Public Services Work! Information, insight and ideas for our future. A publication commissioned by Public Services International (PSI) and written by David Hall, PSIRU. If you are working in the public sector or want to know about public sector, you should read this. Particularly you, young workers, who naturally do not know the history of public services or gains and benefits made by public sector unions in the past. It is easy to assume, when you first start work, that ‘IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN THIS WAY’. You might not realise that, for example, workers did not not always have annual holidays, or tea/coffee breaks or two-days weekends - that unions had to struggle to get these and, sometimes, to keep them.

Do you understand by the term of public services? Some countries make different distinctions between public services, the civil services, the public sector, public servants, public employees and the public sector workers. In your country, what do these things mean? Do the same terms get used for people who work for the national/central governments and those who work for regional or municipal government - can you talk of municipal civil servants? Do you make a distinction between public sector workers and public sector officers?

Political structure of public services! The examines of the welfare state: the history helps show how public services have been central elements in development of communities, nations and economies; how politically institutions have developed and delivered these services. Role changes, attempt of capitalists, the World Bank and government to privatise public services? Why they have tried to do this? Why public sector union is campaigning against privatisation? What alternatives that we are proposed? It understood that neo-liberalism had dominated debates and decision for public sector reform and privatisation of public services. But Public Services Work! Provides powerful evidence that high quality public services underpin strong economies and provide opportunities for growth and development. Built on principles of community and solidarity, accountability and democracy.

Read the publication, click here