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Education International and Public Services International have announced an agreement that will see the two global union federations work closely together to through joint initiatives focused on tackling key issues in education.

In signing a cooperation agreement this morning, Education International (EI) and Public Services International (PSI) look to combine their vast resources that will help strengthen both the unions and their affiliates.

“Today’s agreement marks the official beginning of a close working relationship that will help both EI and PSI to better carry out the important work of defending the public sector,” said EI General Secretary Fred van Leeuwen.

Together, EI and PSI represent roughly 50 million workers, of whom 60 percent are women.

With more than 30 million members and 401 affiliates in 171 countries, EI is the largest union of educators in the world. While PSI, located in 154 countries and territories, has members working in various social service areas, including education where the union represents education support personnel.

The agreement paves the way for the two organisations to combine common interests and efforts, through collaboration on numerous projects and campaigns, helping both unions achieve their goals.

The closer working relationship will allow EI and PSI to cover more issues and areas around the world through shared resources. The agreement makes it clear that both organisations will “refrain from any efforts to recruit member organisations” already affiliated with the other union.

The agreement also reinforces the role of the two international organisations, stating that EI will be recognised for its responsibility “for staff within the education domain,” while PSI will be recognised for being responsible for “staff in the civil and public service or in the public domain” who are “contracted or subcontracted public services.”