Edinburgh considers privatisation of bin collection | Politics

/edinburgh-considers-bin-collection-priv

  • Palestine Campaigners Claim #BDS Success as Edinburgh Council Rejects Veolia
    http://jnoubiyeh.com/2010/12/palestine-campaigners-claim-bds-success.html

    A pro-Palestinian pressure group claimed success last week after Edinburgh Council rejected an attempt by a controversial firm to take over a range of public services in the city.

    Et quelle est cette « controversial firm » ?

    Veolia had been shortlisted to take over environmental services contracts, including refuse collection and street cleaning, but a Council report published Friday indicated that the firm is no longer being considered. This latest blow for Veolia comes on top of similar multi-billion pound losses around the world, and is likely to add to the pressure on the firm to cease providing waste and transport services to Israel’s illegal settlements in Palestine, including the construction of a tramway that the United Nations Human Rights Council deems, “in clear violation of international law”. The line is set to link Israel with some of its illegal settlements.

    Épatant.

    En revanche, il serait encore plus épatant que la ville renonce purement et simplement à privatiser ses services publics municipaux. Parce que là, certes c’est bien de soutenir les Palestiniens, mais il reste la décision de filer la gestion de services (le budget des services municipaux avoisinant le milliard de livres par an) au secteur privé (ce qui n’est bon pour personne) :
    http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/jul/16/edinburgh-considers-bin-collection-privatisation

    “My instinct is that outsourcing sounds like a bad idea,” said David Griffin, owner of the Elvis Shakespeare book and record store on Leith Walk. “I don’t understand why the people in the refuse department can’t just do the job themselves. I don’t see any reason to outsource because some private companies will only want to make a profit.”

    [...]

    “This is going to affect 25% of the workforce of the council,” he said. “That will range from bin men to the reception staff at the city chambers. There is a whole range of council services up for grabs here ... I think if we detailed what this was to the public they would see this as privatisation, and that’s not popular in Scotland.”

    [...]

    “It is not just from the union’s perspective. It is looking at money being taken out of the city. It will have an impact on services and it will also have an impact on the city’s businesses if people aren’t employed here.”