EPSU

Attacking Public Sector wages: The wrong thing to do at the wrong moment

2009-03-04T11:50:04Z

Joint press statement of the ETUC (European Trade union Confederation), EPSU (European Federation of Public Services Unions), Ver.di (Vereinte Dienstleistungsgewerkschaft), ICTU (Irish Congress of Trade Unions).

Attacking Public Sector wages: The wrong thing to do at the wrong moment

Brussels, 4 March 2009

European trade unions are stunned to observe the president of the European Central Bank (ECB) attacking public sector wages once again. The independent ECB is providing political backing to governments keen on implementing wage cuts to the order of around 15%. Moreover, the president of the ECB is advising ‘bad economics': With the economy facing the worst recession since World War II, wages should be a pillar of stability and not an accelerator of depression and deflation.

Reiner Hoffmann, deputy General Secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) says: 'It is frightening to see how the president of the European Central Bank has forgotten the lessons of the Great Depression of the 1930's. Not wages but interest rates should be cut'.

Carola Fischbach-Pyttel, General Secretary of the European Federation of Public Services Unions (EPSU): 'Labour is not a commodity. We welcome the recent Ver.di agreement in the German public sector (a 5% wage increase over two years) as striking a balance between the need to support household demand in times of crisis and the objective to maintain the sustainability of public finances'.

David Begg, Secretary General of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) says: 'Calling for deflation is not the way to go. The name of the game is debt deflation. Wage cuts will worsen the already excessive debt load of households and this will end up in killing the domestic side of the Irish economy'.

Frank Bsirske, President from Ver.di (Federation of Public services: Vereinte Dienstleistungsgewerkschaft) says: 'In the past, German economic policy has done exactly what the ECB is now recommending. Generalised stagnation of average real wages together with real wage cuts for workers at the bottom of the labour market have proven to be disastrous. The German economy has remained in the doldrums for many years while poverty, in particular child poverty, has seen a spectacular increase'.

(Pictured Irish Public Servcie Workers marching against cuts last month)Photo by Mark Condren and courtesy of the Sunday Tribune

Press contacts: ETUC: Patricia Grillo, +32 (0) 2 224 04 30 EPSU: Brian Synnott, + 32 (0) 2 250 10 80 ICTU: Mcdara Doyle, + 353 1 8897799 Ver.di:+49 (0)30/6956 1011

200,000 Irish public service workers stage mass demo

2009-02-20T14:40:42Z

(23 February, Dublin Ireland)

Massive turnout for union demonstration

Around 200,000 people joined the national demonstration in Dublin on Saturday organised by the ICTU union confederation in protest at the government's handling of the economic crisis. A particular focus of trade union anger has been the decision to impose a pensions levy on public sector workers that will cost them between €1,500 and €2,800 a year. The previous weekend had seen the IMPACT trade union co-ordinate lobbying of TDs (MPs) across the country. Read more at > BBC (EN) And at > IMPACT (EN) And at > EPSU (EN)

EPSU General Secretary Carola Fischbach-Pyttel praised the action of the Irish public service workers; “dedicated to public service, often on low wages, Irish public service workers should hold their heads up in the current crisis. They are the ones who had to watch prices balloon, they are the ones who watched the well-off contribute less and less to society, and yet they are the ones still dedicated to keeping essential services going”.

Blair Horan, leader of civil servants union CPSU and EPSU Executive Committee member stated that; ‘we are urging all Trade Union members and their families to join in an act of solidarity against the savage attacks on members pay and jobs in the Public and Private Sector.

Peter McLoone, General Secretary of IMPACT stated that, “Public sector workers have been routinely vilified by Government representatives, and their media supporters to the point that there has been a successful process of dehumanisation. It is now very easy for any commentator to talk about ‘public servants' as though it were a homogenous mass of faceless pen-pushers”. He added that this made it much easier to scapegoat public servants as a group, and introduce deeply inequitable measures to address the economic crises.

Marie Butler SIPTU Branch Organiser in Waterford, said that the attempt to drive a wedge between public and private sector workers was “irresponsible, and is being done to create a smoke screen to hide the Government's rich and famous friends".

In addition, CPSU have served strike notice on the Department of Finance and all Government Departments and associated agencies where CPSU have members, for a one day strike on Thursday 26th February 2009.

Irish EPSU affiliates: www.epsu.org/r/57

Ögmundur Jonasson, EPSU executive committee member, named Icelandic Minister for Health

2009-01-30T15:30:56Z

(30 January, 2009, Brussels) Ögmundur Jonasson has today been named as the new Minister for Health in Iceland. Jonasson has served as the Icelandic representative on the EPSU Executive Committee since 2000. He is the President of the Icelandic Public Service Union; the Federation of State and Municipal Employees (BSRB). He is also a leading member of the Vinstrihreyfingin - grænt framboð, or Left-Green movement. The new Government has been formed in the wake of the collapse of the administration of Geir Haarde. Elections have been announced for 25 April 2009.

EPSU support Lithuanian workers protest against Government's 'panic-driven' cutbacks

catherine — 2009-01-15T13:03:50Z

(15 January 2009, Brussels) EPSU General Secretary Carola Fischbach-Pyttel has strongly backed the actions of Lithuanian public service workers. Organised by EPSU affiliates LPSK and LVDPS, the workers demonstrate on 16 January. They are protesting against the draconian measures the Lithuanian Government is attempting to push through.

Ms. Fischbach-Pyttel stated that; “The Lithuanian action is part of a growing trend. In the past few weeks many workers and their trade unions throughout Europe have been forced to demonstrate in the defense of workers rights and the livelihoods of their families. This has been the case most recently in Ukraine, Italy and Hungary. In addition, French trade unions have decided to come out in a national day of action on 29 January”. She added that the message from all EPSU affiliates should be that: “we will not tolerate that workers' wages are made the balancing item of a derailed neo-liberal ideology, nor that families have to choose between heating and eating”.

ETUC General Secretary John Monks added his voice to the protests stating that: “What we need right now, is a New Social Deal throughout Europe to act on jobs, to help people in the labour market who have precarious jobs, and to stop regular jobs becoming more precarious" (please see ETUC media release attached, which comments on the situation, and similar events in Latvia).

ETUC press release

EPSU Lithuanian and Latvian representatives (pictured 2007)

Services of General Interest : Challenges of the European elections of June 2009, 13 November 2008

catherine — 2008-10-16T13:40:09Z

The CELSIG is organising a Seminar in Brussels on 13th November 2008 at the Committee of the Regions :

Services of General Interest : Challenges of the European elections of June 2009

Please find attached the draft programme with the registration form.

Registration is necessary to enter the Committee of the Regions

Le CELSIG organise un séminaire à Bruxelles le 13 novembre 2008 au Comité des Régions :

Les Services d'Intérêt Général : enjeux des élections européennes de juin 2009

Vous trouverez ci-attaché le programme provisoire avec le bulletin d'inscription

L'inscription est obligatoire pour entrer au Comité des Régions

drft agda

Les services publics en Europe — la réponse syndicale de la FSESP

catherine — 2008-06-26T08:12:55Z

Présentation

for the full presentation:

Présentation June 08

23 June is Public Services Day - EPSU calls for stronger emphasis for public services in the European Union

catherine — 2008-06-23T07:25:49Z

The UN General Assembly on 20 December 2002, designated 23 June as Public Service Day. It encourages member states to organise special events on that day to highlight the vital contribution of public administration workers around the world. This day is of course particularly important for EPSU, PSI and our affiliates.

EPSU General Secretary, Carola Fischbach-Pyttel stated that; “the recent No vote on the Lisbon treaty should be a wake up call for EU leaders - actions, not words are what people want. An EU that is proud to promote quality services is what resonates with EU citizens. People will respond if they see EU institutions actively pushing for universal healthcare, for accessible childcare, for affordable energy, for clean water, and for safe waste management. On this UN designated public services day, EPSU calls on the EU to put public services at the heart of the EU”.

EPSU are also glad to announce that our international sister organization, Public Services International, will be sending out a copy of its new quality public services resource. It's a useful folder containing posters, stickers, a leaflet about the campaign and the PSI global policy and strategic objectives. The documents are also available on the PSI website. If you wish to reproduce them, please inform PSI.

Read the joint Press Release from PSI, Education International and Oxfam International on Public Services Day (23 June)

Joint PR 23 June 08 - FR

Joint PR 23 June 08 ES

ETUC General Secretary: A fair wage for public service workers, a fair wage for all !

catherine — 2008-04-07T09:00:19Z

(7 April 2008, Brussels) More pay, more rights, more equality were the battle cries of European trade union leaders at the ETUC Euro-manifestation in Ljubljana, Slovenia 5 April. 35.000 trade union representatives from many European countries marched in a colorful and joyful demonstration. We passed the message to European finance ministers that Europe's workers have had enough of purchasing power being eroded, of the greed of their CEOs, and of Ministers who preach wage moderation but do not act against high profits, rising prices and the undermining of social rights by employers. ETUC General Secretary John Monks addressed the crowd calling for a Fair Wage of Public Service workers and a end to the pay gap between men and women amongst others. The EPSU General Secretary Carola Fischbach-Pyttel stressed ‘Quality public services and quality pay and conditions go hand in hand. We want those who care for our children and parents, for the sick and dying, for cleaning our waste and ensuring our water and electricity and all other public service to be paid well. And higher minimum wages will first and foremost benefit women who work on low pay in public and private services' to the thousands who gathered in front of the podium. The EPSU delegation included representatives from the Latvian Health workers, the Lithuanian, Slovenian and Hungarian energy workers, Italian public service union from CGIL and the Slovakian fire-fighters, many other affiliated unions walked with their confederations. We thank all for their participation in the demonstration and giving a strong voice to employers and governments that we need pay to rise with inflation and productivity and that workers, their families and the economy need real pay increases and not corporate greed.

Read the ETUC press release

EPSU General Secretary Carola Fischbach-Pyttel, at the Euro-demo 5 April 2008

Lets get 50,000 trade union voices in Ljubljana on 5 April ! Fair deal for public service workers central plank of demo

catherine — 2008-02-18T13:51:25Z

(18 February, 2008, Brussels) EPSU calls for big public service presence in April 5 Ljubljana Eurodemo. To coincide with the meeting of EU Finance Ministers in Slovenian capital, Ljubljana, the European Confederation of Trade Unions (www.etuc.org) have called for a show of force of 50,000 trade unionists from the surrounding countries. The action, entitled “mobilisation for fair pay”, will highlight the disparity between calls for pay restraint for ordinary workers, particularly in the public sector, and the excessive rewards of top earners and directors year after year. EPSU General Secretary, Carola Fischbach-Pyttel stated that; “ In light of the unjust restrictions on public service pay deals, we expect EPSU members to be there in force”. EPSU expects a high presence from members in surrounding countries, such as Italy, Austria, Germany, Hungary, as well as Slovenia itself. The ETUC will be forwarding demo material including posters, leaflets and other practical info. For more on collective bargaining developments in the public sector please go to epsucob@).

Euro-Demonstration: Mobilisation for fair pay - Ljubljana-Slovenia, 5 April 2008

languages versions (FR/DE/ES/IT/RU)

The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) is calling for a demonstration on 5 April, at 14.00 in the capital of Slovenia, Ljubljana. The overall mobilisation is for FAIR PAY, an increase of the purchasing power for workers and a fair deal for public sector workers.

I call on you, the EPSU affiliates to support the ETUC demonstration to a maximum of your capacities. We have seen only recently to what extent politicians single out the public sector work force and their trade unions for wage moderation as an example for other sectors. It is in fact easier for governments to put a cap on pay for public sector workers than to regulate the excessive pay and benefit packages of managers of large companies. In several countries public service unions have staged industrial actions, the latest country being Germany, where Ver.di is calling for warning strikes to protest against proposals from the employers to freeze wages with higher weekly working hours.

The Deputy General Secretary, Jan Willem Goudriaan and myself will attend the Ljubljana demonstration. As usual we would like to form an EPSU block of around 50 colleagues and have contacted our Slovenian affiliates for their help. We would be grateful if unions from neighbouring countries in particular could also help to bolster the EPSU block.

If your union sends participants to the ETUC demonstration and is interested to participate in the EPSU block, please let us know and contact jwgoudriaan@epsu.org indicating the number of colleagues you expect (see participation form attached).

We will keep you posted of any further details of the ETUC demonstration in the next coming weeks (please also check our web site www.epsu.org/a/3578)

Yours sincerely

Carola Fischbach-Pyttel EPSU General Secretary

for more information, see the ETUC call and materials

EPSU participation form

EPSU PART FORM

PART FORM - FR

PART FORM - DE

PART FORM - RU

PART FORM - IT

PART FORM - ES

EPSU General Circular

EPSU Gen Circ - EN

EPSU Gen Circ - FR

EPSU Gen Circ - DE

EPSU Gen Circ - ES

EPSU Gen Circ - RU

EPSU Gen Circ - IT

Euro-Demonstration: Mobilisation for fair pay - Ljubljana-Slovenia, 5 April 2008

catherine — 2008-02-16T23:00:00Z

Euro-Demonstration: Mobilisation for fair pay - Ljubljana-Slovenia, 5 April 2008.

* To ETUC member organisation officials in charge of mobilisation for the Euro-Demonstration.

Info: 1 Euro-Demonstration MOBILISATION FOR FAIR PAY Saturday 5 April 2008 Ljubljana - Slovenia http://europa.eu/abc/european_count...

Dear Colleagues,

Please find below more detailed information further to the letter of 8 February from ETUC General Secretary John Monks concerning the call for mobilisation of all ETUC member organisations and inviting you to participate in the big Euro-Demonstration in Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia.

The Euro-Demonstration is organised by the ETUC, with the full collaboration of our friends from the Slovenian National Trade Union Confederation (ZSSS), an ETUC member.

As you know, all European workers are increasingly confronted today with a loss of buying power as consumer prices continue to rise and wages and salaries fail to keep up with the price increases. In contrast, the wealth and profits of the big multinationals are constantly increasing. It is time to take action together to send a clear signal to the European Union presidency, the European Central Bank and especially the European Economy and Finance Ministers, who will be holding their informal EcoFin meeting on 4 and 5 April in Brdo, just a few kilometres away from our Euro-Demonstration.

To ensure that the mobilisation is a success, we invite the ETUC member organisations from the countries neighbouring Slovenia to make a special effort to participate in large numbers in the demonstration. We have in mind in particular countries like Italy, Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Hungary, Liechtenstein and others.

The participation target of this very first ETUC demonstration in one of the new EU Member States has been set at 50,000. To reach our target, we are counting on the strong mobilisation of all national trade union confederations affiliated with the ETUC.

Additional practical information will be sent to you shortly, concerning:

posters,
leaflets,
slogans,
the composition of the procession,
the list of member organisations participating,
the route,
the team of stewards,
the departure time of the demonstration (in theory 14:00),
transport between the airport and the demonstration location,
parking areas for buses.

Please feel free to contact me for any questions you may have about the organisation of the Euro-Demonstration (tel: +32 2 224 05 83 / mobile phone: +32 475 67 40 67 / email: amoreira@etuc.org).

Let's all demonstrate together on Saturday 5 April at 14:00 in Ljubljana:

The ETUC cannot accept the injustice of the present situation!

Our demands:

an increase in real pay, for an increase in buying power,
decent minimum wages as a means to combat poverty,
real equal pay for men and women,
fair treatment for public service workers,
a reduction of the pay gap between management and workers.

It is our hope that the member organisations will be able to help make this Euro-Demonstration in Ljubljana a huge success for both the ETUC and for the entire trade union movement in Europe.

We are Europe!

Fraternal greetings,

Antonio Moreira

Attachment: participation form

Euro-Manifestation : Mobilisation pour des salaires equitables - Ljubljana - Slovénie, 5 avril 2008.

* Aux responsables organisations affiliées de la CES pour la mobilisation de l'Euro-Manifestation.

Info : 1

Euro-Manifestation

MOBILISATION POUR DES SALAIRES EQUITABLES

samedi 5 avril 2008 Ljubljana - Slovénie http://europa.eu/abc/european_count...

Cher(e) s Collègues,

Suite à la lettre du 8 février de John Monks, Secrétaire général de la CES, sur l'appel à la mobilisation de l'ensemble des organisations membres de la CES, vous invitant à participer à la grande Euro-Manifestation qui se tiendra à Ljubljana, la capitale slovène, nous vous donnons ci-après quelques informations plus détaillées :

Cette Euro-Manifestation est organisée par la CES, avec l'entière collaboration de nos amis de ZSSS, la Confédération Syndicale Nationale de Slovénie, membre de la CES.

Comme vous le savez, l'ensemble des travailleurs d'Europe sont aujourd'hui de plus en plus confrontés à une perte de leur pouvoir d'achat, parce que les prix des biens de consommation augmentent sans cesse et que les salaires ne suivent pas cette hausse des prix. Par contre, les richesses et les profits des grandes multinationales ne cessent d'augmenter. Il est temps de nous mobiliser tous ensemble afin d'envoyer un signal fort à la Présidence de l'Union européenne, à la Banque Centrale Européenne, et surtout aux Ministres de l'Economie et des Finances européens qui tiendront leur réunion informelle ECOFIN, les 4 et 5 avril prochains à Brdo à quelques kilomètres à peine du lieu où se tiendra notre Euro-Manifestation.

Pour que la mobilisation soit un succès, nous invitons les organisations membres de la CES des pays voisins de la Slovénie de faire un effort particulier pour participer en nombre à la manifestation. Nous pensons surtout aux pays comme l'Italie, l'Autriche, l'Allemagne, la Suisse, la Hongrie, le Liechtenstein et d'autres.

Comme objectif pour cette toute première manifestation de la CES dans un des nouveaux Etats membres de l'UE, nous nous sommes fixé le chiffre de 50.000 manifestants, et pour l'atteindre, nous comptons sur une mobilisation forte de l'ensemble des confédérations syndicales nationales membres de la CES.

D'autres informations pratiques vous seront communiquées sous peu concernant :

les affiches,
les tracts,
les slogans,
la composition du cortège,
la liste de participation des organisations membres,
le parcours,
le service d'ordre,
l'heure de départ de la manifestation (en principe 14h00),
les transports entre aéroport et lieu de la manifestation,
les parkings pour les bus.

N'hésitez pas à me contacter pour toute question relative à l'organisation de l'Euro-Manifestation (tél : +32 2 224 05 83 / GSM : +32 475 67 40 67 / email : amoreira@etuc.org

Manifestons tous ensemble le samedi 5 avril à 14h00 à Ljubljana :

La CES ne peut accepter l'injustice de la situation actuelle !

Nous demandons :

une augmentation des salaires réels, pour un accroissement du pouvoir d'achat,
des salaires minimums décents, pour lutter contre la pauvreté,
une réelle égalité de paiement entre hommes et femmes,
un traitement juste pour les travailleurs du service public,
une réduction de l'écart entre les salaires des cadres dirigeants et ceux de la base.

Nous espérons que toutes les organisations affiliés pourront contribuer à faire de cette Euro-manifestation de Ljubljana un grand succès tant pour la CES que pour l'ensemble du mouvement syndical en Europe.

L'Europe : C'est nous !

Salutations fraternelles

Antonio Moreira

Annexe : formulaire de participation

ETUC circ EN

ETUC circ FR

ETUC circ RU

ETUC circ IT

ETUC PART FORM FR

ETUC PART FORM EN

leaflet EN

POSTER

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