PUBLIC SERVICES IN A EUROPE OF PEACE AND RIGHTS   

Leave the door open to all travellers  
Because together we must walk along the right paths
(Luis Sepulveda)

 The European Social Forum of Florence represents an important stop along the road travelled together by the CGIL and the Funzione Pubblica CGIL in their relationship with the movement and the themes that the movement develops.

I would like to recall that The FP CGIL which represents over 360 thousand men and women workers in the Italian public services, realizes that becoming aware of the issues and of the, in some way new subjectivities, not only in respect to the Italian trade union traditions, represents a considerable step ahead, compared to what happened in Genoa. 

Not only is the CGIL here, but also the European Trade Union Confederation and many, many European trade unions.  

If I only think back to a few years ago, to the “surprise” the Seattle movement was for us, I would like to underline, with pleasure, that the union seems to have acquired the awareness that the globalisation of the issues of change, the battle against a laissez-faire economy and commercialisation need, an equal globalisation of relations. 

In other words, to effectively prepare for our battle we need to globalise rights and put common work together into the field with the associations. 

This is not at all to be taken for granted. 

As trade unions, we must go beyond the idea of being self-sufficient and go beyond traditional relationships between single unions. 

This particularly is a need for the Funzione Pubblica, the public service trade union. 

We are convinced of the fact that the issues of public services, of their safekeeping, are at the centre of global politics. That it be a strong central theme within the movement. 

Thanks to the political, social and civil battles fought in the XIX and in the first half of the XX century, 
our societies have formally acknowledged the “natural” and inalienable character of human and social rights as
being inherent to human beings.

 Which means that just for the fact of existing, each person is naturally and inalienably entitled, to a series of 
 rights considered indispensable and essential to life individually and in the collectivity.

 Together we are discovering that one of the major effects of globalisation is the commercialisation and the 
 siege and invasion of public space, place par excellence of rules and indispensable and unavailable rights.

 To say it as Riccardo Petrella the place of those common goods unavailable to humanity that are not, nor can
  they be available for the market.

 My mind goes to those goods such as health, water, genetic heritage, which are universal rights, which are 
 human rights.

 There is practically no form of human life, which escapes the logic of technical-commercial domain.

It can be defined as the merchandising of humanity, of society, of life.

This is the reason why we support the campaign on a world and European level that sees Public Services International, the World Trade Union of Public Services, committed to a global defence of the public sector which brings together and which bases la defence of unavailable rights with the defence of worker’s rights that must guarantee the quality and effectiveness of the delivery of those rights. 

We know that the world’s financial organizations are committed to all else. They want to reduce public spaces to merchandise for their markets and for their profit. 

We are committed to contrasting for example, in every way, the general Agreement on trade and services through which the World Trade Organization thinks to destroy the very notion of public service. 

The agreement on trade of services is built upon parliamentary mandate received by the administrations to bargain on services, according to diplomatic rule, that is, in secrecy, as befits bilateral bargaining held at governmental level. 

It is a complex mechanism and can give way to disastrous consequences, if the agreement is extended also to the public sectors, opening them up to the industrial lobby. 

The destruction of drinking water, of the mail service, of energy and of the environment, are already known to belong to commercial politics. What would keep the national administrations from considering education and health as economic growth factors putting them on the bargaining agenda? 

The agreement is dangerous because it is the very expression and vehicle for carrying out a laissez-faire economy as a value in itself, without a single doubt regarding its effectiveness, without any comparison to the reality of who doesn’t count because he has no account. 

Public services instead are always more essential in the battle against poverty and are central in their capacity to put growth and sustainable development into motion.  

And that is why in Europe we must defend what we can still call European social model.  

In Europe democratic thrusts like the decisions taken by the European parliament contrast with the positions inspired by laissez-faire economy, pure defence of commercial interests, bringing my thoughts for example to the theme of putting public services out to contract. 

For this reason we are engaged in a strong and firm demand that the new European Constitution contain an explicit defence of rights, of the social model and, in particular, of public services 

To today there is reason to be irritated and concerned. There is reason to worry about a void that is not casual in how the new European Union will be able to guarantee fundamental rights like access to universal services of general interest, education, health, energy, the defence of the environment. 

Our position is clear. Public services constitute a fundamental element in the European social model. 

Public services, public space must be preserved from the logic of privatisation and must have its own strong acknowledgement within the new European Constitution. 

And this is a battle, which we will carry on, in permanent confrontation with the movement in order to prevent it from closing upon its self, ending up in purely institutional fields. 

An essential battle for us if we consider that here in Italy our Constitution is under siege precisely on the grounds of universal rights like education and health and that the characteristics of a regime are always more evident. The CGIL, as you well know, fights in a clear and strong way, without any hesitation. 

It is a battle hard and not corporate. 

On the contrary it’s a battle that subtracts itself from neo-corporatism, as demonstrated by the three million people who manifested March 23^rd in Rome and by the extraordinary result of the general strike held on October 18^th. 

We here are speaking about public services but here I, however, also want to express my greatest concern on the danger of war. 

If ever there be an unavailable right, it be to guarantee life and peace. 

War has always been, the worst enemy to workers’, citizens and youth. 

We here want to be clear. 

The CGIL position is contrary to any kind of war. 

Some speak about a preventive war, some speak about a humanitarian war. 

We are against any kind of war. 

We want to defend rights and peace. 

We want a Europe of peace and rights. 

Florence is a stop for us and for the movement in the struggle we are conducting for peace and rights, another stop could be December 10^th, anniversary of human rights.

In that date we propose to organize initiatives that reaffirm our no to war and our will to build a world of justice. 

This seems very clear to me. 

And it is our commitment to work together, to fight together. No one wins by himself. 

Neither you nor us. 

Putting it as Luis Sepulveda, as you will find written in the banners that we will take along to Saturday’s manifestation “Leave the door open to all travellers, because together we must walk along the right paths”.