David Boys is retiring after more than three decades of struggle with the labor movement, leading the fight for workers' rights and public services around the world. 

David joined PSI in 1998, after working with the SEIU, with a clear mission: to support unions in the water and energy sectors and to combat the rising tide of privatisation that threatened public services across the globe. 

David guided PSI's global water campaign bringing together unions and building powerful alliances with civil society organisations to mount an effective resistance against the World Bank's structural adjustment policies that pushed privatisation at the expense of public ownership and workers' rights. 

He helped defeat corporate attempts to privatise water around the world, from Nigeria to Indonesia, where he helped shape successful union-led Supreme Court cases against the privatisation of water and electricity. He supported a referendum campaign which made public provision of water a constitutional right in Uruguay and worked with unions and the Mayor of Paris on remunicipalisation of the city’s water supply.   

David became the first representative from the labour movement to serve on the UN Secretary General’s Advisory Board on water, confronting a powerful privatisation agenda head-on, proposing innovative alternatives such as public-public partnerships and championing the recognition of workers' skills and expertise in utility services.  

Yiorgos Lakthimos of the Water Workers Union of Thessaloniki, which successfully defeated an attempt by the Troika to privatise the city’s water, said: “David Boys is an inspiration, making me feel like a unionist who could fight back and win. He helped us not only to fight, but to spread our win globally.” 

David's impact extended far beyond the water sector. He helped establish Trade Unions for Energy Democracy (TUED) to promote public ownership and control of energy systems, the transition to low-carbon generation, and the appropriate integration of renewable energy sources. 

Throughout his career at PSI, David has been much more than a colleague - he has been a mentor, a strategist, and an inspiration to staff and union members alike. His deep knowledge of international development issues, his ability to build bridges, and his tireless commitment to workers' rights have earned him admiration and respect from colleagues and comrades across the global labour movement. 

As David embarks on this new chapter of his life, he leaves PSI and the broader labor movement stronger, more united, and better equipped to face the challenges ahead. The campaigns he led, the alliances he built, and the victories he helped secure will continue to benefit workers and communities for generations to come. 

PSI General Secretary Daniel Bertossa said: "David's departure marks the end of an era at PSI. Over 26 years, he has been central to many of the most important struggles facing public service workers. He has been a friend and mentor to generations of staff and affiliates. From all of us at PSI, we extend our deepest gratitude for his invaluable contributions to workers' power. He leaves a stronger PSI for us all.” 

Today is David's last day in the office, though he will continue working with us on some issues. Further information about the allocation of his portfolio will follow. 

Thank you, David, for everything you have given to the cause of workers' rights and public services. You will be greatly missed, and your legacy will endure.