Families and Workers lose as Governments cut key

kristySRI/ESG News

INTERNATIONAL TRADE UNION CONFEDERATION (ITUC)

ITUC OnLine
128/230611

Families and Workers lose as Governments cut key services to pay off the
banks

Brussels, 23 June 2011 (ITUC OnLine): Workers and their families across the
globe are at the end of savage cuts to the public sector, as Governments
across the globe again use the assets of people to fund mistakes made in the
finance and banking sectors.

As a global campaign in support of Quality Public Services was lunched in
Geneva today, Thursday June 23rd, the International Trade Union
Confederation called on national governments to punish the people who caused
the debt and financial instability, rather than slashing public service and
attacking public sector workers.

“The international financial speculative market has grown since they caused
the financial meltdown, and yet taxpayers, workers and their families are
being punished by Governments,” General Secretary of the ITUC, Ms. Sharan
Burrow said today.

“Quality public services like health, education and transport have been
built up over time by the people, and are essential to a good quality of
life,” Ms. Burrow said.

“The present round of cuts to public services by Governments too frightened
to stand up to the international money markets is a disgrace, and we support
the public standing up and fighting back against Governments seeking to rob
communities of their services,” Ms. Burrow said.

Today, unions from Spain to the Ukraine, the US to Egypt, from Africa, and
in the Asia Pacific will be participating in, and planning solidarity
actions and visits across the world to highlight the importance of quality
public services.

Trade unions, political and civil society partners are invited to associate
their related campaigns or to start new initiatives under the Quality Public
Services-Action Now! campaign banner, and are encouraged to sign on to the
Geneva Charter on Quality Public Services today. More campaign information,
posters and talking points are available at www.qpsactionnow.org

The ITUC represents 175 million workers in 151 countries and territories and
has 305 national affiliates. Website: http://www.ituc-csi.org and
http://www.youtube.com/ITUCCSI

For more information, please contact the ITUC Press Department on: +32 2
224 0204 or +32 476 621 018