A-Infos (en) Workers Solidarity #77 - Dublin Bin Charges - Blockade the trucks Don't fall for council scams

[Worker <a-infos-en@ainfos.ca>]

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As we go to print, the bin charges battle has started in earnest in
Dublin with Fingal Council's attempt not to collect non-payer's
bins. Trucks have been blockaded across Fingal forcing the
council to cancel all collection services. Elsewhere campaigns are
gearing up to blockade trucks in solidarity with Fingal or when the
other Dublin councils attempt to implement non-collection. In our
next issue we hope to report in full on how the councils were
defeated. In the meantime you can follow events on our web page.
Below we report on South Dublin's council attempts to con
households into paying.

South Dublin County Council &endash; rattled by the huge levels
of non-payment of the bin tax &endash; has initiated what it
describes as a "Pay By Volume Trial" in 5 selected areas across
the County. The Council's own figures show that over two-thirds
of those eligible to pay are boycotting what is widely viewed as an
unfair double tax. Now they hope to make the tax appear more
acceptable by making it a weekly rather than an annual payment.

Residents in the 5 selected trial areas &endash; in West Tallaght,
Rathfarnham, North Clondalkin, Firhouse/Ballycullen and Lucan
&endash; have been receiving trial packs of bin liners from the
Council. These have the South Dublin County Council logo on
them and householders are asked to use these liners in their
wheelie bins. If the trial is successful, the Council intends to use
this tactic as a means of identifying who has paid the charge.
Under legislation passed by the Dáil before the summer, local
authorities now have the right to refuse to collect bins from people
who don't pay the tax.

The Council is also attempting to sell this initiative by claiming
that it will be cheaper on the householder. In promotional literature
sent to residents' associations in the affected areas, the Council
claims "The customer effectively pays for the waste collection on
each occasion that a bin is presented for collection, as opposed to
the standard charge that is levied at present. "

They don't of course tell how much they intend to charge for the
bin liners, or &endash; more importantly &endash; how much they
will be charging for them in a few years' time.

The Campaign Against Refuse Charges has responded swiftly to
the Council's latest initiative. Before the trial packs of bin liners
were even delivered by the council, all households had received a
leaflet from the Campaign describing the trial as a con and urging
a boycott of it. "They still don't seem to realise that the reason
why the refuse charge is being resisted by householders is
because WE'VE ALREADY PAID. "

It is the strength and solidarity of a united campaign which will
put an end to this bin tax. Just as the water charges were
defeated five years ago, this tax too can be beaten.

Gregor Kerr

  Much more on the Bin Tax
http://struggle.ws/wsm/bins.html

This page is from the print version of the
Irish Anarchist paper 'Workers Solidarity'.
http://struggle.ws/wsm/paper.html

Print out the PDF file of this issue
http://struggle.ws/wsm/pdf/ws/77.html

Print out the PDF file of the most recent issue
http://struggle.ws/wsm/ws/latest.html


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