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Solidarity is an international concern

12 August 2010

Across Europe a storm is brewing: swingeing cuts to public services, pay freezes, and large scale privatisation affecting the most vulnerable in society – all without proper consultation or a mandate. Sound familiar?

International trade union solidarity and working together is crucial if we are to save our public services, save our jobs, and ensure our future.

That is why PCS is supporting a day of action, called by the European Trade Union Confederation, on 29 September. Called ‘No to austerity – priority for jobs and growth’, this euro-demonstration coincides with a meeting of European finance ministers.

Ten delegates from PCS will attend the demo in Brussels, as agreed at our annual conference, and take the opportunity to meet with our Greek sister union ADEDY.

Despite governments touting their slash and burn attacks on the public sector as the only way forward, economists and commentators are questioning the moves, while trade unions are fighting back. PCS is leading the way with a campaign based on reclaiming the billions of pounds of tax that goes uncollected, evaded or avoided each year.

Even Dominique Strauss-Kahn, managing director of the International Monetary Fund, has warned that making severe public spending and deficit cuts may plunge Europe and the world into a ‘double dip’ recession.

As unions across Europe gear up for 29 September, please take action yourself and email your MP using our online e-action. Let them know that that there is an alternative to cuts and that our public services are needed now more than ever.

Around Europe...

  • UK – Government departments to cut budgets by 25% to 40% and two-year pay freeze for public sector employees
  • Greece – Public sector pay frozen until 2014, jobs to be cut, retirement age to rise, VAT up to 23%
  • Ireland – Public sector workers’ pension levy equivalent to 7.5% pay cut
  • Germany – €80bn to be cut by 2014, over 10,000 jobs in federal ministries to go, welfare payments cut
  • Spain – Civil servants face 5% pay cut
  • France – €5bn in cuts over two years, partly by squeezing grants to local government
  • Italy – Budget cut of €13bn for 2011 and freeze on public sector hiring and pay rises
  • Portugal – The government wants to freeze public sector pay until 2014
  • Romania – Wages in the state sector to be slashed by 25%, pensions cut by 15% and retirement age raised

Visit www.pcs.org.uk/international for more about our international work.