PUBLIC SERVICES INTERNATIONAL

Edition: May/2015

Youth to Youth is the Asia Pacific news bulletin for young members in the region. It is published every two
months by the Public Services International Asia Pacific Regional Organisation (PSI-APRO). Should you wish to
contribute to this bulletin or news subscription, please contact: indah.budiarti@world-psi.org

PSAY leadership training programme

In March 2015 over a hundred New Zealand Public Service Association Youth (PSAY)
members attended PSA Youth Leadership Training in Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington and
Christchurch. The training is a one day programme for PSA members aged 35 and under. It
is designed to encourage members to think about different forms and styles of leadership,
leadership opportunities (especially leadership roles in the union), the participants own
leadership styles, and the leadership skills theyd like to develop.
Participants are encouraged to stand up for leadership roles in the union, and leave the day
with a leadership plan. They receive follow up support from organisers, delegates and
network convenors after the training.
This years training was incredibly successful and will certainly be repeated. There were 396
expressions of interest for the training, but only space for 100 participants. This shows there
is a real interest and need for such training.
PSA has organised further youth activities, with the PSA Youth Leaders Hui in August.
This will take place over three days for approximately 40 young union leaders. They will use
these days to think about new ways of doing things (including reviewing the PSA Youth
rules and structure), elect new network convenors, and think about the future of work and
the unions role in influencing this. For more information on PSA Youth see:
Website: http://www.psa.org.nz/at-work/networks/psa-youth-network/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PSAyouth

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Thailand young workers meeting

On 9 April 2015 PSIs Asia Pacific Young Workers
Network (APYN) held a discussion meeting in
Bangkok, Thailand with Thais affiliates youth
representative and union leaders. The discussion was
run as an informal conversation between attendees
around challenges facing organising young people, as
well as possible strategies for engaging young people in
the union movement.
They discussed two ideas for attracting young workers to trade unions. Firstly, showing young people
that membership of a union can also create social and fun opportunities for them. The second is to
provide leadership training and other personal development courses for young people that they may not
be able to access in the workplace due to cuts or lack of seniority. PSI Thai affiliates shared their strategy
of providing entertainment and a fun experience for young people through union-sponsored sports.
Katie Rowsell, APYN Coordinator, shared with the group how the Community and Public Sector
Union (CPSU, Australia) and Public Service Association (PSA, New Zealand) had used training as a
way to show young people the value of their union. For example, the CPSU has run courses on
addressing selection criteria and individual compensation issues.
Katie addressed the Asia Pacific Regional Executive Committee (APREC) meeting on 9-10 April 2015,
where she emphasized the need for succession planning and the identification of new young leaders as a
priority for the region. This is to ensure a proper handover and smooth transition for new leaders, and to
pass on necessary knowledge for effectively executing the role of Young Worker Representative on the
PSI Executive Board (EB).

Nepal needs to stem exodus of its young men

Following the devastating earthquake that hit Nepal on 25
April, Nepal is faced with the real problem of the absence
of young men to help re-build the country after the
earthquake. Even before the quake, many of Nepals
healthy young men had already left the country as they
migrated in waves 1500 a day by some estimates to
work as labourers in India, Malaysia or one of the gulf
nations. Many small communities remain populated only
by elderly parents, women and children. Nepal's economy
has never fully recovered since the Maoist insurgency that
racked the country for 10 years ended in 2006.
Today, manufacturing contributes only 6 percent of the countrys gross domestic product, and in some
areas, electricity is available for no more than 10 hours a day.
Some men will decide to return to their native villages to rebuild houses, but jobs there are scarce, and
after that, many will decide that they can best help their families by going abroad and sending their
earnings home. Source: The Straits Times, 6 May 2015
PSI calls on all affiliates to contribute and help our sisters and brothers in Nepal to respond to the most
urgent needs. Funds will also be used to support and increase the capacity of the public sector unions to
intervene in public policy space for a stronger disaster management response and better investment in
human resources and reconstructions. Please send your financial contributions to the PSI Aid
Fund clearly labelled PSI Aid Fund Nepal 2015

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Inter-America young workers meeting

Around 50 young trade unionists from InterAmerica met in Mexico on April 21, 2015
during the Inter-American Regional Conference
(IAMRECON), with the purpose of debating
and developing strategic lines for the 2015-2020
period. The aim of the meeting, among other
things, was for the young workers to set actions
promoting decent work and tackling the issue of
precarious work which mainly affects young
people. In this regard, the priorities defined
relate to the ratification of the regional plan
adopted during PSI last congress in Durban,
increasing the political influence of the youth
committees, joining the ITUC-TUCA
organising campaign "Dame esos cinco" and
improving the communication channels in the
region, among other issues. For more info, visit
PSI Young Workers Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/PSI4Youth

Privatisation has failed. It must not become

official UN policy
The failed privatisations of water, energy, rail and health have for decades shown worldwide that those
promoting privatisation offer false promises. Elections have been fought and won on promises to keep
public services in public hands. In sectors such as health, education, water, energy and transport,
community attitudes strongly support universal public provision. Yet privatisation and so-called publicprivate partnerships (PPPs) are returning to fashion. Many governments are turning to public-private
partnerships in the hope that the private sector will finance public infrastructure and public services
savagely hit by the financial crisis. This hope has long run through the World Bank and OECD, but is
now emerging in the G20 and the negotiations at the United Nations for the sustainable development
goals and the linked financing for development. If successful, privatisation could become official UN
policy.
Why is privatisation resurging when the past 30 years experience shows it is fundamentally flawed?
Our report, why public-private partnerships dont work, demystifies the processes, most of which are
shrouded in secrecy, hiding behind confidential negotiations to protect commercial advantage. In the
context of the economic crisis, governments are under increased pressure to find quick answers to hard
questions about maintaining public services and funding infrastructure. The longer the crisis extends, the
more pressure mounts to find answers but so do the risks of forgetting the root causes: greed,
deregulation, and excessive faith in private corporations. Part of the danger of PPPs is the shadowy
process, much of which hides behind confidential negotiations to protect commercial secrecy. There are
no public consultations, many false promises, and incredibly complex contracts, all designed to protect
corporate profits. There is also bribery, as privatisation contracts can be extremely valuable. PPPs are
used to conceal public borrowing, while providing long-term state guarantees for profits to private
companies. Private-sector corporations must maximise profits to survive. This is fundamentally
incompatible with protecting the environment and ensuring universal access to quality public services.
Read the article written by Rosa Pavanelli, PSI General Secretary, in the Guardian

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Building the young voice in the EPSU/PSI

affiliates in Eastern countries
The Education Department of the European Trade Union
Institute organised a joint training course with the
European Federation of Public Services Unions (EPSU) on
Building the young voice in EPSU/PSI affiliates in
Eastern countries. The two-day course was held in
Bucharest, Romania from 17 to 18 March 2015.
The aim of the training was to define the role and the future actions of the EPSU/PSI youth network,
identify the different dimensions of the trade union renewal, experiment ways of mapping trade union
organisation, and improve participants communication skills (using the appropriate language when
communicating with members and potential members). For more information, please visit EPSUs
website: http://www.epsu.org/a/11099

Online Course: Workers' Rights in a Global

Economy
The Global Labour University (GLU) offers and online course to trade
unionists around the world: Open Online Course on Workers Rights in a
Global Economy. Starting on 1 June 2015, the six weeks online course will
discuss what Global Workers' Rights are and which instruments and strategies
can be used to implement them. Based on a mix of video lectures, readings,
online resources and interviews with activists and labour scholars from around
the world, participants will gain both knowledge and practical skills for
furthering workers' rights worldwide.
The course is in English only. For more information about the course, watch the short trailer produce by
the GLU on YouTube and visit: https://iversity.org/en/courses/workers-rights-in-a-global-economy

Maternity and paternity at work: Law and practice

across the world
This study reviews national law and practice on both maternity and paternity at work in 185 countries
and territories including leave, benefits, employment protection, health protection, breastfeeding
arrangements at work and childcare. It also looks at statistical coverage in law and in practice of paid
maternity leave as well as statutory provision of paternity, parental and adoption leaves. This
publications allows workers to be informed of the regulations in their own country and to ensure the
protection of their maternity and paternity rights. Read the full report on the ILO Website.

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