(3 February 2010) Water activists, social action groups and trade unions from Europe and across the world met to consider the future work to defend and promote public water services. The groups unite many different struggles of workers and citizens to keep water public. EPSU Deputy General participated to discuss with several organizations and water activists the possibilities for Water as a Fundamental Human Right and learning from the experience of others when they organized their campaigns. Latin American unions and water groups have convinced their governments to support the right to water for example. Important issues remain the implementation and enforcement of water as a human rights and water as a public good.
The seminar demonstrated the many important issues around water also from a union perspective. One of the union representatives linked the struggle for clean and safe drinking water with discussions on construction of a paper factory which would destroy the water streams with cellulose but on the other hand creates jobs.
Others reported on how the European Commission is seeking to include environmental services (like water and sanitations services) in trade agreements leading to pressure on governments to privatise water services. The Reclaiming Public Water Network promotes public service water models and other alternatives to privatization. It brings together water activists, unions, social action groups and progressive public water operators.
EPSU and PSI have played an important role, working together with the Network to oppose privatization, but more importantly to promote alternatives such as Public Public Partnerships between public water companies. The network has also been active promoting such cooperation in financing instruments in the EU such as the EU Water Facility.
Several EPSU affiliated unions took part such as CSC-Services Publics, Kommunal, AbvaKabo, Verdi, Fagforbundet, Unison, as well as union representatives from Argentina, Japan, Peru, Philippines and Uruguay. Other participants included David Boys of PSI (on Public-Public Partnerships and Global Water Operating Partnership Alliance) and Dave Hall and Emanuel Lobina of PSIRU (on re-municipalisation and new forms of privatization) to make a number of presentations. The Network met 1-3 February 2010, Brussels.
Read also
- Blue October – reclaiming public water
- Progressive Public Water Management in Europe - In search of exemplary cases
- EPSU supports Manifesto of the European Network for Public Water
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