All resolutions as adopted by the 8th EPSU Congress can now be found in English, French, German, Spanish, Swedish and Russian on the EPSU website http://www.epsu.org/r/493. Language versions will be posted as they develop.

Based on these resolutions the Secretariat will draw up a first outline of an EPSU action programme for the Congress period 2009 – 2014 for consideration by the EPSU Executive Committee on 9 – 10 November this year.

You will find the EPSU Constitution in English as amended by Congress at http://www.epsu.org/a/5533.

Language versions will be posted as they develop. Please note that with the exception of the revised cooperation agreement between PSI and EPSU other appendices to the Constitution will be reviewed by the Executive Committee in November this year. Letter being translated

(15 September 2009, Brussels) The 8th EPSU Congress delivered a clear mandate to promote and protect public services. The Congress witnessed 10 delegates each read an ‘action point’ summarizing the decisions taken during the week. The delegates represented EPSU membership from all corners of Europe.
The 10 action points (see below) represent the priorities for the EPSU congress period 2009-2014. They were introduced by Meryem Ozsogut from the Turkish health union SES who also outlined how she (...)

(12 June 2009, Brussels) In the closing session of the 8th EPSU congress, delegates heard from Meryem Özsögüt from the Turkish health union SES (see full speech below). She gave a harrowing account of the arrest and torture that she had been subjected at the hands of the Turkish authorities. In 2008 she had organized a press conference to denounce executions carried out by the authorities. She was summarily arrested at gunpoint and detained without trial.
She thanked EPSU and Public Service (...)

final adopted text of the Congress resolution (10 June 2009, Brussels) For the congress period 2009 – 2014, the EPSU 8th EPSU Congress overwhelmingly backed the resolution on Local and Regional Government. The resolution was introduced by Anders Hammarbäck (SKTF, Sweden), EPSU Committee Chair for the sector.
He stressed the need for “a positive agenda for public services, based on shared values of solidarity and equality.” This had to be “an agenda in which local democracy and (...)

European Commissioner for Energy addresses EPSU Congress
(11 June 2009, Brussels) “There can be no energy dialogue without social dialogue”, said the European Commissioner for Energy, Andris Piebalgs. Mr. Piebalgs was speaking at the 8th Congress of the European Federation of Public Service Workers. In an exchange with congress delegates he emphasised that partnership with the public sector is paramount in the EU energy sector.
The Commissioner emphasised the importance of high-skilled jobs, (...)

final adopted text of the Congress resolution
(10 June 2009, Brussels) For the congress period 2009 – 2014, the EPSU 8th EPSU Congress unanimously adopted the resolution on National Administration. The resolution was introduced by Charlie Cochrane (PCS, UK), EPSU Committee Chair for the sector.
The congress committed to: Strengthening Social Dialogue,
Specifically Mr. Cochrane outlined that; “We put an end to trade union divisions, a major obstacle to establish a European social dialogue (...)

(10 June, 2009, Brussels) Tim de Jong, ABVAKABO, Netherlands, introduced an affiliate’s resolution entitled “Strengthening Public Service Resolutions”.
The resolution was adopted unanimously by the Congress delegates.
final adopted text of the Congress resolution
Mr. De Jong outlined the main challenges facing European Public Sector Unions particularly in the field of organizing.
The resolution urged the affiliates of EPSU to make organizing and the growing of membership of these (...)

Congress backs call to block EU-Colombia trade deal
(10 June, 2009, Brussels) Delegates at the EPSU Congress heard some harrowing reports of what it is like to be a trade unionist in Columbia when Gail Cartmail of the UK union Unite introduced an emergency resolution on the country’s trade negotiations with the EU.
The resolution says that: “Displacement, murder and repression are everyday fears in a country where thousands of trade union members and leaders have been killed by paramilitaries (...)

(10 June 2009, Brussels) The 8th Congress of the European Federation of Public Service Union – EPSU, taking place in Brussels from 8-11 June, utterly condemns the plans of the Latvian government to reduce the salaries of Latvian public sector workers by 50%.
The EPSU Congress expresses its outrage with this unilaterally imposed austerity measure, for public sector workers, whose income levels already lack behind those of other economic sectors. This salary cut would threaten the livelihoods (...)

Final adopted text of the Congress resolution
(10 June 2009, Brussels) For the congress period 2009-2014, for quality public services – quality of life, EPSU have adopted the following resolution:
the resolution affirms:
”Quality Public Services – Quality of Life” – this resolution calls on EPSU to continue its campaign for EU legislation to protect public services and for an EU Action Programme on ‘quality public services’. It also calls for the quality public service dimension to be better (...)