Public Services International Centennial World Congress held in Vienna on September 2007 significantly changed its rules to give young workers representation on its Executive Committee.
We believe that young workers are very important for the PSI movement in the future. More and more support should be given to them to strengthen their voices and bring the youth closer together, and we should look at new ways to involve young people actively in public sector unions. Affiliated unions play the important role of providing greater representation of young workers and increasing the numbers participating in the leadership-position/decision-making bodies and union activities.
The organizational future of unions depends on organizing young workers, and unions must address the interests and concerns of these workers.
Youth Mainstreaming
In order to strengthen the membership base affiliates, PSI is committed to engaging young workers in all aspects of PSI’s work:
• PSI implements a 30% quota for young people, based on gender parity, in all PSI education programmes and ensures that their issues are taken up and acted on. • PSI’s constitution has been reformed to include affirmative action measures established at sub-regional, regional and international levels. • PSI assists affiliates to set up effective young workers’ structures and training programmes.
Asia Pacific Region – Integrate PSI’s young workers policy to the affiliated unions
JICHIRO (All Japan Prefectural and Municipal Workers Union): Under the union constitution and bylaws, article 30 stipulates establishment of a Youth Department, the details of which are stipulated under "Rule of the Youth Department". The Youth Department consists of youth sections of prefectural headquarters, which shall be a driving power toward achievement of the target of JICHIRO Activities. Their affirmative action is directed toward areas such as the union leadership structure and an education/training programme:
• Central Headquarters, which manages JICHIRO, including the president and general secretary, consists of 30 members elected from each region. It’s a constitutional requirement to have one youth representative within it. • Twice a year, JICHIRO organizes a study session for youth-section officers in prefectural headquarters to improve their skill in industrial bargaining and their basic knowledge of trade unions, such as wage and working conditions.
New Zealand Public Services Association (PSA): The union established PSA Youth (PSAY) as the network for PSA members under 35 years of age. PSAY was launched at a national meeting of young members in May 2008. One of its goals it to encourage young people to participate in union activities and contribute their insights and knowledge: http://www.psa.org.nz/MemberZone/youth.aspx
Sri Lanka National Water Supply and Drainage Board (NWSDB): Paragraph 3 of the union constitution: “it should take steps to develop the unions’ young members’ knowledge on the history of trade union movement in Sri Lanka and to improve the activities of young members”. Affirmative action taken by the union to provide one third of the executive committee members of the union should be from young members; regular education programmes to improve the knowledge of the young members should be provided; from time to time training programmes for young members should be conducted in order to improve the quality of their union activities.
Philippines – Confederation of Independent Unions in the Public Sector (CIU): At the December 2006 National Conference, the union institutionalised the youth committee. The Youth Committee chairperson is also part of the National Executive Board.
Fiji – Public Services Association (PSA): The National Executive Council endorsed and created a youth wing in 2006.
PSI Youth Network in Asia Pacific
PSI Asia Pacific Youth Forum was held in Chennai, India, on 3rd September 2006. This was the first regional event for young workers. The forum brought 57 young workers (27 female and 30 male) together and helped them to discuss the problems and challenges faced by them in the Asia and Pacific region. The forum was also a cornerstone for the establishment of Asia Pacific Youth Network (APYN). The purpose of the AP-YN is to give young workers in Asia and the Pacific a channel to strengthen their voice and bring the youth closer together, and to look at new ways to actively involve young people in the public sector unions.
The main task of the AP-YN is to maintain, develop and coordinate communication among young workers throughout the Asia and Pacific region – communication on issues concerning young workers and the public sector. The network is growing, with four sub-regions for administrative work of PSI Asia Pacific: Oceania Sub-regional, South Asia Sub-regional, East Asia Sub-regional and South-East Asia Sub-regional (please check our youth network: http://www.psiapyouthnetwork.org/the-network/). In each of the countries affiliated, the National Coordinating Committee has created a youth core group composed of young trade union leaders of the participating affiliates, and elected their own coordinator for the young workers network.
Organising young workers – what can we do
The problem and challenges faced by public sector unions in this region is public sector liberalization and privatization, which impacts on the growing trend for the casualization or contracting of services among young workers. Another challenge is that of the negative perceptions of trade unions that contributes to the young workers not joining a trade union: a union seems too traditional and too bureaucratic; and/or there is a “conflict/gap” between the young and the senior leaders/members. Trade unions have to change their performance in order to attract young workers to their membership. Young persons are full of energy and power, and “demand” to work in an environment full of energy and power as well, but also an environment with flexibility and fun, and of course young persons are also willing to engage in serious thinking about the future of the organisation.
The Asia Pacific Youth Network (APYN) actively set up youth activities and programmes to improve communication for young workers in the Asia and Pacific region via emails, website (www.psiapyouthnetwork.org), a bi-monthly bulletin – Youth to Youth (http://www.psiapyouthnetwork.org/document-and-publication/youth-to-youth/) – and meetings. Using social networking websites is also one of our tools for organizing (for example: www.facebook.com). Use of advanced technology for communication-based organizing is growing as a way to attract young workers. Providing a programme of capacity building such as education and training, with an adequate budget, a youth exchange program and mentoring are the foundation to strengthening young workers participation in trade unions.
The APYN is working toward the establishment of a youth committee in the PSI at all levels and assuring that our issues are being integrated and brought into the mainstream. Young workers in the union have challenged their lack of representation in union decision-making; young workers are needed in significant numbers and in positions in the union so that they can make their voices heard in order to influence trade union movement. Check more at our website: www.psiapyouthnetwork.org
