Managing competitiveness: 6 - New partnership channels at Thames Water - In the sixth case study in our series on managing competitiveness, we examine the new partnership agreement at Thames Water Utilities, which is designed to help the company meet the competitive threats and opportunities posed by dramatic changes in the water industry. . Unions have signed up to a deal that provides a conunitment to employment security in return for greatly increased flexibility, and reduces the number of collective agreements at the firm from 45 to six.