Workers Solidarity Movement

The government are in full panic mode as the media scare stories they pushed so hard about 'dissidents', 'sinister fringes' and 'violent' sit down protesters have failed to divide the movement. Neither has the increased level of Garda violence frightened people off the streets.

For the moment (Nov 19) the stick has been put away and and a bag of carrots has been produced. Because of the resistances of tens of thousands of ordinary people they are now promising much lower rates and that these lower rates will be capped for some years. Perhaps the biggest u-turn of all is the statement that not only will Irish Water no longer be allowed to collect PPS numbers but it will have to tear up its records of the number of the minority of people who actually registered.

Well not good enough. The panicked retreat has shown us that if we stick together we can win. These promises are designed to get us to accept paying for water, but we say access to water is a human right not something to be bought and sold.

The charge is going to be defeated by mass resistance just as it was in the 1990s but let's not repeat the mistake that was made then when after victory the movement demobilised. We've glimpsed how powerful we can be when we work together, the water charge is only the tip of the iceberg. We have a world to change.