No where is this understanding more important as to the social order to which we can direct monies to making a difference in society and the world as to realize what these dollars are worth to people who depend on governments who can make a difference.
We have to contend with the modeled governmental privatization hell bent on moving power from public citizenry, then who is to combat the capitalistic investment where companies shall know no borders?
Thus, it is in our choice to equalize that the realization of our strength as unions can then be so moved as well toward an investment strategy. As well, to seek a balance to the inequity that currently weights to the extreme.
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Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan must divest from privatized water in Chile, says Council of Canadians
Ottawa / January 28, 2010 - The Council of Canadians is calling on the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan to divest from private water services in Chile.
“As Ontario teachers know, there is growing concern about the privatization of water services around the world as large, for-profit utilities move in to take over the delivery of water and wastewater services from the public sector,” says Maude Barlow, National Chairperson of the Council of Canadians and a proud Fellow of the Ontario Teachers’ Federation.
Private water services around the world have led to worker lay-offs, rate hikes, reduced environmental controls and cut-offs to the poor.
The Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan, jointly run by the provincial government and the Ontario Teachers’ Federation, is a now major investor in the highly controversial private water systems in Chile.
Barlow argues that this investment undermines efforts by a broad coalition of social justice and environmental groups who are behind the recent introduction of a constitutional amendment that would declare water a public trust and a common resource, a very significant development toward taking back public control of its water services and resources. The amendment was introduced by the previous Chilean government and groups will continue with their efforts to ensure that the current government follows through.
Every five years, the companies renegotiate tariffs. They are in current negotiations with the Chilean government at the moment and demanding stiff tariff increases. Further, Southwater, through the companies ESSBIO and ESVAL, is planning to expand its private business into some now public water systems of Bolivia and Peru.
“For years, Ontario teachers have been on the forefront of fighting for a just, equitable, public and universally accessible education system for the students of the province. Ontario teachers support the fight for public water services in the province and teach their students about the urgent need to support the right to water around the world,” says Barlow. “So how is it possible that Ontario teachers are represented by a pension fund that betrays these efforts, and supports a private water services industry in Chile that is undermining the right to safe, clean public water in that country?”
The Council of Canadians has sent letters to the Ontario Teachers’ Federation and its affiliated unions. The organization is calling on shareholders to speak up and demand a higher ethical standard for their pension investments that does not involve the privatization of water services.
The Council of Canadians is calling on the OTPP to begin a process to sell its shares in stages in these companies to the Chilean government and return to the state and its people their water rights.
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For more Information:
Dylan Penner, Media Officer, Council of Canadians, 613-795-8685, .
The privatization of water in Chile was undertaken from 1998 to 2005 under the democratically elected governments of Eduardo Frei and Ricardo Lagos. Chile is the only country in Latin America that privatized its entire urban water supply and sanitation sector. It also carried out the most far-reaching reform in Latin America—transferring ownership of assets to the private sector—while in other Latin American countries, this involved the private sector governments' signing concession agreements while maintaining ownership of assets in public hands. The privatization was preceded by a decade of reforms, during which a robust regulatory framework was created, public utilities were strengthened, tariffs were increased, and a system of subsidies for needy households was introduced to help them cope with higher tariffs. These reforms may be a crucial element in explaining the relative success and stability of water privatization in Chile compared to other countries such as Argentina and Bolivia.
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The Cochabamba protests of 2000, also known as the "Cochabamba Water Wars," were a series of protests that took place in Cochabamba, Bolivia's third largest city, between January and April 2000 because of the privatization of the municipal water supply.
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- Water privatization in Argentina
- Water privatization in Bolivia
- Water privatization in Brazil
- Water privatization in Chile
- Water privatization in Colombia
- Water privatization in Cuba
- Water privatization in Ecuador
- Water privatisation in England
- Water privatization in Ghana
- Water privatization in Honduras
- Water privatization in Indonesia
- Water privatization in Morocco
- Water privatization in the Philippines
- Water privatisation in South Africa
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