PSI Health Blog

Icelanders reject becoming Iceslaves

An astounding 93% of voters reject unfair terms imposed by the governments of the UK and the Netherlands as Iceland takes the lead in following a democratic approach to handling the consequences of the crisis

 

[Please see statement by Ogmundur Jonasson]

On 6 March, 2010, Icelanders did what no one in the world has done yet. Un-fazed by near-freezing weather and drizzle they went to the polls and let their government and the world know they will not be made to shoulder an unfair and unsustainable burden for the reckless policies of greedy private bankers. They made it clear they refuse to be made Iceslaves by the fallout from the Icesave collapse.

They voted on a referendum on whether or not the Icesave bill approved by a narrow majority in Parliament and vetoed by President Olafur Grimsson, should be enacted. The bill would obligate Iceland to accept the terms set by the governments of the UK and the Netherlands for repayment of the "Icesave Loan Agreement."

Ogmundur Jonasson: it is people questioning the rights of capital

"This is a dispute between people and capital, property rights and human rights.... this is why many people in finance dislike the referendum, because it is symbolic. It is people questioning the rights of capital."

                - Ogmundur Jonasson, 5 March 2010

The following is a statement issued after the referendum by Ogmundur Jonasson, a member of the Parliament of Iceland and of the Executive Boards of PSI and EPSU, and a leader of the movement to oppose the unfair treatment of his country.

 

"The referendum on Icesave is of importance in many ways. It is thus important that matters related to finance interests, traditionally in the regi of the IMF, should be subjected to a democratic decision in society at large.This democratic dimension is of utmost importance.

To my mind the Icesave dispute is only marginally a dispute between states. It is a dispute between  finance on the one hand  and people on the other; between capital interests and the welfare system and how to prioritise in times of crises.

In my mind it is far from self-evident that cuts should be made in welfare expenditure in order to protect property rights. This certainly is the case in the Icesave dispute. Great Britain and Holland maintain that if the Guarantee fund operating for banks in countries in the European Economic Zone, are not capable to pay up for deposits lost when a bank crashes, the tax payer should be held responsible.

Iceland has always said that it will honour its obligations but wanted it to be cleared by an independent body which these obligations were when the entire financial structure in a country, not one bank but all banks, crashes!  

Great  Britain and Holland denied Iceland this right and managed to isolate Iceland - the whole of EU lining up to close loan-lines to Iceland until British and Dutch demands have been met.

The policeman of international capitalism, the IMF, has been coordinating this affair!

What happens now remains to be seen. Iceland has said that it is willing to come to a settlement - well realizing that the isolation must be broken - but wants the terms of payment to be reconsidered. Iceland wants to pay only what is fair, and rejects agreements involving an unjust "profit-margin" for the opposing party."

European union adopts directive to prevent sharps injuries

Carola Fischbach-Pyttel, General Secretary of EPSU

AGREEMENT BETWEEN REPRESENTATIVES OF HEALTH WORKERS AND EMPLOYERS BECOMES LAW

The European Hospital and Healthcare Sector Social Partners - The European Federation of Public Service Unions (EPSU) and the European Hospital and Healthcare Employers’ Association (HOSPEEM) welcomed the decision of the European Council which adopted the directive on prevention from sharp injuries in the hospital and healthcare sector today.

The agreement between the European Social Partners in the hospital and healthcare sector signed on 17 July 2009 has become law. Now the European Member States have three years to implement the requirements set out by the directive.

Godfrey Perera, Secretary General of HOSPEEM said that: “the Directive is a fundamental step toward the improvement of health and safety of patients, workers and employers in the hospital and healthcare sector. Indeed, when implemented it will diminish the occurrence of accidents and infections. We are conscious that this problem cannot be eliminated completely, but we are keen to make sure there are appropriate procedures in place to try to reduce the number of injuries by as much as possible. The use of risk assessment, prevention, protection and training procedures will help to achieve this result”.

“This is a major break-through”, Carola Fischbach-Pyttel, General Secretary of EPSU, said: “With this directive EPSU and HOSPEEM have laid an important basis to create the safest possible working environment to prevent workers’ injuries caused by all medical sharps. We stress that a well trained, adequately resourced and secure health service workforce is essential to underpin that objective.”

The text above is a press release by EPSU. For further information, please contact: EPSU: Carola Fischbach-Pyttel +32 2 250 10 91 E-mail: cfischbach@epsu.org

Health workers union prevails in Nova Scotia, Canada

Proving that unions can stop efforts to make workers pay for an economic crisis that was not of their creation, CUPE members were successful in defending their hard-earned right to wage parity and their right to strike.

(see prior coverage: Global Issues tested as strike looms in Nova Scotia)

The Nova Scotia provincial government had argued that the union's wage demands, based on maintaining parity with non-rural areas, was not possible due to budget deficits in the climate created by the current crisis. Karen MacKenzie, president of CUPE Local 2525, which represents basically all primary health-care workers within the hospitals, responded by saying  "he (Premier Dexter) is not going to balance his budget on the backs of Nova Scotia health-care workers. That’s just not happening.”

When the union decided to go on strike, politicians in the Conservative party questioned their right to strike. When their party was in power, they had attempted to pass legislation that would deny health workers that right.

The union was undeterred. Picket lines went up at 6:00 am on 18 January, as had been announced by the union well in advance of the strike deadline.