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Antrim - Event Notice
Thursday January 01 1970

Protest Against Water Charges Collectors

category antrim | worker & community struggles and protests | event notice author Sunday January 28, 2007 17:38author by non-payer - We Won't Pay Campaignauthor email wewontpay at btconnect dot comauthor phone 028 90 311778 Report this post to the editors

PROTEST AGAINST CRYSTAL ALLIANCE (Echo)

12pm Thursday 1st February
outside Capital House, 3 Upper Queen St, Belfast

Crystal Alliance (now known as Echo), the private consortium of multi-national companies contracted to collect water charges on behalf of Northern Ireland Water Ltd., will be holding an open recruitment day on Thursday 1st February.

This company recently caused outrage when it was revealed that they had categorised working class communities as 'Rock Bottom' and wealthy areas as 'Affluent Achievers' as part of a strategy to try and cope with mass non-payment of water charges. (See article below for more details.)

The We Won't Pay Campaign has called this protest to remind Crystal Alliance and the Government that they will not get away with bullying people into paying water charges. Our campaign has popularised mass non-payment and we will not allow these specialist debt collectors to harass and intimidate people into paying this double tax.

The We Won't Pay Campaign calls on everyone who is opposed to water charges to come to this protest and bring along friends, workmates and family.

For more info contact 90311778 or 07743282321.

Rock solid - Not Rock Bottom
THE GOVERNMENT scored a spectacular own-goal when it was revealed that the private company tasked with enforcing payment of water charges labelled working class communities as ‘rock bottom’ and wealthy householders as ‘affluent achievers’.

Crystal Alliance is a consortium of major private companies which specialise in utility debt recovery. They are being paid £70 million of taxpayer’s money to harass people into paying water charges.

As part of their ‘debt recovery’ strategy, they have categorised working class areas as ‘rock bottom’ and have stated that people in this category who do not pay water charges will be issued with reminders to pay after 14 days. They will then be issued with legal action if they still do not pay after 49 days.

But if you are an ‘affluent achiever’ (ie. rich), in the event of not paying you will be sent a reminder after 28 days (twice as long as ‘rock bottom’) and threatened with legal action after 80 days (31 days longer than ‘rock bottom’).

The Government has sunk rock bottom in resorting to these dirty tricks. This blatant class bias has further strengthened support for mass non-payment.

Related Link: http://www.geocities.com/we_wontpay
author by number 6 - lfcpublication date Thu Feb 01, 2007 19:15author address author phone Report this post to the editors

It has come to our attention within the last hour that water meters have been installed in some industrial units near the Naas Rd.

These have beeen installed today without any notification whatsoever

The unfortunate fact is that these 'installers' were allowed access to their Premises without any question. This has moved the privatisation of the People's Water a step closer.

What a pity.

Updates will be posted on receipt of same.

author by Barry Mpublication date Fri Feb 02, 2007 09:12author address author phone Report this post to the editors

Em... You are aware that this has been happening for some time in the north-west and that all new houses are built either with meters or the capacity for easy installation at a future date.

Water tax is coming, it will then be privatised and then prices will go up. Shareholders needing to be satisfied and all that.

Amazingly though. Cllrs are telling us that this is all normal, part of some Water Services Bill and that there will be no privatisation. What a laugh. These people are asleep and incompetant if they are blind to where this is going.

author by Brendan T (Derry)publication date Mon Feb 12, 2007 22:40author email flynnerrol1 at yahoo dot comauthor address author phone Report this post to the editors

what if all people living in the border counties of armagh,derry,tyrone,down and fermanagh CLAIM that they obtain their water supplies from the Republic of Ireland (which have NO domestic water charges) in say 10/50 gallon drums daily/weekly...a short journey by van/car and use this water and NOT the proposed water charged/taxed comodity of Northern Ireland... would or more precisely could the consumer in the North be charged for a service they CLAIM they don't use??? further points:
1. it is not illegal to bring water over the border from the Republic.
2. no water meters are as yet fitted so no one can test this CLAIM one way or another.
3. it would make the implementation of water charges impractable.
4. to transport/obtain water like this would be cheaper than the proposed charges as it's free and diesel/petrol is cheaper over the border anyway fill that tank up to while ur ar it ...that in turn will cost the exchequer money also.
5. water is a FREE comodity and should stay that way.

IS MISE.

author by Martha - Myselfpublication date Mon Feb 12, 2007 23:33author address author phone Report this post to the editors

When it comes to charging us for water (!!!) we have definitely lost the plot! The way I see it is, they (our so-called leaders (Ha!) "government" are squandering the earth's resources and expecting us to pick up the tab. That's what its all about. I for one will NOT be paying for my water usage. No way. If necessary, I will dig a well in my own garden!

author by Shy typepublication date Tue Feb 13, 2007 08:46author address author phone Report this post to the editors

What about farmers. They are paying already. Should it not be free for all? Or does the left segregate? I have seen some threads on Indy about this and while we are all against water charges, some on the left like to assume that this position stands only for domestic usage simply because past campaigns had no strong position on this part of water charging either way.

Some city councillors are claiming that on this premise its ok to introduce water charging to farmers and small business whilst turning a blatant blind eye to where this will lead. i.e. water charges for all and a backdoor privatisation process.

I would like to know what the story is.

I would have thought it should be free to all and paid through taxation.

author by Anti-water chargespublication date Tue Feb 13, 2007 13:31author address author phone Report this post to the editors

Can claim the cost of water charges against tax.

Not too long ago The group water scheme I was a member of was being taken over by the local council. Every member of the group had to pay €750 for the repair of the system and the installation of water meters before the council would assume responsibility. But, while the farmers, local B&Bs and other business people could write off the charge against tax, poor joe soaps like me got caught for the full whack.

Despite this, water should be free for everyone and taxation based on ability to pay should exist.

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