EPSU Day of Action on International Public Service Day, 23 June 2021

Public Service day EPSU logo

We ask for your support and contribution to make the European action on 23 June to a success.

The United Nations declared the 23 June international Public Service Day. It is the day we celebrate the contribution of public services workers to our communities. The pandemic has shown how important the contribution of our members and other essential workers is to keep our society going. Public service workers make it possible for people to enjoy their human rights, ensure countries achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and for the EU deliver on the European Pillar of Social Rights. The EPSU Executive agreed that we should use this date to celebrate the work of public service workers who have often put their lives at risk during the pandemic, especially the health and care workers many of whom have had COVID19, and several thousands have died in Europe.

Key messages for 23 June:

  • Build back better! Prioritise quality public services with adequate staffing levels and qualified workers for a future for all.
  • Higher pay and better working conditions for public service workers!
  • No to austerity! No to privatisation and commercialisation.

a)   We ask each union to take 4-5 pictures with different groups of workers and members at the workplace (in work clothes) together with a common logo (see below) and Join the Fight for Public Services (in your language). See some photos already published here. Other examples can be found hereThese pictures can be taken in the days leading up to the 23rd of June.

b)    With the pictures we will make a picture “book” to offer to European institutions in the EU and to institutions beyond the EU like the Council of Europe, the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UN ECE) and the European office of the WHO to underline the work our members do and with our demands, following up on the action.

c)    The actions can be linked to your actions and demands for more staffing, higher pay and better working conditions, quality public services and fights against privatisation you are currently already doing. The aim is to make our joint work and joint positions visible as part of our public service unions’ struggle across all countries in Europe.The form of the action is flexible and does allow thousands of workers to join in even with restrictive measures due to the pandemic.

d)    For those unions that are engaging in industrial action, work stoppages or even strikes on 23 June (or days before or shortly after) please let us know so we can assist in amplifying the message and underline that Europe’s public service workers are mobilising around common demands.

e)    We suggest handing over a letter to your government, politicians and/or offices of the EU and offices of other European bodies like Council of Europe, UN ECE and European region of the WHO in your country. This can be a rallying point for protests, assemblies, events as a standalone or as part of existing national campaigns. We will explore doing the same in Brussels to the EU institutions and the WHO office (please also take a photo of handling of the letter if the sanitary rules allow it).

f)     Part of the work will be through social media. We will set up a twitter storm on the day expecting to use the images of the workplaces. (see above)

g)    Media wise we will publish an op-ed to be accompanied by a letter to the authorities (in the EU, Council of Europe, UN ECE and European region of the WHO) with EPSU demands 'On World Public Services Day, we celebrate public service workers, demand quality public services and say no to austerity.

h)    A video with as many voices as possible to promote the action will be created, for that we need your support, please see below the link to register for the video!

i)     We will use the following hashtag #publicservicesday in all social media networks.

j)     A public online debate will be organised about public service and the struggles of public sector unions.

We have a created a series of logos that can be customised to be used around the date of June 23rd in trade union events, pickets, online events and office or workplace photos. With a message that EPSU will share on social media together with the local affiliates. Please find them below.

These photos can be sent to us via WhatsApp, Telegram or Signal to the following number 0032 471572674  or email to Pablo Sanchez [email protected] and Catherine Boeckx [email protected]

Please do not hesitate to share the info with as many individual members and please follow the following link to register for the promotional video:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScumxYdTs6RZmtrfUgeiFBsdbHtNDFEAwerBawF6kBb6xZ81g/viewform?usp=sf_link

We are  organising an online public event on June 23rd to discuss public services and highlight struggles. Would you want to highlight a particular struggle for that event to defend public services, resist privatization or commercialization of the work of your members, please let us know before 29th May to [email protected]

For further information please contact Pablo Sanchez [email protected] or Tuscany Bell [email protected]

Thank you for your and your members assistance in making this day a success.  We must keep alive what our members do for society.

In Solidarity,

Jan Willem Goudriaan, EPSU General Secretary

Explanation video

Logos to be used: (>For more languages)

Public Service Day (1) EN

Public Service Day (2) EN

People before profit  EN 

People and planet before profit EN

Funding for PS (1) EN

Funding for PS (2) EN

Public over Private EN

Higher Pay better conditions EN

No to Austerity EN

No to Privatisation EN

For more languages