Unions call for Thames Water to be brought into public ownership
20 June 2025, 12:50 | Updated: 20 June 2025, 14:29
Unions representing workers at Thames Water are calling for the company to be brought into public ownership.
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The TUC, GMB, Unison and Unite joined forces to call for Thames Water to be brought into full public ownership given the “rapidly diminishing” outlook for the company.
The unions said the move would give workers the certainty about their future that they deserve.
A joint statement said: “The chaos at Thames Water has dragged on for too long.
“The collapse of the most recent private equity investment deal is just the latest chapter in a long-running failure.
“Sticking-plaster solutions are not the answer."
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The statement continued: "It’s time for the government to step in and bring Thames Water into full public ownership.
“Returning Thames Water to public ownership is the best way to protect staff, serve customers, and safeguard our environment.”
The calls come just days after the government confirmed water company fines and penalties will be allocated to projects to clean up our rivers, lakes and seas.
It is a criminal offence for water companies to breach their environmental permits, for example, by releasing excessive pollution into a river.
The most serious cases, such as illegal sewage spills, will see fines issued to the company and criminal prosecutions for bosses.
The government has said the current volume of sewage being discharged into waters is "unacceptable".
It has now been confirmed that £100m in water company fines and penalties levied against companies since October 2023 will be reinvested into projects to clean up our waterways – as well as future fines and penalties.
These could include local projects and programmes to address pollution and improve water quality around the country.
A Thames Water spokesman: “Thames Water is committed to improving outcomes for the environment and its customers. We are investing billions of pounds in our network and any recapitalisation of the business will need to ensure that is maintained for the benefit of all our stakeholders.
"Our focus remains on a holistic and fundamental recapitalisation, delivering a market-led solution which includes targeting investment grade credit ratings.”
