TEEU calls for abolition of Water Charges

Technical Engineering and Electrical Union representing 40,000 Irish craft workers have called for the abolition of Water Charges at their national Conference    TradeUnion Update on Water Charges

TEEU now joins MANDATE, UNITE, CWU, CPSU, OPATSI in campaigning for abolition.

But SIPTU still supports the principal of charging households for water. This makes water a tradeable commodity rather than a public service. Refundable tax credits do not change this. This or a future government could raise the charges and reduce the tax credits. Remember the waiver for the poor on Bin Charges is Long gone.

David Begg, General secretary of ICTU said on Saturday that the government package was acceptable

ICTU had supported water charges in its pre-budget submission.

We must assume that UNIONS we have not heard from support the ICTU position. These include TUI, IMPACT, INTO, ASTI, PSEU, AHCS, IFUT, etc

Activists must step up the pressure in these unions to call for the abolition of water charges

“Meanwhile, members of the Technical Engineering and Electrical Union (TEEU) have called on the Government to abolish planned water charges “with immediate effect’’. Delegates at the union’s biennial conference in Kilkenny backed calls for it to campaign in support of the abolition of the plan”.-(Irish Times)