PUBLICWorks

Thursday 24 March 2016

When you’re accustomed to privilege, equality feels like oppression

Over the last two weeks, trade unionists and other civil society actors interfaced with governments and UN agencies at the Commission on the Status of Women. The 60th session focused on the achievements of women's empowerment in the context of the sustainable development goals (SDGs).

2016 trade union delegation to the UN Commission on the Status of Women

Certainly those who attended the CSW proclaimed their feminist sides and shouted the importance of gender equality and equity. The SDGs cannot be achieved without them.ingly though we still have those - many of them men - who react with loud voices and anger when anyone even suggests that we must continue to provide access to and the opportunities to empower women and ensure that they take their place as equals.

In his article, Chris Boeskool says when people have become accustomed to privilege, whether in the workplace or society generally, a sudden shift to equality can make them feel like their rights are being taken away.

Have a read. The article may give some insight into some of the reasons for the reaction.

Tuesday 26 May 2015

PSI's 2015 World Women's Committee (WOC)

The PSI Women's Committee met on May 25 and 26 in Geneva.The agenda included violence against women, precarious work, labour migration, peace and freedom, gender equality and gender strategy for the post-2015 development agenda.

Jillian Bartlett, general secrtary of the NUGFW Trinidad & Tobago, represented the Caribbean sub-region. In the discussion on the women's empowerment and their role in discussions at the UN, she commented, “Women work and sacrifice their time and effort to empower women, knock on doors and force them open! ”

Read more

Friday 9 January 2015

The Public Sector: Central to the Delivery of Sustainable Development

Here is a paper written in preparation for the 2014 UN Conference on Small Island developing States (SIDS) held in Samoa and published by the ILO Caribbean Office.

“Public sector organisations are central to the delivery of sustainable development. Every aspect of their role – from education to environmental services, and from planning to social care – shapes how people live their lives. If public sector bodies do not take on this leadership challenge, citizens may find themselves cut off from sustainable lifestyles.”

Financial transaction tax: The good, the bad and the irrelevant

Here's an interesting piece from the May 9, 2014 edition of the Jamaica Gleaner on the Financial Transaction Tax, from a Jamaican perspective.

The author declares, "Actually, if any economy has just cause for an FTT it is Jamaica, whose citizens and Government provided in excess of $140 billion in taxpayer support for savers, the insured and pensioners as a result of the mid-1990s indigenous financial-services sector crash."

Read the article. What do you think?

Read also on PSI's webiste

Tax Justice and Financial Transaction Tax Forums

Call for a Robin Hood Tax now

Corporations must pay their fair share

Thursday 12 December 2013

What are unions? What do they do? Why?

Trade union renewal, union self-reform and similar issues are hot on the agenda for young trade unionists.What kind of union do we want for the 21st century and beyond?

Union members, many of them young members, have been thinking about the relevance of unions. The majority believe that unions are relevant - especially so in these times. But then they comment on the qualities that they want to see in their unions. They want unions to defend their rights - at work and in the community. They want to see their unions with stronger voices and influence in national, regional and international arenas.

Some leaders and members say that their unions need to be more "business like". And some talk about business unionism. What are the different models of unionism and what do you want your union to look like?

According to an article from the New Unionism Network, Buiness unionism is