Public Utilities

The European Federation of Public Service Unions has a very active membership in the utilities sector. EPSU represents workers in public and private companies in the electricity, gas, water and sewerage and waste sectors.

The President of the EPSU standing committee for Public Utilities is Sven Bergelin. The EPSU policy officer is Jan Willem Goudriaan.

Find out who is your EPSU representative for public utilities here

What are the main issues for EPSU ?

A secure supply of energy, clean water, and sustainable waste management are basic needs for each individual in society. The users of these rights must be confident that their needs are being met; that they are provided for in fair and environmentally responsible manner at a just price. The best way of ensuring this is through public control, and even ownership, of the utilities and proper regulation – regulation of those private and public utilities that supply these needs,

Find out more on introduction to public utilities

Please read our positions on energy issues and our Press releases.

Standing Committee Plan of Action 2009-2014, update 2011

Pay and conditions in energy, waste and water - the WISUTIL project Conference, 26-27 September 2011

Campaigns

Safe and Clean Drinking Water EPSU is concerned about proposals of the European Commission to introduce competition in the Water Sector.

Research and Transnational Companies

Much of EPSU’s work in this area is available through the website of Public Services International Research Unit, section: reports.

Developing social dimension of Europe’s energy policy says EPSU Committee’s Presidium

(16 January 2012) Company developments, European energy policy and future prospects for the trade unions were considered in discussions of the EPSU Standing Committee Utilities Presidium on 12 January.
Sven Bergelin, the EPSU Utilities Committee President welcomed that the Commission has included the social dimension in its recent Energy Roadmap 2050. "This is a success for EPSU which has argued for years that addressing the social implications of European energy policy should be part and (...)

Sustainable energy, concessions, water initiative and resource efficiency dominate agenda 35th meeting

(17 October 2011) The confederal officer of ETUC, Judith Kirton-Darling, presented the work of the ETUC following the Athens Congress. For ETUC and affiliates there is a strong sense that measures need to be taken to prevent that the world moves beyond the scenario in which the global temperature increase will be more then 2 degrees in 2100 (currently we are in a scenario where temperatures increase by more then 4 degrees which will lead to more conflicts, loss of biodiversity and threats (...)

Impact of 2020 strategy on energy, water and waste sectors in eastern neighbourhood and enlargement countries

PSIRU report for EPSU, June 2011
Summary
The accession and enlargement countries of the western Balkans, and the countries of the eastern neighbourhood, consist of 13 countries with a total population of 97 million, nearly all of which are middle income countries in transition.
The EU 2020 strategy creates a new annual ‘semester’ of economic planning for EU member states, based on central ‘integrated guidelines’ relating to economic growth and employment . It includes 5 headline targets and (...)

Plan of Action 2009-2014, update 2011

EPSU Standing Committee on Public Utilities
Plan of Actions 2009 – 2014 – update 2011
EPSU Congress 2009 - R.7. Utilities

Climate change: Voicing the concerns of workers in energy, water and waste

(17 February 2011) The trade unions discussed the implications of climate change on public services and in particular on energy, water and waste. The recommendations of a study were debated and approved. Trade unions are concerned that the Commission fails to include Just Transition principles in its policies even though these can have significant impacts on workers – the shift from carbon based fuels to renewables affects entire regions for example. And while the fuel mix is a national (...)

EPSU Conference on Utilities in the European context: Change, Modernization and Adaptation: Lisbon agenda 2020 and workers

Presentations & speeches

Coming years crucial for future European energy policy says EU Energy Commissioner at EPSU conference.

Press release (23 September 2010, Brussels) European Commissioner for Energy Günther H. Oettinger emphasised that within the 2020 Strategy “Job creation in the energy sector is key for the future of employment in the European Union ”.
The Commissioner addressed the EPSU European Utilities conference. The conference brought together a large number of trade union leaders from the European Union, Balkan and neighbouring countries like Norway, Turkey and Russia.
Oettinger highlighted that next (...)

Smart grids, bargaining developments and global warming policies

(2 March 2010) The utilities sector is continuing to experience change and restructuring. The unions met to consider a number of these developments.
Some are related to new technologies such as smart meters and smart grids. The contributions of EPSU to the regulators were discussed. The experience of unions with smart meters is diverse. The position on the consultation of the regulators on smart grids will be further considered at the EPSU workshop on this issue 11 March.
Others are (...)

Letter of protest to Mexican government – support for Mexican electricians union

(16 November 2009)
Update: National protest in support of union
http://www.labornotes.org/2009/11/national-work-stoppage-demands-reversal-mexican-power-takeover
(16 october 2009) The Mexican government sent its troops after the electricity trade union SME in Mexico. It dismissed 45000 workers ! EPSU has sent a letter of protest to the government and many affiliated unions have done also.
For background on the conflict: www.world-psi.org or http://www.inteldaily.com or the website (...)