Month: April 2009
United action can stop the cuts at Dublin Bus
By Matt Waine
A PLANNED strike by Dublin Bus drivers and staff was postponed after an eleventh-hour intervention by the Labour Relations Commission (LRC). The strike threat came after the company announced its intention to sack 290 staff, including 160 drivers as part of a “cost cutting” plan.
As we go to press, talks are still continuing at the LRC. However, it now appears that the company is using the threat of redundancies and cuts to the service as a cover for their real agenda - to force through major changes to work practices. A key component of this would be the introduction of part-time work and talks are presently deadlocked on this issue.
Waterford Crystal Interview – Reject the KPS deal
- Fight for Nationalisation of Waterford Crystal now!
THE DECISION by the Waterford Crystal Deloitte and Touche Receiver to sell part of the company and the rights to the Waterford Crystal brand has left the workers high and dry. The Socialist spoke to Donie Fell, a Waterford Crystal worker, about what this means for the workers, their families and the wider community.
No Compromises – SCRAP the pension levy
By Denis Keane, CPSU Executive member (personal capacity)
FOLLOWING ON from our demonstration of 4,000 people outside Dail Eireann on the 18 February, CPSU members took part in a one-day strike on 26 February. This protest and one day strike were in reaction to the pay cuts (pension levy) being imposed by the government.
The strike had the overwhelming support of other public servants. Even though they were threatened with disciplinary action, many public servants refused to pass the picket and in some cases joined our picket lines with their home made placards. On the day there was almost universal agreement amongst all grades that our unions needed to take co-ordinated and united action against the pension levy.
Not just a few bad bankers – Capitalism to blame
By Joe Higgins
FOR SHEER brass neck you have to hand it to the members of the Fianna Fail/Green Party government.
There was Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey, at the recent Fianna Fail Ard Fheis laying into the bankers. They used the Irish economy “as their own personal piggy bank” he declared. They were “money manipulators (who) endangered the economic survival of our people”. In short, they were guilty of “economic treason” doing more damage than anyone “except perhaps Cromwell”.
NI: Unions must fight every job loss & wage cut
By Gary Mulcahy
THE JOBS massacre spreading across Northern Ireland and Britain is devastating entire towns and communities. Unemployment in the North has surged by 62% in the past year. At least 1,000 jobs are expected to be lost every month this year, which would bring the number of officially unemployed above 52,000.
Workers unite to defend jobs and wages
- No to social partnership
- For democratic fighting unions
ONE HUNDRED and twenty thousand marched through Dublin in the biggest workers demonstration in 30 years. Following on from the success of the 21 February demonstration the ICTUs’ executive committee called for all of its affiliates to ballot their members in the South for a one-day national strike on 30 March. Here STEPHEN BOYD looks at the situation.
