Eat shit

London water firms slammed as city’s rivers see nearly 2,000 sewage dumps in a year and are ‘only caught out twice’

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April 2023 Surfers Against Sewage and Extinction Rebellion protests in St Agnes, Perranporth, Truro and Charlestown which unveiled spoof Blue Plaques to the MPs and Conservative Government who allowed raw sewage to be dumped in the sea (Image: Surfers Against Sewage)
April 2023 Surfers Against Sewage and Extinction Rebellion protests in St Agnes, Perranporth, Truro and Charlestown which unveiled spoof Blue Plaques to the MPs and Conservative Government who allowed raw sewage to be dumped in the sea (Image: Surfers Against Sewage)

https://www.mylondon.news/news/london-water-firms-slammed-citys-27195198

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has been urged to clamp down on sewage dumping in London’s rivers, as the capital’s water companies have only been prosecuted twice in four years. This comes after data has revealed that 31 of the city’s waterways saw 1,809 combined overflow discharges, resulting in raw sewage being pumped into London’s rivers and streams for over 7,000 hours in 2022.

A freedom of information request sent by the Liberal Democrats to the Environment Agency last year revealed that the organisation took action over pollution in London rivers on only eight occasions between 2017 and 2021, and just two incidents resulted in prosecutions.

Mr Khan pledged in July 2020 to reduce water pollution incidents by 30 per cent by 2025. Hina Bokhari AM, the Liberal Dems’ London Assembly environment spokesperson, said: “It is clear from the sheer scale of raw sewage entering London’s waters that the UK Conservative Government has utterly failed to get to grips with this problem. Sewage dumping is endangering human health, our wildlife and our tourism industry across London and the whole country.

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https://www.mylondon.news/news/london-water-firms-slammed-citys-27195198

Continue ReadingLondon water firms slammed as city’s rivers see nearly 2,000 sewage dumps in a year and are ‘only caught out twice’

‘Revolving door’ of staff between water firms and regulators clamping down on sewage ‘stinks’

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https://inews.co.uk/news/politics/battle-against-sewage-undermined-revolving-door-staff-2435283

At least six senior workers identified as moving jobs between regulators including Ofwat and the Environment Agency and water companies in Lib Dem investigation

SWANAGE, ENGLAND - AUGUST 19: Beach goers are seen enjoying the weather at the beach, on August 19, 2022 in Swanage, United Kingdom. Swanage was named, on Wessex Water's website, as one of the beaches where sewage was discharged on Wednesday??August 17th. (Photo by Finnbarr Webster/Getty Images)
It comes amid widespread concerns around the number of sewage spills in the UK (Photo: Finnbarr Webster/Getty)

By Arj Singh

Deputy Political Editor

June 26, 2023 6:00 am(Updated 8:19 am)

There is a “revolving door” of executives between regulators supposed to clamp down on sewage spills and water companies, raising questions about a “conflict of interest”, an investigation has revealed.

At least six senior current industry staff members have been identified as moving jobs between regulators including Ofwat and the Environment Agency and water firms such as Southern, Northumbrian and South West Water.

It has triggered warnings that regulators could feel “sympathetic to their mates at their former company” or “water company executives who know how to avoid regulations”, and calls for the anti-corruption watchdog Acoba (Advisory Committee on Business Appointments) to investigate.

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https://inews.co.uk/news/politics/battle-against-sewage-undermined-revolving-door-staff-2435283

Continue Reading‘Revolving door’ of staff between water firms and regulators clamping down on sewage ‘stinks’

Anti-strike law: Paul Nowak perfectly dismantles bill ahead of Parliament vote

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https://leftfootforward.org/2023/05/anti-strike-law-paul-nowak-perfectly-dismantles-bill-ahead-of-parliament-vote/

The legislation is an attempt to ‘drive a wedge between working people’

General Secretary of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) Paul Nowak took to the airwaves this morning to speak out about the anti-strikes bill which will be voted on by MPs this evening.

He slammed media accusations of union ‘scare tactics’ by laying out the reality of the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill which could see workers lose their job for taking strike action.

As media presenters sought to play down the implications of the bill, Nowak said threatening workers with the sack was ‘untenable’ and that the real reason it was being put through was to ‘demonise trade unions’ and ‘drive a wedge between working people’.

“There is no public appetite at all to see nurses, paramedics, teachers, railway [ workers …] sacked for exercising what most people will think as a fundamental British liberty, the right to strike,” Nowak said on Sky News.

“To remove it would put the UK as a real international outlier.”

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https://leftfootforward.org/2023/05/anti-strike-law-paul-nowak-perfectly-dismantles-bill-ahead-of-parliament-vote/

Continue ReadingAnti-strike law: Paul Nowak perfectly dismantles bill ahead of Parliament vote

Surfers Against Sewage protest actions Sat 20th May

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April 2023 Surfers Against Sewage and Extinction Rebellion protests in St Agnes, Perranporth, Truro and Charlestown which unveiled spoof Blue Plaques to the MPs and Conservative Government who allowed raw sewage to be dumped in the sea (Image: Surfers Against Sewage)
April 2023 Surfers Against Sewage and Extinction Rebellion protests in St Agnes, Perranporth, Truro and Charlestown which unveiled spoof Blue Plaques to the MPs and Conservative Government who allowed raw sewage to be dumped in the sea (Image: Surfers Against Sewage)

From Surfers Against Sewage’s website:

Surfers Against Sewage are hosting a national day of action on Saturday the 20th May 2023. There will be 12 lead protests hosted nation wide on this date, each one protesting against each of the UK water companies, as well as a few smaller DIY protests.

Check our map for your local protest location.

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The UK sewage system is at breaking point. It’s under huge strain from a growing population and the increasing frequency of extreme weather events caused by climate change. Built on a Victorian system, our decaying sewage infrastructure is in desperate need of investment.

But rather than spending money where it’s needed, water companies are stuffing their pockets with our money while failing environmental targets and pillaging our waterways. They continue to get away with regularly dumping untreated sewage into our blue spaces for millions of hours every year whilst regulators and The Government turn a blind eye. This needs to stop now.

We REFUSE to spend another summer swimming in sh*t and we DEMAND that water companies stop making a profit from pollution and start investing in our future, for the sake of people and the planet.

Continue ReadingSurfers Against Sewage protest actions Sat 20th May