Article

Free Water

VICTORY IN SIGHT FOR ANTI WATER CHARGE CAMPAIGN

For almost 3 years, working class people in Dublin have been fighting water charges. On 13th November 1996 as activists picketed the council estimate meetings which set the following year's budgets, the councillors lost their nerve and refused to set a water charge for the following year, referring the question instead to the government. At the same time the courts rebelled and adjourned cases all over Dublin, awarding costs to the non-payers who were heard on the day and in one case expenses as well to every one of the 95 who turned up defend themselves.

Anarchists from the Workers Solidarity Movement have been involved in this campaign since its inception three years ago, including the campaign secretary and another member of the co-ordinating committee. The campaign has grown in this time to 15,000 paid up householders with 80% of households eligible to pay either behind or not having paid any of the charges. This mirrors the anti-poll tax movement of 1988-92.

The WSM has argued against Militant that it is only the power of the working- class organising itself and taking decisions by itself which puts fear into the hearts of the misleaders of the current political system. Militant have been pushing that the campaign should support candidates in elections (guess whose?) even though other individuals have been elected on non-payment platforms and then gone on to support implementation of the charges. (Sound familiar?)

The real lesson opf the campaign is that we can only change things by acting ourselves and not by passively supporting one or the other 'trustworthy' politician or political party. Capitalism will only be overturned when the working-class take things over and put an end to privilege and power. The anti - water charge campaign has taken small steps right across Dublin towards rebuilding class confidence and community solidarity. It has laid the beginnings of networks and contacts and given people the confidence to find the ability within to break the law and take on the powers that be.