Press Communication (15 June 2010) European Federation of Public Service Unions (EPSU) says the austerity packages imposed by many countries around Europe will have a serious impact on the prospects for economic recovery. EPSU sends this message to the European Council meeting on 17 June.Carola Fischbach-Pyttel, the EPSU General Secretary: As governments swing the austerity axe they risk chopping off any green shoots of recovery, leaving workers, pensioners and communities to face the prospect of an even longer recession. We demand plans focused on investment in public services and infrastructure, on green growth and job creation and on addressing poverty and inequality.- The Federation is the European umbrella of 250 unions which organizes nurses, tax-collectors, labour inspectors, port control authorities, custom officers, teachers, civil servants, fire-fighters, police, elderly and childcare workers, cleaners, librarians, utility workers, prison guards, ambulance drivers and many hundreds of other public service occupations.- Most workers are on low- or middle incomes and now see their purchasing power reduced by pay freezes and pay cuts (see overview).- Governments are cutting public service jobs or freezing or cutting recruitment. Our estimate is that employment will be reduced by close to 200,000 in 2-3 years time. First estimates show the cuts in public spending to be more than 200 bn Euros (see overview). This is more than the combined annual public expenditure of Hungary, Romania and Portugal.EPSU underlines the cuts will:- Create more stress for the remaining and overstretched staff in hospital, schools, prisons elderly homes, regulatory agencies and more.- Reduce the quality of public services - less care for the sick, the old, the dying; fewer chances for the poor and vulnerable.- Undermine the enforcement of laws and regulations, so letting off the hook polluting corporations and employers that that violate health and safety and other labour laws and evade taxes.- Have a knock-on effect on non-EU countries that see their export markets effected and on developing countries as aid budgets are reduced.EPSU, with over 8 million members, is building for the ETUC day of action on 29 September. Ten of thousands will march on Brussels to show their anger over the coordinated European cuts strategy that is hitting working men and women but leaving the wealthy, speculators and large corporations untouched.Media contactJan Willem Goudriaan+ 32 2 2501080epsu@epsu.org- Press release (different languages)- Overview- Briefings/Background