Call for water regulator to be sacked

Following further revelations in the Sunday Herald of the pro-privatisation links of the Chair of the Water Industry Commission, Sir Ian Byatt, and his denial of the impact of human activity on Climate Change, UNISON has renewed its call for him to be sacked.

Dave Watson, Scottish organiser said: “We warned ministers back in 2006 that Sir Ian was briefing in favour of privatisation and its shadow version, mutualisation, and pointed to the appointment of his own company, Frontier Economics Ltd as economic advisor to the WIC.

“The WIC’s real agenda is a further effort to undermine the successful Scottish public service model and privatise Scotland’s water.

“All around the world communities are rejecting water privatisation yet we have a regulatory body promoting it.

“The revelation of his ‘flat earth society’ views on climate change raise yet another important issue where his views are diametrically opposed to those of Ministers and Parliament.

“It is not the function of the regulator to propose structural change to the water industry in Scotland. That is a matter for Ministers and the Scottish Parliament.

“Sir Ian’s real objective is to undermine Scottish Water to make the case for his dogmatic ideological views. He should go now.”

UNISON’s proposals for the Scottish water industry and various briefings can be found at www.unison-scotland.org.uk/water.

headlines . top