Fighting Against Privatization in France
France, the national home of the worlds leading water giants were celebrating the return of their water service and sewage system to public control after more than a decade of local community struggles. In 1989, the Mayor of Grenoble had initiated proceedings to privatize the city’s water services by striking a deal with Lyonnaise des Eaux, a subsidiary of that world leading water company Suez.
The privatization scheme was concluded in exchange for monetary contributions to the mayor’s electoral campaign. When Lyonnaise des Eaux introduced massive hikes in water prices, public resistance grew and a citizens movements was born. Then in 1995, the mayor and an executive of Lyonnaise were prosecuted and in 1996, they were convicted to bribery.
The citizen’s movement that emerged was anchored in two organizations, the Association for Democracy, Ecology and Solidarity (ADES) and Eau Secours (Save the Water). Both organizations went to work, doing background research on the deal that was struck with the Suez subsidiary. Eventually both ADES and Eau Secours put together a legal strategy to challenge the water privatization deal in court. Through these initiatives, the citizens of Grenoble won a series of court rulings that overturned the price hikes. The court also went on to nullify the original 1989 privatization decision and subsequent contracting out of the city’s water and sewage system. Through the court action, the Grenoble city council opted for the creation of a “societe mixte” and proceeded to subcontract its water service to another subsidiary of Lynnaise des Eaux. But this contract was also declared null and void by a court ruling instigated by yet another legal challenge brought by the citizen’s movement.
The stage was now set for the de-privatization of Grenoble’s water system. Since 1995, citizen’s activists had been waging electoral campaigns based on a platform of returning the city’s water system to public hands. After winning several seats on council, the first day of spring in the new millennium give the citizens of Grenoble something to celebrate. After a decade of privatization, Lyonnaise des Eaux was handed its exit papers. In March 2000, the Grenoble city council decided to return the water and sewage system to public control once and for all.
The story of Grenoble illustrates that people can do when they organize to take back public control of their water systems. And the fight against the privatization, or corporate take over, of community water systems has been accelerating recently in countries all over the world. This process has been assisted by organizations like Public Services International (PSI) the worldwide alliance public service unions and its affiliates.
France, the national home of the worlds leading water giants were celebrating the return of their water service and sewage system to public control after more than a decade of local community struggles. In 1989, the Mayor of Grenoble had initiated proceedings to privatize the city’s water services by striking a deal with Lyonnaise des Eaux, a subsidiary of that world leading water company Suez.
The privatization scheme was concluded in exchange for monetary contributions to the mayor’s electoral campaign. When Lyonnaise des Eaux introduced massive hikes in water prices, public resistance grew and a citizens movements was born. Then in 1995, the mayor and an executive of Lyonnaise were prosecuted and in 1996, they were convicted to bribery.
The citizen’s movement that emerged was anchored in two organizations, the Association for Democracy, Ecology and Solidarity (ADES) and Eau Secours (Save the Water). Both organizations went to work, doing background research on the deal that was struck with the Suez subsidiary. Eventually both ADES and Eau Secours put together a legal strategy to challenge the water privatization deal in court. Through these initiatives, the citizens of Grenoble won a series of court rulings that overturned the price hikes. The court also went on to nullify the original 1989 privatization decision and subsequent contracting out of the city’s water and sewage system. Through the court action, the Grenoble city council opted for the creation of a “societe mixte” and proceeded to subcontract its water service to another subsidiary of Lynnaise des Eaux. But this contract was also declared null and void by a court ruling instigated by yet another legal challenge brought by the citizen’s movement.
The stage was now set for the de-privatization of Grenoble’s water system. Since 1995, citizen’s activists had been waging electoral campaigns based on a platform of returning the city’s water system to public hands. After winning several seats on council, the first day of spring in the new millennium give the citizens of Grenoble something to celebrate. After a decade of privatization, Lyonnaise des Eaux was handed its exit papers. In March 2000, the Grenoble city council decided to return the water and sewage system to public control once and for all.
The story of Grenoble illustrates that people can do when they organize to take back public control of their water systems. And the fight against the privatization, or corporate take over, of community water systems has been accelerating recently in countries all over the world. This process has been assisted by organizations like Public Services International (PSI) the worldwide alliance public service unions and its affiliates.
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