The opening panel of the event, held on 3 and 4 September, was led by the President of PSI Interamerica and representative of UPCN Argentina, Federico Davila; PSI Regional Secretary Jocelio Drummond; the Secretary of Training of the Trade Union Confederation of the Americas (TUCA), Cícero Pereira Silva; and Brian Finnegan, on behalf of the AFL-CIO and the Solidarity Center, as well as Marcelo Di Stefano, a member of the PSI Executive Committee.

Here is a summary of the debates, including videos of the event's broadcast.

In the first part of the seminar, union leaders such as Margarita López from Colombia, Helmuth Griott Bohn from Chile, and Hernán Doval from Argentina shared their perspectives on the progress and setbacks of collective bargaining in the public sector — a key discussion for reflecting on the challenges faced in the region. Afterwards, Andrés Rodríguez, General Secretary of UPCN and Deputy General Secretary of CGT, provided an overview of the current situation of collective bargaining in Argentina.

Block 2 featured key examples of good collective bargaining practices in the public sector. In this block, Gabriela Flores from Chile, Karina Trivisonno from Argentina, Lourdes Zea from Mexico, and Luba Melo from Brazil shared valuable experiences that help strengthen labour rights throughout the region.

In Block 3, new issues in collective bargaining in the public sector, such as digitalisation and teleworking, were addressed. Union leaders such as Omar Autón from Argentina, Mirta Arias Nogués from Paraguay, José Delgado Bautista from Peru, Renán Puc Chic from Mexico, and Sergio Arnaud from Brazil spoke about the new realities faced by workers in the sector.

In his contribution, the Secretary General of FATUN and President of CONTUA, Walter Merkis, discussed the serious problems faced by university workers in Argentina. During his intervention, Merkis highlighted the refusal of Javier Milei's government to bargain collectively in good faith and to update salaries, which jeopardises the rights and working conditions of the sector.

In Block 4 of the Regional Seminar, key experiences in collective bargaining in the public sector in different countries were shared. Alejandro Haynes from Panama, Santiago Machuca from Ecuador, Arturo Ruiz Trhamppe from Guatemala, Rebeca Céspedes from Costa Rica, and Juneia Batista from Brazil offered unique perspectives on the progress and challenges faced in their respective contexts.

In Block 5, the strategies needed to remove impediments to collective bargaining in the public sector were discussed. Cícero Pereira Da Silva of TUCA, Brian Finnegan of AFL-CIO, Marcelo Di Stefano of Argentina, and Ángela Riffo of Chile presented on the right to strike and the effects of the IACHR Advisory Opinion. This was a key block for advancing the defence of labour rights.

The second day of the seminar began with a videoconference with Carlos Carrión Crespo from the International Labour Organization (ILO), who offered an analysis of the main challenges faced by public sector workers at the global level. His contribution was key to understanding the international context and the strategies needed to make progress in collective bargaining.

Additionally, the first findings of the research on collective bargaining in the public sector, conducted by the Universidad Nacional de Tres de Febrero (UNTREF), were presented. This study offers an in-depth analysis of the challenges and advances in the region, marking a path towards strengthening the rights of public sector workers.

Daniel Bertossa, PSI General Secretary, connected remotely and highlighted the global challenges facing public sector trade unionism and the importance of international solidarity in advancing the defence of workers' rights.

At the close of the seminar, a strategic roadmap was outlined with the objective of strengthening collective bargaining in the public sector. Public Services International (PSI) pledged to promote the ratification of ILO Conventions 151 and 154 and to remove impediments to social dialogue. This roadmap will be key to advancing the defence of the rights of public sector workers throughout the region.