India - Nagpur Municipal Corporation... more on PPPs and their failures - From PSI AP face book page

Contract workers working in water treatment plant and distribution network in Nagpur city observed black diwali for not being paid bonus. The contract for water treatment plant has gone to Veolia Water Ltd. The citizens and workers continue their campaign to discredit the failed model of PPP drinking water in Nagpur.
(Credit: Jammu Anand, Nagpur Municipal Corporation Employees Union)

PSI - UN World Cities Day 2018,

https://tinyurl.com/y8c9azv3
On UN World Cities Day 2018, PSI calls the United Nations, governments and mayors to halt the widespread use of precarious work in local and regional government services that hurts local communities, undermines the quality and accessibility of local public services, and stands in the way of achieving sustainable, inclusive and resilient cities (SDG11).

Read the article: https://tinyurl.com/y8c9azv3

Indonesia - bringing water back to the public.

PSI affiliate in water sector SP PDAM - Jakarta together with other unions from Aetra Palyja Workers Union (PUK SPSI Aetra, PUK SPSI Palyja and Sekar Aetra) met at Hotel Oria, Jakarta. The two-day meeting, 26-27 October 2018, is a Project Planning for Water Sector Trade Union Strengthening.

The objectives of the meeting is to bring water back to the public and build trade union power across water sector in Indonesia.

David Boys, PSI Deputy General Secretary in his session on the first day provided updates on water sector privatization around the globe and impacts on service provision and the workers.

Nila Ardianie and Tommy Tobing also were invited to speak in this meeting. They gave updates on regulation and policy on water sector after Supreme Court Decision on Water Privatization.

Kate Lapping, PSI Asia Pacific Regional Secretary, PSI-SEA Sub Regional Secretary, Ian Mariano, Eveliina Pelata (JHL) and Marlon Quesada (SASK) attended the meeting.

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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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STRIKE in Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation, India.-

Around 22000 contract workers of Health and sanitation wing of GHMC are on strike for 

1.Regularization of services of all contracts and outsourcing employees working in GHMC.
2. Health cards to all GHMC employees.
3. Restore and reverse back all the transferred SFAS to their previous places.
4 Fixation of remuneration to all health and sanitation workers to Rs 25000.

[Message given by Adil Sheriff, Indian National Municipal & Local Bodies Workers Federation, see below photo) 

The second day strike is on going. The main demand is regularising contract workers, secondly to pay minimum Rs25000 till workers are regularised. 

https://www.facebook.com/689872361/posts/10155933296117362/
(Video message of Adil Sheriff)

Above advice and photos from Raman Kannan PSI South Asia Sub Regional Secretary face book page 

PSI contribution " Subsidising the rich: how workers pay the price for corporate tax dodging" by Daniel Bertossa Director of Policy and Governance at Public Services International

" Public Services International (PSI) recently served as guest editor of the International Centre for Trade Union Rights Journal, writing on the theme of tax justice.

Inside this issue of the Journal are a range of articles from academics, activists and union officials which outline why the fight for tax justice is important for our movement and showcase a series of recent wins against corporate tax greed."  -  Advice from PSI Asia Pacific face book .

You can view the Journal by clicking http://www.world-psi.org/…/docume…/research/iur_25-1_002.pdf

From PSI Asia Pacific face book page https://www.facebook.com/PSIAPRO/posts/2062735757094365 

Together with Lembaga Informasi Perburuhan Sedane (LIPS), PSI is holding a residential training of trainers (ToT) on trade justice for Indonesian trade unions leaders

Together with Lembaga Informasi Perburuhan Sedane (LIPS), PSI is holding a residential training of trainers (ToT) on trade justice for Indonesian trade unions leaders and activists from 28 to 30 August 2018 in Bogor, West Jawa. 30 participants from four global unions (PSI, BWI, UNI and ITF) and other independent unions will be actively involved. Key issues that will be addressed that are linkages between the free trade regime and privatisation, as well as contracutalisation and low wages.

The 'new generation' free trade agreements (FTAs) and mega-FTAs represent a deepening of neoliberalism and threaten to further restrict the policy space required for governments to promote, respect, protect and fulfil labour rights, public services and goods essential for the realisation of human rights and to protect the environment.

The government of Indonesia is party to the RCEP negotiations since their inception and has expressed interest to join the new avatar of the TPP. Indonesia has signed a bilateral deal with Japan in force since 2018, the impacts of which have led the government of Indonesia to ask for a review of the deal. In addition, the government is negotiating bilateral deals with several developed countries, including the European Union and Australia, among other negotiations.

The training will contribute to building collaboration between and strengthening strategic interventions by trade unions in Indonesia

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From PSI AP face book page https://www.facebook.com/PSIAPRO/posts/2062735757094365

People's Convention on Infrastructure Financing - AIIB Annual Meeting

People's Convention on Infrastructure Financing - A response to AIIB Annual Meeting, Mumbai, India:

Had dialogues on impacts of financial bodies on people's lives and development, exposing the negative aspect of development finance with participation by 150 civil society organisations on 21st to 23rd June.

Different parallel workshops were held on Public Accountability, Gender Impact on IFI projects, Smart cities & Mega Infrastructure projects, Water for life- not profits, Energy Access role of IFIs, Industrial Corridor in India, challenging Legal Immunity granted to IFIs..

The 3rd AGM of Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) will be held on 25-26 June at Mumbai with the theme 'Mobilising Finance for Infrastructure: Innovation and Colloboration'.

Above and below photos from PSI South Asia Sub Regional Secretary  Raman Kannan 
https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=raman%20kannan

For those wanting more advice on the role of the AIIB , please see 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asian_Infrastructure_Investment_Bank#Governance 
Which provides for the following introduction "The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) is a multilateral development bank that aims to support the building of infrastructure in the Asia-Pacific region. The bank currently has 64 member states while another 22 are prospective members for a total of 86 approved members and was proposed as an initiative by the government of China

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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asian_Infrastructure_Investment_Bank#Governance

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Indian National Coordination Committee of Electricity Employees & Engineers

Indian National Coordination Committee of Electricity Employees & Engineers (NCCOEEE) in its National Convention held at New Delhi on 8th June 2018, called for a Nationwide Power Strike on 7th Dec 2018.

The NCCOEEE opposed the efforts of the Government to privatise the public owned electric industry. The convention called upon the Prime Minister, Chief Ministers and Members of Parliament and State Assemblies to set aside the Electricity (Amendment) Bill 2014, placed before the Parliament. Almost all the State governments oppose the proposition of segregation of carriage and content, i.e. further splitting the distribution activities, which will increase of the cost of supply to the consumers.

The motive of the bill is to crease scope of business for private enterprise in power distribution without any investment and the profitable segments will be transferred to private sector and loss-making segments are retained by public sector.

PSI South Asia Sub-regional Secretary Raman Kannan took part of the Convention and bring PSI congratulations and support for their outcome.

Indian Electricity Workers to march on the National Parliament in Delhi on the 3rd April

Electricity Workers in India , will march on the National Parliament, this coming week to put for a range of demands including support for the Public Sector Electricity Industry , equal pay for equal work (contract workers) and more .

See poster (opposite for more details) .

Advice from Raman Kannan 
PSI South Asia Sub Regional Secretary, via PSI AP face book page .

Public Accountability of Utility Services - Indonesia - from PSI AP face book page

"Remunicipalization gives power back to the people. In the past, privatization was seen as the only viable option for public utilities," said David Boys, Deputy General Secretary of the PSI.

Read about the fight to reclaim Indonesia's public services!

Reclaiming Vital Public Services in Indonesia, Is It Possible? | Jakarta Globe

The Indonesian government should think about reclaiming public services in some vital sectors to end abuse by the private sector, and regain control over…

JAKARTAGLOBE.ID

The RadioLabour World Report for the week October 30 to November 3 - updated global listeners on PSI Congress - see below link

RadioLabour

The RadioLabour World Report for the week October 30 to November 3 is now available. 

* PSI Congress shows how public services can be saved and bettered

* US labour calls for a Global Pact for Migrants

* The LabourStart Report about union events around the world

The World Report is available here: www.radiolabour.net/rl-world-031117.html

 

Advice from RadioLabour