A growing body of research and documentation shows that privatised services are being returned to public ownership and control. Cities, regions, communities, and some states are bringing public services back from private to public ownership due to the failure of privatisation to keep its promises in term of cost effectiveness, service quality and user access. Fresh research by the Transnational Institute shows 1,400 successful cases of bringing public services back from private ownership and/or management involving 2,400 cities in 58 countries.

PSI encourages remunicipalisation and has been supporting this process for years, working with a coalition of allies, under the umbrella of our Quality Public Services mandate. Trade unions are aware of the challenges for workers in the transition and are engaged to protect their terms and conditions of employment.

Each remunicipalisation case is unique due to specific local and national jurisdictions, political systems and social movements that underpin it.

The growing remunicipalisation experience trade unions are accumulating will allow peer learning and help to successfully address challenges. As the world prepares for a post-Covid-19 order, there is a unique opportunity to reclaim a central role for substantial investment and rebuilding of quality public services for all, and remunicipalisation is an option for governments to do so.

The report is divided into two parts. This first part is the analyses, the second part (available below) is a compendium of 50 remunicipalisation case studies.