Press release of PSI and Unison from the World Water Forum, Mexico
World Water day of Shame
On 22nd March thousands of people throughout the developing world will die from a lack of clean drinking water. In 2002 the world's leaders agreed in Johannesburg, as part of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), to halve the numbers of people without access to drinking water and sanitation by 2015.
Latest estimates show that there is no chance of meeting these targets. To do so would mean connecting up a city the size of Coventry, some 270.000 people, every day from now until 2015. To date the rate of progress is nowhere near that. 22nd March is World Water day. A day set aside by the UN to focus attention on the world water crisis. UNISON is appalled at the slow rate of progress caused mainly by the G8 countries failing to live up to their promises of extra aid. Another major cause for the lack of progress was the misplaced emphasis placed by the World Bank and other bi lateral donors on the role and contribution that the private sector could make towards the achievement of the MDGs. Jamal Saghir of the World Bank admitted at the WWF on 19th March that at least 10 years have been wasted in sterile arguments over public versus private. He now concedes that the future for the water sector lies in the public sector and that everyone should concentrate on what needs to be done to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of local public water utilities.
UNISON welcomes this belated admission that water and sanitation services can only be effectively provided as an essential public service. However much more needs to be done to accelerate the rate of advance. UNISON and PSI have been promoting the concept of Public Public Partnerships as we are convinced that they can make a significant contribution to the achievement of MDGs. UNISON welcomes the report of Kofi Annan's Advisory Board released on the 4th WWF in Mexico. The key message is public utilities must play a central role in providing water and sanitation services to those billions currently unserved. The Board's recommendations reflect a radical change of perspective since the the last WWF in Kyoto, which had a strong emphasis on privatisation. The systematic failure of these privatisations, and the consistent opposition to them has created the space for these alternative policies.
PSI regards these results as a victory, even though it is keenly aware that a lot of work is ahead if they are to be successfully implemented. John Kidd and Steve Bloomfield from UNISON UK have been at the World Water Forum in Mexico as part of a PSI delegation campaigning for world class public water services for all. The prevailing voice of the majority of delegates both within the forum and outside it in the streets of Mexico City is that Water is a Human Right and should not be run for profit.
John Kidd, UNISONs National Chair of Water and Environment said: 'It seems that at long last we can concentrate on the problem facing us rather than fight an ideological battle with the private sector. I hope that this message reaches out beyond the rarified confines of the WWF and that everyone's efforts will be directed towards finding methodologies to assist and support the work of the many thousands of public water utilities in Africa, in Asia and in South America that desperately need finance and skilled human resources to begin the war against water poverty.'
UNISON has written to the Secretaries of State for DFID and DEFRA urging the UK Government to increase the support given to water and sanitation and in particular to the development of Public Public Partnerships (PUPs). These offer the potential of freeing up the human resources of existing public water utilities to work in partnership on a not for profit basis, with other public water utilities struggling to improve their service levels and to extend their coverage. For release on 21st March 2006. Media Contacts in Mexico. Steve Bloomfield : 00447796991079
And an action of Unison Scotland Trade union makes international links to fight water privatisation
newsrelease newsrelease newsrelease UNISON House, Matt Smith, Chris Bartter 14, West Campbell Street, Scottish Secretary Communications Officer Glasgow G2 6RX Embargo: Not for release before 00.01am Wed 22 March Date: 21 March 2006 Trade union makes international links to fight water privatisation UNISON, Scotland's main water union will be joining trade unions across Europe and worldwide in the campaign against the privatisation of water services on World Water Day (Wednesday 22 March). UNISON Scottish Organiser Dave Watson said: “Across the world there is a major fightback against the privatisation of probably the most vital of public services - water and wastewater. The exemption of water from new GATS requests shows that the global campaign against the EU's push for the privatisation of water services is starting to have an impact. But the battle is not yet won. In Scotland we are demonstrating our support by resisting calls for the privatisation of Scotland's water.” UNISON Scotland is using World Water Day to highlight specific Scottish concerns over water privatisation including:
* Regulatory and political pressure to privatise Scotland's public water and wastewater services.
* The backdoor privatisation of Scotland's water through expensive PPP schemes.
* The inclusion of water in the Services Directive promoting Europe wide privatisation.
* Whilst welcoming the exclusion of ‘water for human use' from the latest EU GATS offer - wastewater services remains on the negotiating table.
* The misuse of development aid in promoting private water companies. The key European trade union demands are: * Recognise safe and reliable drinking water and waste water services as a human right.
* No liberalisation of water services. Demonstrate our concerns regarding the EU Commission plans to promote competition in water services.
* Stop promoting the private sector (through PPPs) in developing countries. Priority should be given to the public sector (95% of water services worldwide are publicly provided).
* Water and other public services should remain outside of the scope of the Services/ Bolkestein Directive.
* The EU Commission should withdraw its request to developing countries to open wastewater services as part of the negotiations on GATS. ENDS For Further Information Please Contact: Dave Watson (Scottish Organiser) 0870 7777 006 (w) 07958 122 409 (m) Chris Bartter (Communications Officer) 0870 7777 006(w) 0771 558 3729(m)
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