The Story of Solutions

Another great short animated video from Annie Leonard. The story of solutions.

It's amazing just how much she and her team have been able to say and illustrate in just over 8 minutes.

For us in the trade union movement, if it aint one thing it's another. The problems just keep mounting. The solutions seem to take longer to work out. In fact, sometimes we wonder if we've really found the solutions.We are all besieged by a myriad of problems.

Check out the video. While the locale is the USA, the pints made apply to anywhere in the world.

What will you be doing to make things better?

Watch the video http://bit.ly/1fJl8oz

Other story of stuff movies:

• The story of Stuff
• The Story of Bottled Water

 

 
 

With friends like these ....

At the beginning of 2012, 20 WTO members (the EU counted as one), calling themselves "The Really Good Friends of Services" (RGF), launched secret unofficial talks towards drafting a treaty that would further liberalise trade and investment in services, and expend "regulatory disciplines" on all sectors, including many public services.

The “disciplines,” or treaty rules, would provide all foreign providers access to domestic markets at “no less favourable” conditions as domestic suppliers and would restrict governments’ ability to regulate, purchase and provide services. This would essentially change the regulation of many public and privatised or commercial services from serving the public interest to serving the profit interests of private, foreign corporations. 

In denouncing the Trade in Services Agreement, PSI, together with civil society organisations throughout the world states "strong regulation of and oversight over both public and private services is crucial for democracy, the public interest and development,as well as for the orderly functioning of the services market. We fear that all of these values and goals would be seriously undermined by this proposed TISA."

The negotiations will impact on everyone - big and small.

Related links
PSI denounces Trade in Services Agreement
Why trade agreements are a new global threat to public services

Communicating with and engaging young workers

Alex White's blog is one of my favourites.

Alex is a writer, campaigner, progressive, social activist and an all round good guy.

In July, he spoke at the Stand Up conference for the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions,

His presentation was on how unions can communicate with and engage young workers. 

Learn more about his goals and presentation.

The points he makes are applicable to all countries and their unions.

Visit and sign up to Alex's site. It is a gold mine (or should that be platinum mine?) of information.

Sign up. Learn. Act.

From their lips to our ears

“Greetings on this International Day of Youth

On this day that speaks to the importance of the youth in the world, we should not take it lightly, and we must realise how important we are in this race of life. 

The importance of the role of  youth has not been missed, and on more than one occasion our voices have been key factors in getting issues dealt with. At present a number of trade unions are trying to put things in place to encourage growth in youth membership to stem declines in membership. Let us be frank. The trade union movement is not like it was a few decades ago  when it was more energised. Youth today have a lot more things to distract them and some see the trade union movement as archaic and not at all attractive to deal with their needs. 

Seeing this development, I along with two Sisters are working diligently on a set of recommendations for Trade Union Renewal in the Caribbean. -  task that some would not have easily or readily left in the hands of three young trade union members. We however see this as a visionary step by those who realise and recognise that the input of the youth factor is key in any reforms that the trade union movement currently needs. We have done a lot of work. But more still needs to be done and upon completion we expect it to be available to every trade union across the Caribbean and even further afield.

I however ask that you too look inside yourselves and your organisations and think about and examine strategies that can aid in the reform of trade unions so that we can  be better equipped to deal with the changing times.”

Shamir Brown

Delegate - Jamaica Association of Local Government Officers (JALGO)

“Youth are dynamic, and our  enthusiasm is contagious.  We are longing to be involved in the trade union movement, in our  way, using our methods of communication, speaking our language, at our pace....

And union leaders, must recognise that in order to hope for and envision a future trade union movement, they must embrace the involvement of young people now. And not just embrace it,  but utilise it, nurture it, so that young people can grow and impact on other young people.”

Janel Joseph

Central Executive committee member - St Lucia National Workers’ Union (SLNWU)

Using the PSI website

The growth in the Internet and social media tools provide ever-expanding opportunities and access to more and more information.  And it is information with a purpose.


We invite you to regularly visit PSI's website. It is designed to help you in your role as a union activist - in your workplace, in your community, in your country and indeed as you build solidarity throughout your region and the world.

Sign up to receive regular news alerts.

Hey Guys

Hope everyone is well. Been a while. Let's get the spirit going again and join together in the walk of ever representing the rights of workers.


Shamir Brown
JALGO

Presentation on trade union renewal research