'Ultimate market madness', UNISON's statement on privatisation Scottish Water services

Date: Tuesday 6 October 2015

Dave Watson, head of UNISON Scotland bargaining and campaigns, said: 
“UNISON is deeply disappointed that the contract for Scotland’s public sector water and wastewater services is to be awarded to a privatised utility.  In fairness, the Scottish Government had few options because the system of retail water competition is the ultimate in market madness. £350m will be paid to Anglian Water in Huntingdon, only for most of that money to be repaid to Scottish Water in wholesale charges. The cost of this crazy system is picked up by the taxpayer.”

“The claimed headline savings include water efficiency measures that should be undertaken anyway and is often included to spin out the alleged benefits of retail competition." 

“This procurement also highlights the importance of addressing tax dodging in procurement, an issue UNISON and other civil society organisations campaigned for during the passage of the Procurement Act. There should be pre-qualification disclosure of company taxation policies and public bodies should be able to evaluate a tender on the basis of which company pays tax or not. Assessment of bids could make use of the Fair Tax Mark."

‘We have always said that Scottish water should stay in Scotland in public hands it works, is good value for money and water customers support the corporation staying in public hands." 

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Notes

Corporate Watch report that Anglian paid £151 million to its private owners, but just £1 million in tax in 2012, after an operating profit of £363 million. It avoids millions in tax by routing profits through tax havens by way of taking on high-interest loans from their owners through the Channel Islands stock exchange.

Ten Asks: http://www.unison-scotland.org.uk/publicworks/Procurement-10asks-regs+guidance_Apr2015.pdf

UNISON is the public sector union, the biggest union in Scotland. UNISON represents workers in Scottish Water and BusinessStream

EU Right to Water hearing today

Water is a public good, not a commodity. Today there will be a hearing in the European Parliament on the European Citizens Initiative – Right to Water. You can watch the debate live online.

Nearly two million people signed this initiative across Europe. It invites the European Commission to propose legislation implementing the human right to water and sanitation as recognised by the United Nations, and promoting the provision of water and sanitation as essential public services for all. The EU legislation should require governments to ensure and to provide all citizens with sufficient and clean drinking water and sanitation. In particular, it wants water supply and management of water resources not be subject to ‘internal market rules’ and that water services are excluded from liberalisation.

Dave Watson explains why this is important to Scotland. Here you can read UNISON Scotland's case for defending Scotland's water

UNISON supporting Take One Action! Film Festival

UNISON is once again supporting the Take One Action! Film Festival which runs from 27th September until 12th October.

Take One Action – Scotland’s global change film festival - spotlights stories that connect us across the planet: from the Occupy movement to climate change, women’s global empowerment, fracking, international development and more.

The full festival programme can be found at: www.takeoneaction.org.uk/events/festival/ .

Although the festival is focused on Edinburgh and Glasgow, we are bringing screenings to Dundee and Inverness and in the spring of next year a selection of films from the festival will tour Scotland. Please circulate this information to your contacts.

Support public water services as a human right for all on #WorldWaterDay @right2water

22March 2013

UNISON today marked World Water Day with a call for water to be a human right and not for sale.

The public services union used today, March 22, to urge support for a European Citizens Initiative (ECI) that states water and sanitation are essential public services for all.

UNISON is encouraging people in Scotland to sign the water ECI’s online petition demanding that the European Commission stops plans to liberalise water services.

Andy Nisbet, secretary of UNISON’s Scottish Water branch, said: “In Scotland we enjoy the benefits of Scottish Water being publicly owned, a policy which has very, very strong public support.

“Today on World Water Day I encourage everyone who believes water is a human right to sign the petition at right2water.eu .

“We are calling on the European Commission to legislate to implement the human right to water and sanitation as recognised by the United Nations, and promoting the provision of water and sanitation as essential public services for all citizens."

UNISON General Secretary Dave Prentis is a member of the organising committee of the ECI, which will be formally launched on 1^st April.

Andy added: "The ECI is a new form of European action created by the Lisbon treaty.  It provides an opportunity to get the European Commission to listen to citizen views rather than just lobbyists in Brussels.

“Our petition has been the first to gather more than the required one million signatures, to submit the proposals as draft laws. This is a phenomenal achievement.

“But we want to have as many names as possible to deliver the message that water should not be privatised.

"Adding your name to this petition really can make a difference and you will be part of the historic first ECI to be launched.”

ENDS

Notes to editors:

1. UNISON is Scotland’s largest trade union representing 160,000 members working in the public sector in Scotland. As the largest trade union in the Scottish water industry, UNISON members are both providers and users of water in Scotland.

2. UNISON and the other UK public service unions are members of one of the ECI’s supporting organisations – the European Federation of Public Services Unions, and the whole union movement supports it through ETUC.  See ETUC news release.

3. The petition is at www.right2water.eu

4. The objectives are:

“ The EU legislation should require governments to ensure and to provide all citizens with sufficient and clean drinking water and sanitation.

We urge that:

1. The EU institutions and Member States be obliged to ensure that all inhabitants enjoy the right to water and sanitation.

2. Water supply and management of water resources not be subject to ‘internal market rules’ and that water services are excluded from liberalisation.

3. The EU increases its efforts to achieve universal access to water and sanitation."

5. The UN World Water Day website is www.unwater.org/water-cooperation-2013/events/world-water-day/en/

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Secret EU plans to privatise water

Secret plans of EU Commission to privatise water leads to support for campaign over Water as a Human right

A German comedian took the European Citizens Initiative (ECI) center stage on TV Tuesday evening, Erwin Pelzig, a celebrated comedian pointed his audience to the secret plan of the European Commission to privatise water services. The German TV programme Monitor   (EN subtitles) had revealed earlier how new EU rules could lead to more privatisation of water services. It also showed how the EU Commission has put private water company representatives in a number of crucial expert groups that advise the Commission. Their advice is predictable: introduce more competition. It is only the latest in a series of attempts of the Commission to push for private water in the EU. A letter  of the European Commission’s Greek desk in response to EPSU and other groups underlines how ideological the approach of the Commission is. It believes private water services will deliver more.  And now the Greek government is pushing for the privatisation of the publicly owned water companies of Athens and Thessaloniki. In the autumn 51% of the shares should be brought on the market.

Trade unions, anti-poverty campaigners and many others do know what that means: it leads to increased prices and higher profits for the private water industry as ample evidence including from the London based research group PSIRU  has demonstrated.  Erwin Pelzig underlined this also in his show on ZDF. He is upset that the Commission plans will lead to price increases for something as crucial as water. And he did a remarkable thing at the end of the broadcast. He first told his audience that he could not show the website of the European Citizens Initiative. The rules of the public broadcasting company prevent this. He then says that the rules do allow how to show a car. He walks to the car, pulls out a placard and puts that in front of the car. It shows the website of the European Citizens Initiative while the audience exploded in applause and laughter. That same day 100.000 mainly German but also some Austrians signed up.  

UNISON supports the European Citizens Initiative and Dave Prentis is a member of the organising committee. But we need more people from the UK to sign up. People sign up electronically to make sure that water becomes a Human Right and is not for sale.  The initiative demands that the European Commission stops plans to liberalise water services. Together with workers and citizens we seek to achieve 1 million signatures. Signing up is really easy. Please go to the website:

https://signature.right2water.eu/oct-web-public/index.do?initiativeLang=en   at the end of the page click on support, select UK and sign up to the initiative.  We need your voice.

Water a human right - not for sale

Water a human right – not for sale – support a European Citizens Initiative

The European Citizens Initiative (ECI)  to collect 1 million signatures calling for the EU to recognise the Human Right to Water, has close to 300.000 people supporting it already. It calls for recognizing the human right to water rather than continuing to explore plans for liberalization of water services.  A German broadcast exposed the European Commission’s plan to privatise water and how it is influenced by the multinational companies. www.wdr.de/tv/monitor/sendungen/2012/1213/wasser.php5  English transcript available at: http://www.right2water.eu/fr/news/monitor-commission-plans-water-privatisation) This would also effect Scottish Water.  The Commission promotes further competition, seeks to introduce smart meters, and trading of water rights in its Blueprint for water (http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CELEX:52012DC0673:EN:NOT ).

The ECI is a new form of European action created by the Lisbon treaty,  which provides an opportunity to get the European Commission to listen to citizen views rather than just lobbyists in Brussels. UNISON and the other UK public service unions are member of one of the supporting organisations – the European Federation of Public Services Unions, and the whole union movement supports it through ETUC. 

Supporting the initiative is simple: go to  http://www.right2water.eu/  , read the statement of the ECI objectives, and sign up. All over the EU almost 300.000 have done so. Let’s join them.  And please encourage others to do so by circulating this message. 

Water is a human right - video

A video to promote the European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) for the right to water and sanitation has been launched.

In the first month 30,000 people signed the ECI. But more are needed.

This ECI has become even more topical following a Commission letter that openly includes privatisation of water as a condition for bailout. It shows that market interests continue to prevail over essential human rights. It also shows that the Commission is going beyond the remit of Treaty which regards privatisation as a matter of national sovereignty.

This ECI campaign is a means of getting a EU-wide commitment to the human right to water and sanitation. It is a tool to change the mind-set in the European Commission from the market to people’s rights. Sign the ECI at www.right2water.eu !

Acclaimed Spanish film Even the Rain to be shown in Lanarkshire - Sat 15 Sep

An acclaimed Spanish film is the focus of an event to promote discussion around social and economic justice in Lanarkshire.

 

Take One Action Film Festivals and UNISON South Lanarkshire Present EVEN THE RAIN, a free community screening at the Blantyre Miners Welfare Community Cinema on Saturday 15^th September at 6.45pm.

The event seeks to use the dramatic events depicted in the film to highlight themes relevant to Scotland today. Stephen Smellie of UNISON explained,

“The movie is, first of all, a great film and anyone who likes good films will have a great night out. We are pleased to be able to use the Community Cinema provided by the Miner’s Welfare whose purpose is to provide entertainment at a reasonable cost for local people.

However the film also provokes thought about issues such as who has the right to control a nation’s resources? Should water supply be controlled for profit? Can working people resist big companies, bankers and governments in order to take greater control over their lives?

Scotland’s public water supply is seen by some as an opportunity to make money for a few rather than as an essential resource for us all. The fight to keep our water in public hands is ongoing.” 

Nominated for 13 goyas (Spain's Oscars), Iciar Bollain’s dramatic rollercoaster penned by Take One Action patron Paul Laverty (Looking for Eric) stars Gael García Bernal as Sebastian, a filmmaker caught up in Bolivia's mass protests of spring 2000 against the government’s decision to privatise the national water company. As Sebastian vainly tries to tell the story of Columbus' colonisation of the new world, his cast and crew get drawn into a contemporary version of events, blurring the boundaries between past and present, fiction and reality. In fact, the cost of water in Bolivia had gone up by three hundred per cent. But although Bollain’s story is finally one of the triumph of the people, the privatisation of basic public services remains at the centre of a powerful debate about poverty and development across the globe.

There will be a post-film discussion with Stephen Smellie from UNISON Scotland, Mark Langdon, Chairman of GMAC (Glasgow Media Access Centre) and other guests.

In addition the acclaimed Edinburgh-based Valentina and Voces del Sur will be playing songs of exile, love and social change, inspired by tango and folk music traditions from Latin America.

Tickets are free and can be reserved by contacting South Lanarkshire UNISON at unison@southlanarkshire.gov.uk  or phone 01698454690.

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For further information regarding the Blantyre event contact Stephen Smellie on 01698 454690 or 077 400 96864.

For more information regarding the Take One Action and Even The Rain contact Emma Pattinson on 0131 553 6335 or 0780 582 7888

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