19/03/2020
The global outbreak of COVID-19 is sending shockwaves throughout world. It has impacted virtually all aspects of our lives.Workplaces, schools, places of worship and so many other public places have been shut down by governments, in a bid to slowdown the spread of infection. While this does not excuse the initial lethargy of most governments up till very recently, it cannot be faulted that there is every need for definitive steps to be taken to arrest this pandemic.
Decades of a global model of development which prioritises profit over people laid the basis for today's public health, social and economic crisis of catastrophic proportions. Years of cuts in public spending on health and privatisation undermined crisis preparedness. Informalisation of employment relations and eroded welfare systems have increasingly made precarious work the norm, making necessary steps to curb the outbreak more difficult for millions of people.
This pandemic is definitely a public health crisis. But it is equally a social and economic crisis which shows the dangers posed to humankind when the stock market takes precedence over the state of wellbeing of the vast majority of the human population. Moments of monumental consequences like this are historical turning points. How we respond determines if society sinks or rises.
PSI is proud to represent workers across a range of key public sectors. Our sectoral work allows us to both recognize the unique needs of workers in different sectors while developing the key struggles which unite us all.
