Threat of non payment forces water charges retreat

national | worker & community struggles and protests | press release

Friday March 16, 2007 09:31

by .................. - We Won’t Pay Campaign

wewontpay at btconnect dot com

PO Box 994 Belfast, BT1 9BU

02890311778

Water charges may be deferred

The We Won’t Pay Campaign last night claimed that ‘the threat of mass non-payment has forced the DUP, Sinn Fein and the British Government to negotiate deferring water charges for another 12 months.’

Campaign forces retreat

Secretary of the campaign, Gary Mulcahy claimed an announcement on the deferring of water charges would be a humiliating climb down by the Government. “The reason the MLA’s are desperate to have the introduction of water charges ‘dealt with’ is they know that people will not pay this double tax.
“Any deal to postpone the introduction of the charges by twelve months is a public admission that they are prepared to introduce the charges after the Assembly is up and running. Election promises, made only a few days ago, that our politicians oppose water charges will be meaningless. The people of Northern Ireland will not accept water charges neither from direct-rule Ministers nor the Assembly.

The We Won’t Pay Campaign also said it was opposed to further increases of rates as a means to introduce extra water charges.

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Comments (2 of 2)

Charges in pipeline south of the border

by Mick Butler

Wed Mar 21, 2007 21:14

E U Water directive requires water metering and domestic charges by 2010 and we have election in May down south and no pols being asked the hard Qs !

Heads in the sand

by Marlboro man

Wed Mar 21, 2007 21:20

Have had this out here and elsewhere. Water meters are being installed in all new housing developments as we speak. Politicians in the south may well hide behind this EU water directive and say it some kind of monitoring initiative but they are sleepwalking our resources into the hands of private companies.

I have been told by politicians to my face not to worry that Privatisation is not in the pipeline, that a water Bill is in comittee stage and that privatisation is not even being considered.

Either their heads are in the sand with this kind of breathtaking Naivity or brown envelopes have already exchanged hands.

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Threat of non payment forces water charges retreat

Comments (2 of 2)