PSI resists water privatisation in Turkey

This year’s 22 March World Water Day is renamed the World Sanitation Day in recognition of the International Year of Sanitation 2008. Modern sanitation (removal and treatment of sewage) is arguably the most important ever advance in public health - an important component in reducing waterborne diseases, essential for safe, reliable water supply. Water is of fundamental importance to everyone on this planet, yet sanitation is the lost cousin of the water sector.

Over the World Sanitation Day weekend, PSI staff will meet with a number of unions and activists in Istanbul, Turkey to plan the next year’s activities in support of public water. David Boys, PSI Utilities Officer explains: 

“The next World Water Forum will be held in Istanbul in 2009 and we are extremely excited to be working one year ahead with Turkish unions, engineers and NGOs. Public water here is under the threat of outright privatisation. We call on the Turkish government to halt its inappropriate privatisation policies. And we send a particular message to the governments of Canada and the USA: Stop blocking UN efforts to declare Water as a Human Right!”

Public sector trade unions are calling on their governments to take the necessary steps to resolve the urgent water and sanitation problem. As part of this effort, PSI and UK union, UNISON, sponsored a research paper by the PSI Research Unit, entitled, “Sewerage Works – Public investment in sewers saves lives”. This paper clearly outlines the need for systematic public investment in sewer systems for all urban populations. It concludes that ad-hoc septic tanks and outdoor latrines are not viable in the long-term.

PSI General Secretary Peter Waldorff says:

“Despite the reluctance of governments to engage in such major public works projects, this particular public investment has huge paybacks in terms of health, education, and social and economic growth. We call on governments to dedicate the necessary resources, including for urban slums, to help create jobs, and to lift people out of poverty and degradation. This may well be the most important investment a government can make. This new paper brings a number of new facts to policymakers’ attention and we will support our union affiliates in their advocacy for quality public sanitation systems.”

On 19 March, PSI supported CUPE Canada members and community activists in Victoria, British Columbia, who denounced the ideological basis of the planned privatisation of the CDN $1.2 billion sewage treatment system. This is the agenda of a pro-business government which is even selling the province’s energy infrastructure, despite knowing this to be bad policy – bad for the environment, bad for the stability of the energy system, bad for households and bad for workers. 

PSI unions around the world are actively promoting Quality Public Services on World Water Day. 22 March is also the culmination of the global “Water, Women and Workers: the sources of life” campaign.