Boiling Water – the shallow exploitation of the People’s Resources PPSÉ
We are told that we are experiencing times of economic hardship, a recession that is affecting all of us. As many are fully aware, this is untrue in reality, and similar to any historical period of ‘economic gloom’ it is always the ordinary man and woman who feel the wrath and ruthlessness of the capitalists’ shortcomings.
It is quite apparent that the introduction of water charges by the Fine Gael/Labour collation has accelerated the anger and bitter disappointment of the Irish Nation. This recently manifested itself with over 100,000 people, of all backgrounds, standing in solidarity against this latest act of tyranny by Leinster House.
The PPSÉ firmly believes that water cannot be converted to a financial commodity and any attempt to exploit the distribution of water for profitable purposes represents a grave and fundamental affront to the human rights and dignity of the Irish People.
This premeditated and shallow agenda is ultimately designed to implement privatisation and the same old right-wing ethos of preservation of the establishment. Irish water is the inherit natural resource of the Irish People and falls purely under the ownership of the Workers. Water can never be surrendered to private capital that denies the people from their basic rights. The corruption with this water meters fiasco is nothing short of State violation of powers, again highlighting their corporation first mentality and their programme for privatisation of State Sovereignty.
We must be mindful that irrespective of any rebuttals the corrupt status quo and their cronies make, via their partial media outlets, in an attempt to justify their continued exploitation of our natural resources that the truth is simple. Our water is being charged purely for the purpose of facilitating the policy of the Troika. The facts don’t lie – they speak volumes and they indisputably conclude that the people of Ireland have been miserably failed and neglected for generations. These systematic failures are not improving but exasperating our everyday living. More and more of us have absolutely no quality of life.
We welcome the united progressive position opposing the water tax by the Communication Workers’ Union, the CPSU, Mandate, OPATSI and Unite the Union which states:
Our message is very simple: Irish people have already paid for water through general taxation, and are not prepared to pay for it a second time through water user charges.
It is clear that neither the government’s water charges policy, nor Irish Water, can be reformed.
The time has come for te government to recognise the overwhelming opposition of the citizens by abolishing water charges, stop wasting further taxpayers’ money on water meter installation, dissolve Irish Water and return its functions to the local authorities, and go back to the drawing board to construct a water management policy which is fit for purpose and respects our Right2Water.
The time has now come for our Trade Union movement to make honest and meaningful endeavours to reorganise, revaluate, and re-examine their social conscious and relationship with the status quo.
It should not be overlooked that many of the Unions wrongfully agreed to the privatisation of our water distribution network as part of the atrocious ‘agreements’ reached at Haddington Road/Croke Park lll.
The Trade Union movement is consisted of over 800,000 members on our Island and offers a great potential framework to mobilise. We all must stand in solidarity and ensure we are not complicit in the implementation of water meters installation and/or enforcement. The ICTU also has a responsibility to reconnect with the communities workers live in and deliver not just in the workplace but also in the community.
The exploitation of our water distribution falls on the backdrop of gross unemployment, vast immigration, unsustainable wages, unrealistic cuts to public services and irrational manipulation of pensions and social security funds. Despite this depression being inflicted on the Workers of Ireland, the right-wing elitists, who created this situation, are bailed out at every opportunity with Government initiatives.
Therefore it is perfectly legitimate to air our rage. We support all protests highlighting the flaws of the system.
We must openly look at the ‘cause of infection’ within our society not solely focus on the ‘symptoms’. The neo-imperial and corporate model of government has failed. We must demand a fairer and more equal future for all, and be prepared to work towards such an Ireland. This is not to be feared but embraced. The people of Ireland are demoralised with the doctrines of the establishment and are searching for an alternative to the corrupt and toxic political parties that have molested our communities and embroiled us in this State of inequality and discrimination.
We encourage the Workers of Ireland to organise, mobilise and rise together. The PPSÉ is eager and willing to work with others, where possible, in order to forward the ideals of a 32 County Socialist Republic.
It is time for all Workers to morally examine their stance within the society. We must hold humanity and respect for our fellow Workers in a much higher regard than that of profit, which unfortunately has been socially ingrained in many via the indoctrination of capitalism. While it is important that we unite on every occasion possible, we must be realistic that the selective and over-zealous taxation of the proletariat and water charges are only some of the many issues facing the Workers today. We must reject austerity in its entirety; the concealed Troika-Tenet and the Establishment’s philosophy of exploitation. We must build a real Republic; we must build the alternative together.
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