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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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

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

PSI Affiliate - Pakistan WAPDA Electricity Union argues for more safety inspection of equipment , amendment of outdated Pakistan Labour laws, increased wages and pensions

The above article has been supplied by WAPDA and was originality published in the ' DAWN ' newspaper in Lahor , Pakistan on the 4th November . Supplied by Osama  Tariq Secretary All Pakistan Workers  Confederation  (Regd) - Bukhtiar  Labour  Hall  28 Nisbet  Road  Lahore  Pakistan. pwf@brain.net.pk  

Indonesian Electricity Unions

PSI trade union affiliates in the electricity sector, SP PLN Persero, SP PJB, and PP Indonesia Power together with SPEE-FSPMI electricity sector and Serbuk Indonesia, held a two-day, 24-25 October 2018, consolidation meeting in planning a project for the electricity sector to strengthen trade unions. This activity is supported by PSI partners from the Trade Union Solidarity Center of Finland (SASK) and the Trade Union for the Public and Welfare Sectors in Finland (JHL).

The objectives of this activity are:
1. To assess the state of energy sector in Indonesia, focusing on challenges and development
after the Judicial Review Decision last December 2016;
2. To assess the current union situation of energy unions and outsourced workers in Indonesia focusing on the union density, union dues collection, total number of members, number of potential membership and gender; and
3. To develop an energy project application for years 2019-2022.

PSI-SEA Sub Regional Secretary Ian Mariano facilitated the workshop.

David Boys, PSI Deputy General Secretary, Kate Lappin, PSI Asia Pacific Regional Secretary, Eveliina Petala (JHL), Juha Vauhkonen, Marlon Quesada (SASK) and Tom Reddington (APHEDA, TUED) attended the activity.

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Joint PSI-UCLG Statement at ICLS 2018

Pakistan - Wapda Hydro Electric Central Labour Union

 "The Government of Pakistan would redress the legitimate grievances of the employees of electricity distribution companies including bringing the contract employees on regular basis and provide safety to the line staff against accident and occupational disease at workplaces and arraigning security to the field staff during the course of performance of their duties for prevention of theft of electricity and recovery of electricity revenue against lawless elements and reviewing the ban to recruit new hand against essential nature of jobs on account of rising work of electricity distribution system and retirement of senior personnel day to day. 

These views were expressed in a bilateral meeting held by Omer Ayub Khan Federal Minister Energy (Power Division) Government of Pakistan in the presence of Irfan Ali Federal Secretary Energy and Mujahid Pervaiz Chatha Chief Executive Officer LESCO with the delegation of All Pakistan Wapda Hydro Electric Workers Union CBA today 10th October, 2018 at Lahore. 

The Delegation of the Union was led by Veteran Trade Union Leader Khurshid Ahmed General Secretary accompanied by Haji Younas, Osama Tariq, Rana Abdul Shakoor, Muzaffar Mateen and other representatives of the union. 

The Minister also urged to the representatives of the Union that all efforts are required to be made out to provide Better Services to 25 Million Electricity Consumers and get recovered the electricity revenue and prevention of theft of electricity since loss of revenue and electricity had been imposing circular debt. 

Earlier the Delegation of the Union apprised the Federal Minister that the contract workers had been working for years and are required to be brought on regular cadre as well as the staff carrying out the work of prevention of theft of electricity and recovery of electricity revenue were required to be provided security alike Railways staff against the lawless elements and serious shortage of the field staff had also been resulting the tragic accident of the line staff due to over work day to day. 

They assured to the Federal Minister that it is bounden duty of the employees to perform the work of services to electricity consumers and developing transmission and generation distribution system successfully as prayer and service of the nation. They thanked the Minister for the patient hearing of their problems being faced by the employees and need to raise productivity of national public utility for accomplishing national task."

Further information Osama Tariq  pwf@brain.net.pk

Press  Release and Photographs from PSI Affiliate Pakistan Wapda  Hydro  Electric  Central  Labour  Union  (C.B.A).

Osama  Tariq - Joint  Additional  General  Secretary

Pakistan  Wapda  Hydro  Electric  Central  Labour  Union  C.B.A  Lahore   Pakistan.

Bukhtiar  Labour  Hall  28 Nisbet  Road  Lahore.

11 October 2018,

Mobile:- 0333-4276811

Local Government Super , less investment in coal

 " Includes the position of Local Government Super , less investment in coal " 

ABC program The Business featuring Bill Hartnett discussing LGS’ investment restrictions on coal and coal-fired power generation: http://www.abc.net.au/…/cranking-up-coal-for-an-as…/10357410

About this website

ABC.NET.AU

Cranking up coal for an Asian boom

The coal lobby and the government reckon that coal exports have a bright future, but the numbers tell a different story.

Pakistan - PSI Affiliate WAPDA - Electricity Union Fighting to bring contract employees under regular permanent employment

 Hundreds of senior subordinates working as Line Superintendent, Grid Operator, Test Inspector in a large conference held under the aegis of All Pakistan Wapda Hydro Electric Workers Union CBA at Bakhtiar Labour Hall Lahore. Have demanded to electricity management to bring the contract employees working for years satisfactorily in the distribution companies to be brought on regular cadre in accordance with the settlement reached with CBA Trade Union and upgrade the  senior subordinates working for decades and promote them against lawful prescribed quota @ 25% posts of Junior Engineer who have rendering services diligently day and night to maintain and upgrade distribution national system. 

Those demands had been raised in a resolution passed by the meeting of the Senior Subordinates. The meeting was addressed by Veteran Trade Union Leader Khurshid Ahmad General Secretary of this union. The meeting was also addressed by Maqsood Ahmad Qureshi Chairman Line Superintendent Committee, Sohail Ahmad, Mian Shahbaz, Muhammad Akram and other representatives of the union. 

By another resolution, the participants urged the distribution management to get filled up vacant posts in the companies numbering 53000 to ease the load of heavy work upon the line staff and day to day rising quantum of work and retirement of senior personnel every day and provide adequate standard safety equipment to the line staff including bucket fitted vehicle to save them from the tragic accidents. 

The house pledged to spare no effort to prevent theft of electricity and recovery of revenue of electricity and demanded to the management to provide security to the field staff against lawless elements alike in Railways.

 Press  Release  and Photographs  from Pakistan  Wapda  Hydro  Electric  Central  Labour  Union  (C.B.A).

Osama  Tariq  Joint  Additional  General  Secretary

Pakistan  Wapda  Hydro  Electric  Central  Labour  Union  C.B.A  Lahore   Pakistan.

Bukhtiar  Labour  Hall  28 Nisbet  Road  Lahore.

Pakistan PSI Affiliate WAPDA is campaigning for more publicly Owned Electricity Generation

The below newspaper article was published in the ' Nation ' newspaper in Pakistan and shows how WAPDA a PSI Affiliate is campaigning to have its Publicly Owned Electricity provider increase electricity generation, by the National and Regional Governments . 

PSI Affiliate WAPDA is arguing for increased hydro and thermal generation production through power station construction by the current Publicly Owned Utility Authorities as well as mergers of Distribution, Transmission and Generation.    

This action by WAPDA comes at time when many Governments are using the issue of 'capacity' shortages as means for the private, small or large, electricity providers to enter the industry either by often questionable  supply contracts, or build own operate using either new and or current technologies .

The action by WAPDA, a Union well versed in fighting against and winning privatization battles, is an important step in the campaign for publicly owned generation.

PSI Affiliate WAPDA is the -  

All Pakistan Wapda Hydro Electric Workers Union (CBA)

Garikhata Hyderabad

Ph: 022-2783613, 2728185

Fax: 022-2785620

pwf@brain.net.pk

Articles supplied by PSI South Asia Sub Region Secretary Raman Kannan kannan.raman@world-psi.org

" Do you know all 17 SDGs? " Sustainable Development Goals

Conservative Government in Australia considers highest level judicial inquiry ' A Royal Commission ' into Electricity prices ...

Australian States with highest population numbers have privatised their electricity industries , the Conservative Liberal / National parties led National Government is looking at a "Royal Commission " of inquiry into the Electricity Industry , Including it's post privatisation or current position... for those not familiar with a Royal Commission, basically the most powerful of any judiciary style inquiry that can demand and force any business or citizen to attend, any any documents to be presented....these days the Royal Commissions are also televised live on the internet... this is a huge step for any Government but from a Conservative Government , it shows how there are many questions and issues are out there in the community and with Government Including the post privatisation era of millions of customers and many times more consumers and businesses...

The article in the main stream media https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/scott-morrison-open-to-royal-commission-into-energy-sector-20180903-p501d5.html  according to the article the Conservative Prime Minister also was quoted as saying " he agreed with the argument that power companies were as bad as the banks " 

" Private thermal power generation in India – boon or bane? " A paper prepared by K Ashok Rao , Patron, All India Power Engineers Federation

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1GIJYhHQ8vI4ddRTXOBy-VTKaFGnEbMdi

This paper (via above link) prepared by Ashok Rao, is one of number of publications prepared by Ashok as part of the debate on the benefit of publicly owned base load power plants in India . 

The paper covers issues surrounding - 
* Legislative changes for the Industry by the Indian Government, and what that has meant for the industry on the ground including  
* Private power plants = Public money, private management.
* The Import of equipment and its consequences, including the affect of imports on the local suppliers, constructors and manufactures 
* Questions of Over invoicing of coal and equipment
* What then is our responsibility as citizens? And conclusion

The conclusions includes references to the role of the IMF and World Bank and its " structural adjustment loan conditionalities laid down by the World Bank and the IMF " which ensured the withdrawal of State resources from development of a vital infrastructure – the power supply industry.Plus the question of other Governments to support their national , third party party players .
The links of Trade, IMF, World Bank , direct and indirect consequences , plus third party players support .

The paper is well worth a read and use as a resource materiel for Unions and Society in general but in particular for Asia Pacific Nations still building their electricity industry as part of their development 

Ashok Roa can be contacted akashokrao@gmail.com

Another re Municipalisation story , this time on Electricity and from Spain ...

https://www.barcelona.cat/infobarcelona/en/barcelona-energia-flicks-the-switch_683855.html

" Barcelona Energia, the metropolitan electricity distributor, starts operating on 1 July with the intention of playing an active role in the energy market, making it fairer, more efficient and sustainable. The company starts out by covering the electricity needs of the City Council and the rest of the municipal companies, as well as street lighting. As from January 2019, its services will also be available to the general public. The use of the company is expected to represent an annual saving of  71,000 euros." 

" Besides saving money, the public distributor aims to head the transition towards  energy sovereignty in the city by backing renewable local power generation and encouraging more responsible and rational energy consumption." 

The above paragraphs (and photo) are quotes from the article located at 

https://www.barcelona.cat/infobarcelona/en/barcelona-energia-flicks-the-switch_683855.html

Pakistán WAPDA Lineman Association - face book page

PSI Pakistan Affiliate WAPDA , Lineman Association , has a face book page at https://www.facebook.com/Pakistán-WAPDA-Lineman-Association-186952525049495/

That is part of their campaigning for improved safety standards and safety equipment . 

Electricity Industry Workers in many parts of the would be disappointed and upset to see the conditions , accidents and deaths that occur in the Pakistan Electricity Industry 

If you can visit their face book page and show support for their campaign as well as spread the wor, that would be one way to help, show Union and Electricity Industry Workers Solidarity 
https://www.facebook.com/Pakistán-WAPDA-Lineman-Association-186952525049495/

APEC media item on Natural Disasters - is another reminder of the work of PSI Utility and Local Government affiliates and Members

APEC Bulletin  14 August 2018
. The Social Aspect of Disaster Risk Reduction Preparing for calamities means keeping one eye on the sky and another on ourselves When APEC disaster management officials met in Port Moresby this August one of the first things on the agenda of the 14th Emergency Preparedness Working Group (EPWG) meeting was to observe a moment of silence for the people of Indonesia. Just two days before, a 6.9 magnitude earthquake hit the popular tourist island of Lombok. News of damage and casualties was fresh and still pouring in. It was reported that 340 people lost their lives, and 270,000 have been displaced. People displaced by the Lombok earthquake set up tents in Mataram City It was like a repeat of last February, when the EPWG also convened in Port Moresby, this time in the wake of a more powerful tremor that struck the Papua New Guinean highlands just miles from the capital, killing 70 and crippling essential energy infrastructure. These are only part of a string of multiple calamities over recent years, often happening concurrently, and which are believed to only get more frequent and more destructive. “Some weeks ago, we saw Typhoon Maria affect parts of Japan, China, Chinese Taipei, and Thailand. Thousands of people in Hawaii lost their lives in the Kilauea Volcano eruption,” said Ruel Yamuna, Managing Director of Papua New Guinea’s Climate Change and Development Authority. “Disasters and their associated hazards cause significant risks to the citizens of APEC economies and others in the region,” Yamuna said “The threat is not isolated to one location or time of year. Multiple disasters can be taking place at any one time, with several disasters occurring in the same economy or concurrently across several economies.” APEC’s emergency preparedness agenda is to raise the capacity of its members, and of the region, to properly prepare for such events and recover quickly afterwards. The current focus of the forum’s emergency managers is adapting to the “new normal” of living under constant threat of the next disaster. To do this APEC economies need to take advantage of new technologies and alternative methods of identifying vulnerabilities and assessing damage. “Papua New Guinea’s main focus is advancing multi-hazard early warning systems,” Yamuna said. “Warning is key to reducing disaster damage and social disruptions.” He cited how the APEC forum can be a platform to help economies such as Papua New Guinea incorporate state of the art tracking systems in place in economies such as Japan and Chinese Taipei. But high tech, science-based systems like satellite storm tracking, infrared monitoring of volcanic activity, and digital risk maps are just a step towards a more real-time approach to enhancing disaster risk management. According to Dr. Wei-Sen Li, Executive Director of the APEC Emergency Preparedness Capacity Building Center and co-chair of APEC’s Emergency Preparedness Working Group, the next stage in evolution in disaster risk reduction is making most of the use of information. “Emergency responders and scientific experts can co-work on information and input from the public through using new tools such as big data and by collecting social media posts and videos. This will give responders the ability to make decisions in time,” Dr Li said. He also acknowledges that the quick spread of information-based social channels leaves disaster victims possibly exposed to attempts at misinformation—real-time fake news— something that emergency managers will need to discuss when devising public warning systems, and which adds a social aspect to disaster response. “Once upon a time, when we talked about monitoring, we meant monitoring seismic activity or satellite photos of typhoons,” said Dr Li “Now we’re starting to consider social issues such as the impact to socio-economic development, and gender issues.” “When I look at the impact of an individual disaster, I try to make a linkage to how it impacts people and society,” he said. “The recent flooding in Japan put many senior citizens in a precarious situation because they lack the ability to move around with ease. Chinese Taipei also has a fast ageing population. Maybe ten years later, measures to ease the experience of seniors during disasters will be an important issue there.” “Chile offers an example put into practice of surveying underlying risk factors for the purposes of disaster risk reduction. They are conducting a survey to measure drivers of vulnerability in Chilean local communities. The survey set out to generate a standard methodology that allows each municipality a means for self-diagnosis in four general dimensions that all contribute to resilience: governance, land use, demographic or socio-economic characterization, and climate change. These criteria are divided further into 41 variables ranging from climate conditions, adherence to building codes, number of persons with disabilities, private-sector participation in the community, migration, to even the accountability of public officials in a certain area. The ensuing reports lay out strengths and weaknesses and come with recommendations to reduce any underlying risk drivers found. Cristóbal Mena A., Deputy National Director of the Chilean Emergency Office, presented the initiative to APEC emergency managers, calling it “a very holistic approach—not just for emergencies, but also for social development, health, housing, climate change, and so on.” “This is a very easy and straightforward methodology for reassessing vulnerability at the local level,” Mena explained, “which for the Chilean Emergency Office seems to be the right path towards reducing disaster risk.” Dr Li considers the approach—studying socio-economic factors in aid of disaster risk reduction—a topic that merits more action. “National disaster resilience is not limited to physical effects on an economy,” he said. “We should also be thinking about the secondary impacts such as socio-economic losses that could potentially be the seed to trigger an economic hazard.” APEC's emergency managers during the 14th Emergency Preparedness Working Group Meeting During the emergency managers meeting, while reviewing the list of droughts, floods, landslides, wildfires, cyclones and volcanic eruptions that have occurred in the APEC region this year, Dr Li pointed out that “it is a cautious time to be a disaster manager,” given the number of these calamities that happen all at once. He reasserted the need for collaboration among member economies, the public and private sector, and regional organizations to deal with a situation that is almost like that Hollywood movie: The Day After Tomorrow. “But this is happening now,” he said. APEC’s work on emergency preparedness continues when senior disaster management officials meet this September in Kokopo, Papua New Guinea. Media item from APEC