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Martin Schulz, European Parliament: Stop TiSA ~ SAVE OUR WATER, EDUCATION, WORK!
Michael G.
started this petition to
Martin Schulz, European Parliament
Stop TiSA, Arrêter Tisa, Fermata Tisa, Detener Tisa!
What we demand
A framework is being constructed in secret non-transparent negotiations, which in the long term will be irreversible and comprehensive. We have elected our politicians so that they work for the good of the people. Instead, the present great coalition is pursuing the unstoppable agenda of transnational companies, an agenda which does not take our objections into account.
We demand an IMMEDIATE STOP of the TISA negotiations!
Furthermore we require from all those involved in these negotiations and all future international trade agreements …
1. Permanent exclusion of public services from the discussion material.
2. Total transparence and extensive participation of citizen representatives at every stage.
3. No clauses for permanently fixing the deregulation and privatizing, nor other equivalent instruments for the permanent annulment of democratic rights to participate.
4. No private arbitration court or any equivalent instrument that will benefit the interests of large companies and result in the permanent annulment of democratic rights to participate.
5. An overall concern for the common good as well as social and environmental issues.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Sign our petition against TISA and share it via Facebook, Twitter, websites and e-mail.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
What is TiSA
Right now the European Union, with 22 other countries, is negotiating in secret with respect to an agreement about services (Trade in Services Agreement, or TiSA). Via TiSA there will be a move towards increasing privatization of all conceivable service areas including the genuinely public services. In addition, worker rights, consumer rights and environmental protection standards, as well as state support for public services, which have been hard fought for, will be transformed via trade arrangements, which will effectively eliminate them. As far as the public water supply, energy supply, health care and the public education system are concerned, nothing less is at stake than the whole basis for the public services. By means of blocking clauses, deregulation and privatization will be made irreversible and for all time.
With TiSA there is no way back
By means of so-called blocking clauses, large businesses are ensuring that within the framework of TiSA a reversal of the status of privatized businesses will be impossible in the future. Should a local authority decide to make some services public again, because of a failed privatization, this would amount to a violation of the TiSA treaty, which is binding under international law. The EU commission and the federal German Ministry for the Economy and Energy admit that TiSA, unlike TTIP, will contain no investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS); however, there will be sufficient possibilities for investors to challenge rulings. Numerous local authorities and states, and in the end citizens have already paid dearly for such miscalculations.
Who does TiSA apply to?
Public services such as the water supply must remain affordable and universally available. Private businesses see this differently! TiSA will result in a wide-ranging and extensive opening up of markets and the liberalization of virtually all service sectors. The list of services liable to deregulation and privatization includes: the health service, the social services, water supply and distribution, waste management, energy supply, public procurement, the postal services, the financial services, the transport sector, telecommunications, electronic trading, freelance services, culture and recreation, kindergartens, residential homes for the elderly, hospitals and universities.
Employee-leasing
Until now, according to the General Agreement on Trade in Service (GATS), an employer was obliged to look for employees within his own country in the first place. This trade barrier will be abolished with TiSA. Furthermore, instead of exporting the whole of the production abroad, businesses will be able to lease employees from countries with low wages. These employees would be paid according to the tariffs and social services arrangements of their state of origin. As soon as the work has been completed, the incoming worker will in due course lose his work and residence permit. It is already the case that workers in countries with high incomes have become too expensive. The loss of employment here and dumping wages are pre-programmed our system. Labor unions will lose their influence too, as developments such as the “Right to Work” from the USA already show.
Privatization myths
A large number of privatizations have already taken place, especially in the area of public services. Almost without exception these have had bad results. Higher costs for the local authority and the consumer with a concomitant worsening of the services have led to a large number of reversals, return of services to the local authorities and a return to public control of these services. In 1999, in order to balance its budget Berlin sold off 49.9% of the water supply to private companies. The cost of water immediately rose more than 30%. People suffering from economic hardship were scarcely able to pay for their water. More than 3000 proper jobs were lost. In 2013 Berlin repurchased the partly privatized
water supply from Veolia for 590 million Euros. Before that, another private investor, RWE, was paid 618 million Euros in a buy-out. After the privatization of the water supply in the Portuguese city of Pacos de Ferreira, the price of water increased by an exorbitant 400%. There are lots of other examples of local authorities buying back privatized services on our web site.
Unaffordable education
Educational institutions such as schools and university receive state support, and for good reason. TiSA sees that, though, as a contravention against the fair treatment of private providers. Support for living costs, library research without payment, reduced-cost travel tickets could all be abolished for students. Privatization is a threat to state-supported universities. It would then really be impossible for many people to pay for their studies.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
When we reach 1,000,000 signatures, we personally hand over to the President of the EU Parliament.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Initiators: Thiemo Kirmse, Michael Groß~Hardt
Organization: Münster Against TTIP, www.muenster-gegen-ttip.de/themen/tisa
What we demand
A framework is being constructed in secret non-transparent negotiations, which in the long term will be irreversible and comprehensive. We have elected our politicians so that they work for the good of the people. Instead, the present great coalition is pursuing the unstoppable agenda of transnational companies, an agenda which does not take our objections into account.
We demand an IMMEDIATE STOP of the TISA negotiations!
Furthermore we require from all those involved in these negotiations and all future international trade agreements …
1. Permanent exclusion of public services from the discussion material.
2. Total transparence and extensive participation of citizen representatives at every stage.
3. No clauses for permanently fixing the deregulation and privatizing, nor other equivalent instruments for the permanent annulment of democratic rights to participate.
4. No private arbitration court or any equivalent instrument that will benefit the interests of large companies and result in the permanent annulment of democratic rights to participate.
5. An overall concern for the common good as well as social and environmental issues.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Sign our petition against TISA and share it via Facebook, Twitter, websites and e-mail.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
What is TiSA
Right now the European Union, with 22 other countries, is negotiating in secret with respect to an agreement about services (Trade in Services Agreement, or TiSA). Via TiSA there will be a move towards increasing privatization of all conceivable service areas including the genuinely public services. In addition, worker rights, consumer rights and environmental protection standards, as well as state support for public services, which have been hard fought for, will be transformed via trade arrangements, which will effectively eliminate them. As far as the public water supply, energy supply, health care and the public education system are concerned, nothing less is at stake than the whole basis for the public services. By means of blocking clauses, deregulation and privatization will be made irreversible and for all time.
With TiSA there is no way back
By means of so-called blocking clauses, large businesses are ensuring that within the framework of TiSA a reversal of the status of privatized businesses will be impossible in the future. Should a local authority decide to make some services public again, because of a failed privatization, this would amount to a violation of the TiSA treaty, which is binding under international law. The EU commission and the federal German Ministry for the Economy and Energy admit that TiSA, unlike TTIP, will contain no investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS); however, there will be sufficient possibilities for investors to challenge rulings. Numerous local authorities and states, and in the end citizens have already paid dearly for such miscalculations.
Who does TiSA apply to?
Public services such as the water supply must remain affordable and universally available. Private businesses see this differently! TiSA will result in a wide-ranging and extensive opening up of markets and the liberalization of virtually all service sectors. The list of services liable to deregulation and privatization includes: the health service, the social services, water supply and distribution, waste management, energy supply, public procurement, the postal services, the financial services, the transport sector, telecommunications, electronic trading, freelance services, culture and recreation, kindergartens, residential homes for the elderly, hospitals and universities.
Employee-leasing
Until now, according to the General Agreement on Trade in Service (GATS), an employer was obliged to look for employees within his own country in the first place. This trade barrier will be abolished with TiSA. Furthermore, instead of exporting the whole of the production abroad, businesses will be able to lease employees from countries with low wages. These employees would be paid according to the tariffs and social services arrangements of their state of origin. As soon as the work has been completed, the incoming worker will in due course lose his work and residence permit. It is already the case that workers in countries with high incomes have become too expensive. The loss of employment here and dumping wages are pre-programmed our system. Labor unions will lose their influence too, as developments such as the “Right to Work” from the USA already show.
Privatization myths
A large number of privatizations have already taken place, especially in the area of public services. Almost without exception these have had bad results. Higher costs for the local authority and the consumer with a concomitant worsening of the services have led to a large number of reversals, return of services to the local authorities and a return to public control of these services. In 1999, in order to balance its budget Berlin sold off 49.9% of the water supply to private companies. The cost of water immediately rose more than 30%. People suffering from economic hardship were scarcely able to pay for their water. More than 3000 proper jobs were lost. In 2013 Berlin repurchased the partly privatized
water supply from Veolia for 590 million Euros. Before that, another private investor, RWE, was paid 618 million Euros in a buy-out. After the privatization of the water supply in the Portuguese city of Pacos de Ferreira, the price of water increased by an exorbitant 400%. There are lots of other examples of local authorities buying back privatized services on our web site.
Unaffordable education
Educational institutions such as schools and university receive state support, and for good reason. TiSA sees that, though, as a contravention against the fair treatment of private providers. Support for living costs, library research without payment, reduced-cost travel tickets could all be abolished for students. Privatization is a threat to state-supported universities. It would then really be impossible for many people to pay for their studies.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
When we reach 1,000,000 signatures, we personally hand over to the President of the EU Parliament.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Initiators: Thiemo Kirmse, Michael Groß~Hardt
Organization: Münster Against TTIP, www.muenster-gegen-ttip.de/themen/tisa
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