EPSU PRIORITIES

1. EPSU PRIORITIES European Federation of Public Service Unions (EPSU) Fédération Syndicale Européenne des Services Publics (FSESP) Europäischer Gewerkschaftsverband Öffentlicher Dienst (EGÖD)

2. As a reminder: About us • 250 affiliated trade unions with 8 million paying members • 68,5 % of our members are women • 4 sectors: Health & Social Services; Local & Regional Government (including firefighters); National & European Administrations; Utilities (gas, electricity, water, waste) • EPSU = recognized European Social Partner Organisation • EPSU = recognised regional organisation of PSI in Europe

3. EPSU firefighters’ network (1) • Linked to the standing committee for local and regional government • Recent meetings in 2006 (UK, with FBU) and 2007 (Luxembourg), 2009 (Brussels) + mediterrenean project(s) + nordic meetings • EPSU firefighters Charter” • organising firefighters, both professional and volunteers • the neutrality of fire service • firefighters’ as part of the wider trade union movement.

4. EPSU firefighters’ network (2) Topical issues: • Impact of financial and economic crisis, e.g. on collective bargaining and trade union rights, and also on quality of service • Health and safety (ETUI brochure, standardisation, working time) • Changing roles (i.e., floods, emergency medical services, fire prevention, civil defence) • EU civil protection, e.g., forest fires • Working methods of the network

5. The EPSU Basics – from our Congress 2009 Resolutions (1) • The public sector is a vigorous and essential part of the European social model by contributing to social cohesion and the fulfillment of fundamental rights of European citizens; • Public authorities at all levels need to take responsibility for the funding, organization and provisionof public services based on solidarity, equal access, universality, continuity, adaptability, affordability, proximity, social partnership and democratic control; • EPSU will continue to oppose privatization, outsourcing and various forms of the marketisation of the public sector, including public-private partnerships.

6. The EPSU Basics – from our Congress Resolutions (2) • EPSU continues to call for horizontal legal provisions at EU level for public services, while also demanding an EU Action Programme on quality public services based on the public services protocol. • EPSU rejects the continued liberalization of energy, waste and water services as part of the EU Internal Market or as part of GATS. • EPSU supports the ETUC call for a Social Progress Protocol that would assert that the single market is not an end in itself, but is established to achieve social progress for the peoples of the EU; that economic freedoms and competition rules cannot have priority over fundamental social right and social progress.

7. EPSU Strategy: Quality Public Services – Quality of Life Financing, Organisation, Delivery of services Transparency, participation of users and social partners quality public services = quality public sector ! Equality, Cohesion, Social inclusion Wages, Skills, working conditions

8. On the agenda • Coordinated European trade union mobilization against austerity policies – Brussels 29 September 2010 • EU policy focus on budget consolidation • Promote discussion on fairer taxation systems – EPSU tax justice charter • Pressure EU institutions to use new Treaty provisions on public services and social Europe • Contribute to the European Parliament’s intergroup on public services • Upcoming EU social agenda (?) • Council of Global Unions Conference: A Global Agenda for Quality Public Services, Geneva , 12 – 14 October 2010 • ETUC Congress, Athens, 16 – 19 May 2011