XXIV MEETING OF THE PSI-EPSU MEDITERRANEAN GROUP 

Athens, May 15 2003

The 24° reunion of the Mediterranean Group of public service unions took place in a very intense moment for the European and International trade union movement. Central elements of debate were the 10th Congress of the European Trade Union Confederation and the coming celebration of the European Federation of Public Service Unions’ Congress (EPSU) in the Spring of 2004. 

Before all, we cannot only but confirm our commitment in the defence of peace against terrorism. The war in Iraq, the unending violence in the Mid East and the terrorist attacks in a great part of the world, are clearly a threat for planetary citizens and therefore for the men and women workers. For this reason, the new international order dominating since the terrorist attack in the United States on the 11th of September  and the “preventive” war against Iraq, are giving shape to new international relations that limit freedom, International and national legislation and, definitely weaken democracy. 

The divide in Europe is evident, also as a consequence of the international policy headed by the Bush Administration. The initial position of the British and Spanish governments and the opposition of France and Germany to this strategy did so that the countries of the European Union and the new States from the East and South of Europe aligned with the one or the other position on the war in Iraq.  This lack of unity jeopardizes one of the most important challenges of the EU, as is the conclusion of the European Convention that must give to all of Europe’s citizens a new Constitution. 

At the same time, the slowing European economy is causing the countries driving the European economy, mainly France and Germany, to go into recession, if they have not already done so. The answer to this economic crisis has brought the majority of European governments, be they conservative or progressive, to carry out a policy of social cuts, especially on pensions and worsening working conditions for workers in public services because of cuts in public financing. The liberalization of wide sectors of services in Europe and its predictable expansion as a consequence of the General Agreement on Trade and Services (AGCS/GATS) as pictured in the liberalization policies of the World Trade Organization (WTO) may implicate a greater deterioration of public services in all of the countries belonging to the European Union, and is therefore, an element of struggle for the whole European Trade Union movement, and especially for public service unions.  

This general situation implicates a challenge for the European and World Trade Union Movement, and this is the reason why it is necessary to strengthen the work done by the Mediterranean Group and start coordinating with other non European unions that share with us the same problems in the same geographical area. 

For all of these reasons, the Mediterranean Group 

-   supports all actions for trade union demands and struggles taking place during these weeks in all of Europe in defence of public pensions  and the public sector, particularly in France, in Austria, Greece, Portugal, Sweden and Italy;  

-   has decided to send a strong message of support to our brothers of UCAPSE-HISTRADRUT that are struggling to defend working conditions and the right to collective bargaining in Israel; 

-   Proposes to examine the possibility of deepening the themes on decentralization and on public services;  

-   The Mediterranean Group will exert pressure upon national administrations and upon representatives to the Convention until the European Constitution which is to be presented at the end of May contains the defence of public services and of services of general interest and fully integrates the fundamental rights charter. The MG promises to participate in the European demonstration of June 21^st in Thessalonica in concomitance with the European Summit. 

-   The Group is committed to strengthening connections with the European Social Forum and the public services group in view of the next ESF in Paris-St Denis and of the next Mediterranean Social Forum in Barcelona; undertaking in particular the commitment to propose going more into depth on the issues regarding GATS, strengthening alliances with the movements in order to block a liberalist evolution; 

-   The Group undertakes the commitment to start collaborating with Euromed on the issue of public services in the enlarged Mediterranean and will seek initial results for the Euromed meeting to be held in Naples, in Italy, towards the end of 2003;  

-    In view of the coming EPSU Congress the coordinating group will make proposals for gathering approval of the Group to present common amendments to congressional resolutions and to the Constitution, judging weather to present a specific Mediterranean resolution;   

-   The Group supports the proposal to reconfirm the President and the General Secretary of EPSU in view of the coming Congress. 

-   The Group supports the proposal of a meeting with the president of the Standing Committee for public utilities in view of an initiative on energy in the enlarged Mediterranean Group. 

-   The Group will work to organize a Mediterranean delegation to the Mid East, as decided in Ottawa, in particular to Israel and to Palestine, together with PSI; 

-   The Group promises to support and strengthen the role of the Mediterranean in the youth policies within the PSI policies; 

-   The Group gives mandate to the coordinating group to study, in short time, all of the proposals for strengthening coordination of the MG, and moreover to study the situation of the Mediterranean trade unions in PSI (affiliation fees, role of the Vice-presidents...); 

-   The Group decides that the 25th meeting of the Mediterranean will take place in Italy next Autumn.

Cyprus (KTMAS; PASYDY; SEK); France (CFDT-Interco); Greece (ADEDY); Italy (CISL FPS; FNLE CGIL; FP CGIL); Malta (GWU); Portugal (Sintap UGT; STAL); Spain (FES CCOO; FSAP CCOO; FSP UGT); Tunisia (UGTT)