GMB, the water union, has responded to a proposal from regulator Ofwat to approve accelerated delivery of 31 investment schemes totalling £1.6 billion.
Gary Carter, GMB National Officer, said:
“GMB welcomes greater in investment, but this must not be paid for by cutting jobs and employees terms and conditions.
“There has been too little investment for too long, both in assets and the workforce.
“The focus of the water companies has been on profits and large dividends; bosses take unwarranted bonuses while jobs are cut and pay for most stagnates.
"GMB has thousands of members working for the water companies and they want the environment cleaned up and water quality improved.
“The reputation of the water companies has been battered. If they want to restore trust and attract people to work for them then they're going to have to invest, cut the amount leaks and stop dumping sewage in waterways.”
