Month: August 2009
Afghanistan Will this be Obama’s Vietnam?
By Peter Hadden
US AND British military chiefs have been quick to label their July offensive against the Taliban in south east Afghanistan a "success". In reality the main achievement of the British "Operation Panther’s Claw" and the US "Operation Thrust of the Sword" has been to refocus the attention of an increasingly sceptical public at home on the military quagmire and political impasse that is present day Afghanistan.
Thomas Cook Workers Arrested
From Friday, over 40 workers have been occupying the Thomas Cook store on Grafton St., protesting against job losses and claiming for improved redundancies. The workers, all members of the TSSA (Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association) had balloted for strike action due to commence this Friday, but this was cut across by the company’s response to push forward the closure of the store by 4 weeks. The workers were then left with no alternative but to occupy the premises. At approximately 5am over 80 Gardai began to force entry into the occupied Thomas Cook store on Grafton Street, after physically removing over 30 supporters from in front of the premises.
Solidarity with the Thomas Cook Occupation
Thomas Cook’s decision to add to the jobs slaughter by closing their shops in Ireland is outrageous. This is a company which is projected to make a profit of £400 million worldwide this year, with over €4 million made in Ireland. Yet the management arrived at 10am yesterday morning and expected the workers to be gone in less than an hour.
