| From Unity, 3 March 2007 |
No, no, never, never to water chargesby James StewartCanvassers for all candidates standing for election to the Northern Ireland Assembly are finding that one of the major issues concerning households is the proposed imposition of water charges by the British direct-rule team during April.People are demanding that the Assembly should, once elected, start working on the economic issues which face them and that a firm opposition to water charges should be a priority. The Northern Ireland Committee of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions is stepping up its anti-water-tax campaign. It is now planning a co-ordinated campaign of disruption against the new government company that will levy water charges. The NIC will be encouraging householders throughout Northern Ireland to take a number of steps aimed at creating disorder in the system in the months ahead. One of their suggestions is that householders could sign up for water bill payment by direct debit and then cancel it or send an unsigned cheque. They are also thinking about encouraging people to withhold water bill payments for as long as possible. This is viewed as a second front alongside protesters refusing outright to pay at any stage. The NIC of the ICTU has produced a new protest leaflet entitled “How not to pay your bill.” Details are also on a special web site set up by the NIC. The unions argue that householders will have at least twenty-eight days before even getting a first reminder from the government-owned company about unpaid bills. The leaflet puts forward a number of measures, including registering on line to pay and then unsubscribing, or setting up a direct debit and then stopping it before any money goes out. Another suggestion is to wait twenty-eight days before posting an unsigned cheque—and then wait for the next reminder. Peter Bunting of the ICTU said on Monday: “We have every intention of disrupting the whole system as much as possible. We are encouraging people to withhold your payment and disrupt and disrupt and disrupt.” Campaigners who are calling for the non-payment of water charges are confident that large numbers of people will support their call. A government-owned company—Northern Ireland Water Ltd—will take over the Water Service in April and begin imposing the first stage of the tap tax. The annual water charges will be worked out according to house values. People are expected to pay a third of their tap tax this year, with bills ranging from £30 to £260. The plan is to impose the full charges in 2009, when the average household bill is expected to be about £334. The highest charges will be around £8,000 a year. Throughout all of the Six Counties people are outraged by the British government’s arrogant imposition of water charges. Households here paid over the years in their rates bills for water and sewerage, but the direct-rule team failed to invest and upgrade that utility, and now they are telling them that they have to pay for that neglect. The DUP are avoiding declaring opposition to the new tap tax and are instead sidestepping it by asking for water meters. It is a pity that their leader wouldn’t apply his “No, no, never, never” slogan to water charges. |
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