Anti-GATS Day of Action
Going… Going… Gone! Manchester Public Services Auctioned to Big Business!
| When? | Thursday 13th March 2003 11am-1pm |
| Where? | Piccadilly Plaza, Manchester City Centre |
| Why? | To raise awareness about the damaging effects of the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) and to lobby Government Office North West. |
| How? | A lively street auction to symbolise the selling off of our public services. |
On Thursday 13 March, members of Manchester campaigns groups Friends of the Earth, World Development Movement and People and Planet staged elaborate street theatre in the centre of Manchester to draw shopper's attention to the great "GATS Sale of the Century".
Members of the public looked on aghast as the health, postal and water services were auctioned off to big-business fat cats with no regulations attached, for knock down prices. The street theatre included an auctioneer with lectern and gavel selling a MFoE member dressed as a giant tap (water services), a giant letter (postal services), a large suitcase with holiday clothes (tourism) and another MFoE member dressed as a doctor (health services). Despite "the people", one dressed in sack cloth, wanting to keep these services they were sold to actors in "Fat Cat" suits. (See photos)
The action was part of a European-wide day of protest about the controversial WTO negotiations with actions taking place outside every UK Regional Government Office. In Manchester, the campaigners also handed over a letter to the Director of the Government Office at Sunley Tower, expressing their concerns about the implications of GATS.
Liz Chater of Manchester Friends of the Earth commented:
"The UK Government is backing this World Trade Organisation agreement that will threaten public services and poor people around the world at the expense of offering a bargain basement deal to big business. We all rely on basic services such as clean water, health, education and public transport. But for people in the poorest countries they make the daily difference between life and death.
"This agreement could harm these basic services here and abroad because like our auction it is rigged in favour of multinational companies who care more about profits than people and the environment. This agreement is undemocratic. We elect councillors and MPs to make decisions about how local public services are provided, not groups of international lawyers and trade negotiators in Switzerland. It is time to put people before profit and call a halt to GATS."
Photos
Water is sold to the highest bidder.
Delivering our message to Government Office NW.
Resources
- Press releases: before
- Info on GATS
Internet Links and Contact Details