.

Two candidates, Susanna Camusso and Sharan Burrow, were nominated for the position of General Secretary and Burrow was elected by a close margin.

Five urgent resolutions were passed calling for:

-          Human rights and peace in Colombia;

-          Solidarity with workers and students in Iran;

-          Labour law reforms in Hungary;

-          Labour rights and solidarity with independent trade unions in Kazakhstan;

-          Freedom for Lula.

“We leave the Congress united to build worker’s power to change the rules.  The international union movement stands for peace, democracy and rights for working people. We must defeat and transform the failed economic model of today.  We must defend workers’ and other human rights and demand a new social contract. As the world shifts, with technological and climate change and as people move, because of desperation or from choice, we must have a Just Transition. And equality for all people is at the centre of our mandate,” said Sharan Burrow.

At the conclusion of the World Congress, unions committed to:

• Organise, to create a 250 million member ITUC over the next four years, to build workers’ power;

• A new social contract, where businesses including platform businesses are made to take responsibility for their workers, and a UN Business and Human Rights Treaty;

• A Just Transition to sustainable economies to tackle climate change and keep temperature rises to 1.5 degrees or less;

• Reverse the trend of low wage growth and rising inequality through collective bargaining, increased minimum wages and social protection; and,

·         Close the gender pay gap, fight discrimination and racism and take forward action against gender based violence.

These are foundations for the future of work.

“Companies like Amazon, whose business model is based on extracting public subsidies, paying little or no taxes, mistreating or dehumanising workers, were sent a clear message. If you do not change the way you operate, if you don’t respect the rights of workers, we will change you. We will change the rules and break up Amazon,” said Burrow.

The statement adopted by the ITUC World Congress included four pillars – on peace democracy and rights, regulating economic power, global shifts - just transitions and equality, which set out the ITUC agenda for the next four years.

Women delegates attending the ITUC World Congress increased from 42 percent in 2014 to 46 percent in 2018.

The ITUC General Council elected Ayuba Wabba, President of the Nigerian Labour Congress, as ITUC President.

Cathy Feingold of AFL-CIO (USA) and Karl-Petter Thorwaldsson of LO Sweden were elected as the ITUC Deputy Presidents.

Owen Tudor, Victor Baez and Mamadou Diallo were elected as the ITUC Deputy General Secretaries.

The next ITUC World Congress will be held in 2022.

The official video record of the plenary sessions and leaders’ speeches will be available at: https://congress2018.ituc-csi.org/multimedia

For more information, contact Gemma Swart at +32 479 06 41 63 gemma.swart@ituc-csi.org (English) or Theo Morrissey at +32 499 14 56 95 theo.morrissey@ituc-csi.org (English, French, Spanish).

The ITUC represents 207 million workers in 163 countries and territories from 331 national trade unions.

Follow us on the web: www.ituc-csi.org and www.youtube.com/ITUCCSI

Media item from ITUC 

Europe - Electricity Unions say " Regulated electricity prices are still needed! " -

https://www.epsu.org/article/regulated-electricity-prices-are-still-needed

In a failed liberalised EU electricity market regulated prices are still needed to protect domestic households.

The Electricity Market Directive is currently in a crucial legislative phase. European legislators are deciding whether to continue to allow Member States to regulate electricity prices or to phase out regulation completely. EPSU argues that Member States should continue to be allowed to regulate electricity prices.

The removal of price regulation is part of energy market liberalisation policies which the Commission has been pursuing over the past 20 years. The ultimate aim is to create a Single Energy Market. The argument is that a free and competitive market makes electricity more affordable and more environmentally sustainable. 

This paper exposes the fallacies of liberalisation, showing how it has failed to deliver on its promises. On the contrary, over the past two decades, electricity bills and energy poverty have been rising across the EU. Investments in clean energy are below the levels required for the necessary transition to a decarbonised economy.

EPSU proposes a different model for the European Union, based on the public service principles of universality, access, equality, solidarity, affordability and cooperation. The production, transmission and distribution of electricity are a public service. We need a model based on public ownership and energy democracy in order to deliver safe, reliable, affordable and sustainable electricity for all citizens. 

The paper is available in EN and FR .

PSU advocacy paper - regulated prices and energy poverty - E

EPSU advocacy paper - regulated prices and energy poverty - FR

International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) ....includes live streaming !!! PSI is one of the GUFS that make up the ITUC

Copenhagen, 2 December 2018 (ITUC OnLine): Workers across the globe are struggling to make ends meet, believe their jobs are insecure and don’t believe their voices matter in politics according to a new global public opinion poll from the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC).

Sharan Burrow, General Secretary of the ITUC, said: “Governments are failing to respect workers, and they are failing to respect voters. The fragility of the global economy is on show when 59% of people in work are only just managing, struggling to make ends meet or not managing at all and nearly two in three don’t generally feel that their voice matters in politics. Without action to raise wages and change the rules for working people, we put democracy at risk.”

Released at the opening of the 4^th ITUC World Congress in Copenhagen, Sunday 2 December, the ITUC Frontline Poll 2018, commissioned from polling company YouGov, covers the general public of fourteen countries.

The poll showed:

·        59% of people in work are just about managing financially, struggling to make ends meet, or are not managing at all financially, often going without essentials or falling into debt.

·        Nearly one in four (23%) people in work believe their job is insecure.

·        Only 37% of people think their voice always or mostly matters in politics.

“Shared prosperity is elusive, people are struggling to get by on the wages they earn, and one in four people feel their job is insecure. Social cohesion is at risk as the global economic model based on corporate greed fails working people,” said Sharan Burrow.

The ITUC represents the largest global democratic community, and the World Congress will debate the mandate for the global trade union movement, with more than 1,200 trade unionists from 132 countries.

“In order to rebuild peace, democracy and rights, we must regulate economic power – with minimum living wages, social protection and a new social contract. Workers need the security of just transitions, along with the guarantee of equality that ensures inclusion, to deal with the shifts in the world of work due to climate, technology and the displacement of people.

“First it was too big to fail banks, bailed out during the global financial crisis. Today it’s too big to touch companies like Amazon which are exploiting workers, avoiding tax, flouting competition policy and distorting the model of business with their monopoly power.

“When governments fail to stand up for their own people, regulate corporate power, ensure fair taxation, distribution of wealth through minimum wages, collective bargaining rights and social protection and vital public services, you get a world where nearly two out of three people don’t feel their voices matter in politics.

“Only when governments stand up for their own people, regulate corporate power, ensure fair taxation, distribution of wealth through minimum wages, collective bargaining rights and social protection, and ensure vital public services, will the huge and growing political confidence gap disappear.

“The global labour movement, meeting in Copenhagen at the ITUC World Congress, is putting governments and business on notice. Multilateralism is in crisis and democracy is at risk. We need to change the rules of the global economy to rebuild trust,” said Ms Burrow.

The poll was conducted 15 October – 6 November in Brazil, Bulgaria, Denmark, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Morocco, Portugal, the Philippines, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Notes for editors:
For a copy of the YouGov data tables, Wages, Job Security, Trust in Politics and Democracy (English), contact Gemma Swart at gemma.swart@ituc-csi.org.

The ITUC Frontline Poll 2018 covers the adult populations of Brazil, Bulgaria, Denmark, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Morocco, Portugal, the Philippines, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States. All polling numbers quoted above represent the average of the 14 countries, with each country given an equal weight.

In each country at least 1,000 respondents were interviewed, yielding a total of 14,834 respondents. All interviews were conducted online. YouGov carried out the fieldwork 15 October – 6 November 2018. The figures have been weighted on a national level and are representative of all adults in each respective country.

The ITUC World Congress opens in Copenhagen on Sunday 2 December and concludes on Friday 7 December 2018. The ITUC represents 207 million workers in 163 countries and territories from 331 national trade unions.

Congress Daily Highlights Live-streamed (All times Copenhagen +1 GMT)

https://congress2018.ituc-csi.org/

Sunday 2 December 16:00 – 18:00 Opening Ceremony
Includes addresses from Prime Minister of Denmark Lars Løkke Rasmussen, the Lord Mayor of Copenhagen Frank Jensen, International Labour Organization Director-General Guy Ryder, LO-Denmark President Lizette Risgaard and ITUC President João Antonio Felicio.

Monday 3 December 9:00 – 12:30 Plenary
ITUC General Secretary Sharan Burrow’s address outlining the state of the world for working people and the findings of the ITUC Frontline Poll 2018.

TUED Bulletin 81 — November 30, 2018 - COP24: TUED and Allies Will Bring a Strong Pro-Public Message to Katowice

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TUED Bulletin 81 — November 30, 2018 COP24: TUED and Allies Will Bring a Strong Pro-Public Message to Katowice Working with key allies in energy democracy advocacy, TUED has organized several meetings and strategy sessions during the upcoming “COP24” UN climate talks, which will take place December 3-14, 2018, in Katowice, Poland. These sessions will take place over several days, from Thursday, December 6th until Monday, December 10th. They have been co-organized with Trade Union Confederation of the Americas (TUCA), Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung-New York Office, the UK’s Public and Commercial Services Union, Friends of the Earth Europe, transform! europe, and Transnational Institute (TNI). The full schedule and registration details are available here. UK Labour Party Shadow Minister to Address Energy Democracy Gathering As part of this series of events, Rebecca  Long-Bailey, UK Labour Party Shadow Secretary for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, will join us for a discussion on the Party’s climate and industrial policy. The Party is currently committed to bringing transmission and distribution networks back into public ownership, and to achieving net zero emissions by 2050. The Party is also committed to ensuring 60% of the UK’s energy comes from low carbon and renewable sources within 12 years of coming to power, and to working with energy unions and workers to deliver a ‘green jobs revolution’ at the heart of Labour’s industrial strategy. The meeting will take place Sunday evening, December 9th. Registration is required, and can be done here. TUED and co-organizers have planned the following four events over the four days; please see the online program for full details and any updates, as well as for logistics and registration information: Thursday, December 6 (afternoon) TUED Roundtable: Analysis, Allies and Action Time: 13:00-17:00 (with lunch at 13:00) Friday, December 7 (afternoon) Energy Democracy: Reclaiming Energy to Social Ownership and Full Democratic Control Time: 13:30-16:00 Sunday, December 9 (evening) Climate Change and the Energy Transition: Alternatives to Market Failures, and the Role of Public Ownership Time: 19:30-21:30 Special guest: Rebecca Long-Bailey, UK Labour Party Shadow Secretary for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Monday, December 10 (morning) Energy Democracy “Next Steps” Working Meeting Time: 09:30-11:30 Again, the full program is available here. For An Independent "Public Goods" Approach In preparation for these meetings, TUED has prepared a discussion paper, which provides an updated assessment of where the world stands with regard to tackling the climate and energy crisis, When “Green” Doesn’t “Grow”: Facing Up to the Failures of Profit-Driven Climate Policy. As the paper argues: "After more than a decade of speeches and assurances from global elites, the “green growth” approach to climate protection has failed to make any meaningful progress in addressing the climate crisis. Renewable energy is on an upward course, but overall energy consumption has continued to rise even faster; as a result, fossil fuel use continues to expand, emissions continue to rise, and nearly every major country is off-track to meet their Paris commitments. "It is time for us to collectively confront these stark realities and formulate a radical, independent, and internationalist trade union alternative based on a “public goods” approach. One way or another, rising emissions hurt everyone, and reducing emissions would benefit everyone. Considerations of private profit must be taken out of the equation. Emissions reductions must therefore be regarded as an absolute necessity and a collective human right. And since most emissions come from how we generate and use energy, energy systems must be radically reshaped by needs-based and pro-public policies. This means reclaiming energy to public and social ownership, and democratic control." The full paper is available here. As always, we welcome feedback.

About getting involved   For unions considering being formally involved in TUED, most of the information you need is here. There's also more information on why it's important for unions to support TUED here. Need more information about energy democracy?  Take a look at our working papers series (y también en español) Videos: Including This is What Energy Democracy Looks Like! in English, French and Spanish visit our website for more info