COSATU Welcomes PSI World Congress to South Africa

#psicongress2012 Public service trade unionists from every continent are assembling in Durban, South Africa, for the five-yearly Congress of the Public Services International (PSI) - the global union federation for public service workers. Host union federation COSATU has issued a fighting welcome to delegates: 'Congress is taking place at a critical moment in the history of the struggle for a new and just world order, quality public services and the fight against neo-liberal globalisation, particularly ravaging our continent and the working class as a whole' http://www.cosatu.org.za/show.php?ID=6727

'This imposes upon the shoulders of the delegates the huge responsibility to carry out the mammoth task of developing a decisive and profound programme to confront the crisis of global capitalism, unite the working class and build alternatives away from the failed logic of private accumulation.'

'Public sector workers are the engine of the struggle for a developmental democratic state, free from the logic of looting and plunder by narrow private interests and accumulation for self-enrichment. The threat to the broad democratic interests of the public as a result of privatisation of services and corruption can only be defeated by working class unity and alliances with progressive community organisations and other popular social forces'

UNISON General Secretary Dave Prentis is President of PSI and will be chairing most Congress sessions over a busy four day programme. A contested election for PSI General Secretary is taking place on Wednesday morning with Danish incumbent Peter Waldorff facing a strong challenge from Rosa Pavanelli of Italy's FP-CGIL federation:
http://congress.world-psi.org/sites/default/files/upload/publication/EN_Congress_Programme.pdf

The PSI Congress blog will be updated regularly and can be read at:
http://congress.world-psi.org/blog