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El Salvador's water workers union, SETA, is gearing up for a big battle. The government is attempting to privatize the publicly owned and operated water system. If it happens, SETA asserts the move will limit access to safe, clean, affordable water and mean the end of the union. The government has drastically cut funding to ANDA--the nation's water authority--laying the groundwork for private investors to take over.

For the less than 60 percent of Salvadorans who have plumbing in their houses, access to water remains inconsistent; they will sometimes go three days without. When this happens, ANDA sells bottled water to affected communities for six times the price of the average monthly ANDA bill. Most cannot afford the price gauging, and so they go without water.

Privatization is not a done deal. Unions and social movements in Latin America have shown that a well-organized, militant campaign can beat back the push to privatize.

In Bolivia, for example, the government handed over control of the people's water to a Bechtel subsidiary, Aguas del Tunari, and started raising prices and fining homes that collected rainwater.

After a four-day strike and mass actions, the people kicked out Aguas del Tunari and forced the government to establish an elected water commission.

SETA knows what happened in Bolivia, and the union knows that it too can win the fight for publicly controlled water. The people of El Salvador and their unions have fought privatization before, and they are prepared for another heated campaign. To defeat water privatization, they need your help.

Tell the Salvadoran government to increase its funding to ANDA and stop privatization of public goods. Send letters to: Embassy of El Salvador, 2308 California Street, NW, Washington, DC 20008. You can also call the embassy at 202-265-9671 or send emails to cbartoli@elsalvador.org.

Expiration Date:
Thu, 11/30/2006 - 6:00pm