[box] Diamantes Papadopoulos, Mayor of Pavlos Melas, a town which since 2011 has already adopted a resolution against the privatization of EYATh, issued the following statement, warning against the dangers of the governmental actions and putting forth the proposition that EYATh shall be given to the municipalities it serves.[/box]

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Diamantes Papadopoulos: “EYATh should be transfered to municipal control”.

As the procedure for the privatization of EYATh reaches its final stage, Diamantes Papadopoulos, mayor of Pavlos Melas, made the following statement “Water is a common good and thus it is not for sale. It is not a trade commodity nor shall it be used for financial profit, instead everyone shall have free access to it, as it is a necessary constituent of life itself. Citizens and municipal councils shall act in concern to protect this common good. The latter, especially, shall be first in line and help create cooperatives that will try to obtain claim the ownership of water companies. The crime of water services privatization shall stop now. In no way shall we accede to EYATh becoming a private company.”

The Municipal Council of Pavlos Melas has already, in 2011, issued a voting against the privatization of water companies.

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It is since June 2011 that Pavlos Melas Municipality adopted a resolution against EYATH privatization.

PAVLOS MELAS MUNICIPAL COUNCIL

RESOLUTION CONCERNING THE TRANSFER OF SHARES OF EYATh

The majority of the town councilors of Pavlos Melas, in its meeting of 1^st June 2011, issued the following statement

WE SAY NO TO THE SELLING OF EYATh – WATER SHALL BE DEMOCRATICALY MANAGED

 At the same time when the Water and Hygiene services in big European cities, such as Paris and Berlin, are returned to municipal control, the Greek Government proceeds with selling EYATh to private companies, despite what the Prime Minister promised in his speech (2009 Thessaloniki International Exhibition) namely that “water resources are not to be privatized”. EYATh is a public company dealing in water for the common good, has profits and is not burdened with any loan payments.

The international tendency towards returning water services to the public sector is based on the following principles and facts:

Water is a common social good, necessary for life itself, and thus cannot become a trading commodity used for the profit of private interests. Everyone shall have access to it especially the lower and suffering parts of human society.

Private control of water led to:

Minimal investment and the neglect of maintenance on water networks

Increases on the water price

A lowering on the quality of services mainly due to huge decreases in personnel

Depletion of the water reserves through overconsumption

And will, if they are not stopped, lead to an ecological crisis, when drinkable water will be scarce in the near future

For the reasons stated above, following the example set by popular actions all over the world, we support the campaign of the EYATh personnel for a plebiscite with the question of whether water services can become a privately controlled monopoly.

Real democracy now!

Referendum for water  to remain a public good!