The final weeks of the year will be busy ones. We expect proposals from the European Commission to integrate the Fiscal Compact in EU legislation. Will it be used as an opportunity to give more teeth to the social pillar and provide a solid basis for making social progress in EU legislation? Or will
Europe’s unions made their voice heard over the past few weeks leading up to the declaration of the EU Pillar of Social Rights in Gothenburg on 17 November. EPSU launched a video to support the social dialogue and demand progress with the agreement on information and consultation rights for over 9.3
On 18 October the Tripartite Social Summit – bringing together representatives from European employers, trade unions, the European Commission, Council and Presidency - took place. The Summit was an opportunity to consider the state of social Europe. Discussions covered the upcoming Gothenburg summit
This week Europe’s workers are showing anger over the lack of investment and continued austerity. One of the Belgian public service unions is organizing on 10 October a strike as the Government continues its austerity policies. Members of the German trade union Ver.di are demonstrating on the same
European Commission President Juncker gave his State of the European Union speech on 13 September. Reactions have been mixed to say the least. It misses credibility. Millions of workers are denied a solution to strengthen their information and consultation rights as nothing was said about bringing
An intense political year comes to a close during which we focused extensively on human rights violations and threats to democracy in Turkey. The Turkish authorities have been attacking voices critical to its regime for over a year now. The failed coup attempt of 15 July 2016 in which almost 250
A groundbreaking report on remunicipalisation is now available with information on over 835 examples of services being brought back under public ownership or control. The report is published by the Transnational Institute (TNI) with the support of EPSU – the European Federation of Public Service
We will celebrate Public Services Day on the 23rd of June, when we all recognise and honour all those in public services who make such a valuable contribution to all of our lives. Millions of public service workers selflessly provide us with quality services, despite suffering close to a decade of
Voters in the UK will elect a new government 8 June. We note that the Labour Party manifesto – supported by EPSU affiliates – promising increases in public investment and decent funding for public services, has changed the discourse of the election campaign. This unapologetically anti-austerity
EPSU's General Secretary, Jan Willem Goudriaan gained first-hand knowledge of the troubled situation in Turkey as a member of a European and global Trade Union delegation to Turkey. The mission gave support and showed solidarity to the embattled trade unionists, who have been dismissed or imprisoned
On May the first, International Workers Day (IWD) we received the sad news of the arrest of Zeynep Çelik a nurse and former Executive Committee member of EPSU Turkish affiliate Dev-Sağlık-İş (DISK).This week EPSU’s General Secretary will be part of an international trade union delegation travelling
As we go to press the CETA trade agreement will not be signed. Articles on the various demonstrations and political actions against this unfair trade deal can be found in this issue. Trade Union and civil society support for the Walloon region’s decision to oppose CETA, due to concerns about its
Unions and civil society’s resistance to CETA has clearly intensified in recent weeks. Numerous demonstrations and political activities, many involving EPSU members, provide ample evidence that public sector workers remain convinced that CETA represents a bad deal for workers and a bad deal for
EPSU and the trade union family reacted with profound sadness to the devastation caused by two events that took innocent lives. The first was yet another terror attack. This time many young people were effected at a wedding in Gaziantep. Just followed hours later by an earthquake that destroyed
Once again Europe has been hit by another deadly attack. EPSU joined the entire European trade union movement in offering our condolences and solidarity to the victims of the Nice attack, their loved ones and, indeed the entire people of France. Our thoughts are also, as always at these times, with