The trade unions affiliated to Right2Water have issued a statement calling on Donegal TDs to vote Irish Water out of existence.
The unions will be reviewing their future involvement in the water charges issue following the election of a new Government.
Commenting, Unite official and campaign spokesperson Brendan Ogle said: “Now that the election results are confirmed, the focus must shift to the incoming TDs. Clearly a big majority of those elected promised to get rid of water charges so it is now up to them to do what too few Irish Governments have done in the past, begin their term by actually keeping an election promise.
Mandate General Secretary John Douglas added: “The Right2Water unions and our members have worked with communities to beat these unjust charges and foster unity among progressives.
“We are ready to continue working with those who share our vision of a broad progressive movement which puts workers and their families first. Now, however, the ball is firmly in the court of our elected representatives. It is up to them to show that they can work together to abolish water charges, address homelessness and tackle the social injustice left behind by the outgoing defeated Government.”
CWU General Secretary Steve Fitzpatrick and Unite Regional Secretary Jimmy Kelly both stressed the need to give the Irish people the chance to vote against future water privatisation in a referendum.
“We keep hearing from all sides that the water issue is not about privatisation but it clearly is. The Right2Water unions published a specific wording for a new Article 28 Section 4:2:1 in our Constitution that would protect our water and sanitation services in public ownership in the national interest” said Fitzpatrick.
Jimmy Kelly added: “The new Government must immediately hold a referendum to enshrine the public ownership of our water in the constitution. This would promote a new citizen-led participatory democracy. The Government would have nothing to fear from such a referendum but the clearly expressed will of the people”.
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