Water
charges to come in two years Countdown to mass non payment |
| Our local politicians were shedding plenty of crocodile tears at the announcement from Phoenix Gas that gas prices would be increasing by a whopping 20% last month across Northern Ireland. Of course, this is yet another example of privatised companies ripping-off the people of Northern Ireland. You can be sure Phoenix Gas were inspired by Northern Ireland Electricity (another privatised company) charging us the most expensive electricity prices in Britain and Ireland. Yet, the sharpest attack on ordinary people in the North is being prepared quietly in the shadows by Government ministers. The introduction of water charges and the privatisation of the water and sewerage service is now less than two years away. Ministers have stated that charges will be in the region of £400-£600 a year. There will be no exemptions. Every household, including the unemployed, low paid and pensioners, will have to pay water charges. We already pay for water through our rates - now we're being told to pay twice! On top of that the service is to be sold to the private sector. Inevitably, private water companies will deliver a worse service and increase charges to make as much profits they can. Already, 600 job losses have been announced. More are in danger of being lost. All the political parties in the Assembly Executive, UUP, SDLP, Sinn Fein and the DUP, agreed to introduce water charges. Since the Assembly came crashing down, the parties have opportunistically stated their opposition to the charges. There can be no reliance on the right-wing parties to campaign against water charges. The Water Charges - We Won't Pay Campaign, which the Socialist Party is energetically building in communities, is organising for a campaign of mass non-payment. The
We Won't Pay Campaign is holding public meetings in communities and establishing
local groups to organise areas not to pay the proposed water charges.
We Won't Pay Campaign stalls are receiving an excellent response from
people throughout Belfast. With less than two years to go before the introduction of the charges, it is urgent that the campaign spreads into all areas. If you would like to set up a group in your area, then contact the campaign on 90232962. |
|
By
Gary Mulcahy |
In
March the Coalition Against Water Charges, the umbrella group to which
the We Won't Pay Campaign and the Socialist Party is affiliated, met to
discuss building the campaign over the coming months. Members of the Water Service Trade Unions Group gave a report of the ongoing negotiations between the unions and Department officials over the issues of job losses and water charges. It was stated that the Minister is expected to make a statement regarding the new model for the water service and how water charges will be paid. Even though the Minister John Spellar stated he was ruling out privatisation, all the options outlined in the Consultation Document by the Department are variations of a privatised service. The most probable model the Government are looking at is based on the Scottish water service. Essentially, the Scottish model is a publicly owned skeleton service, with all jobs and work contracted out to the private sector - in effect privatisation. It was also stated that huge cut-backs are planned for the service over the next two years. Local depots in rural areas are likely to be closed with the main depots being concentrated in the large cities and towns. Unfortunately, the Coalition has not organised any campaigning work in the communities and has failed to agree to build for a demonstration. A Socialist Party proposal for a committee to be elected and democratically accountable to the membership and to issue press releases on behalf of the campaign was discussed and broadly accepted. The Socialist Party will continue to participate and support the Coalition Against Water Charges, but will also continue to build the We Won't Pay Campaign as the key campaign that can defeat water charges. |