The Coalition Against Water Charges (CAWC)
met in Belfast on 17 May to discuss whether or not to support mass non-payment
of water charges. The CAWC is controlled by NIC/ICTU and includes the
unions, political parties, community organisations and anti-water charges
campaigns, including the We Won't Pay Campaign.
Even though CAWC was formed three years ago, it has failed to effectively
campaign against water charges and has virtually no public profile.
Instead of attempting to mobilise working class communities against
the government's attempts to privatise the water service and introduce
water charges, the ICTU with the support of others, has insisted on
lobbying the right-wing sectarian parties who agreed to introduce water
charges when the Assembly was up and running in 2002.
However, the vote in favour of mass non-payment of water charges at
the NIC/ICTU Conference in Newry and the vote in favour of non-payment
at the Irish Regional Conference of the T&GWU in May forced the
Coalition to debate non payment.
At the meetings, the We Won't Pay Campaign pointed out at that mass
non-payment is the most effective method of defeating water charges
and that no other group had suggested any alternative to non-payment.
However, the right-wing leadership of ICTU were supported by several
parties and organisations who argued that the Coalition should not support
mass non-payment. These included the Workers Party, Communist Party
of Ireland, Irish Socialist Network, Campaign Against Water Privatisation,
Belfast Trades Council, Unison and others.
In opposing non payment these groups are out of touch with the membership
of the unions and with people in the working class communities who have
been enthusiastically supporting the stand taken by the We Won’t
Pay Campaign.
Non payment is the way to beat the charge – and the way to achieve
it is by building the We Won’t Pay Campaign in every area. If
you want to help in your area, contact the Campaign on 07743282321
