Privatisation

22 March was marked as World Water Day in Lagos with a demonstration in defence of the right to water. The demonstration which drew about 500 persons was organised by the “Our Water, Our Right” coalition. It was a continuation of the struggle against privatisation of water by the state government which has yielded some results, with amendments to the Environment bill before it was passed into law on 1st March.

This groundbreaking conference, organised by PSI with the support of ILO/ACTRAV and ILO/GED, marked the beginning of a new area of collaboration. PSI in partnership with the ILO explored the issue of workers with disabilities with a special focus on the role of the public sector and public services.

PSI has criticized the entire privatization exercise of federal government, describing it as unfavorable to workers. In a parallel development, the Lagos State Council of Trade Union Congress (TUC) has decried the recent bill passed by the Lagos State House of Assembly, denying Lagosians access to water.

A new report released by the UK-based Jubilee Debt Campaign provides a scathing critique of the failure of PPPs across a range of sectors and serves as a warning against the use and abuse of PPPs the world over.

Since the 1990s, neoliberal policies have claimed victims in the public services sector run by the Costa Rican state. The rise of the neoliberal globalization which is expanding with free trade, has involved big businesses aggressive pursuit of new sources of profit. This is the reason behind the waves of privatization of public services like water, education, health and others.

At a meeting of the Health Committee of the São Paulo Municipal Chamber held at the end of February, workers at the mobile emergency care service (SAMU) criticised the mayor, João Doria (PSDB), for his plan to transfer care to private “social organisations”.

In the past, many international development organisations such as the World Bank, IMF and parts of the UN have taken an alarmingly optimistic view of Public Private Partnerships, often ignoring their use as debt-hiding tools and the mounting examples of the failure of private sector partners to provide quality public services. However, after a prolonged campaign by unions and civil society, it seems that some officials are finally starting to admit that PPPs don’t live up to the hype - and that a strong civil service is key in mitigating risks created by the private sector.