Workers lose when Governments cut off services to pay banks

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

ENDS

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