Socialist Party (Ireland) Struggle, Democracy, Socialism

Mr Blair Horan, Secretary of the Pro Lisbon Treaty Charter Group which includes some trade union leaders, issued a press statement today entitled: ”Joe Higgins MEP has stooped to falsifing(sic) the Charter.”

SIPTU MEMBERS in Coca Cola HBC (Hellenic Bottling Company) in Dublin, Cork, Tipperary and Tuam have been on all-out strike since 27 August.
Despite making massive profits Coca Cola HBC is proposing to outsource the distribution of its products to three outside companies, Kielys Distribution, Liam Carroll and Brian Daly Transport.

ON 16 September Fianna Fail’s Brian Lenihan is set to tell the Dail the price he intends to pay for the banks’ toxic loans.  The figure is expected to be more than €50 billion.  It could be as high as €70 billion.

This is a truly monumental bailout for the banks. The NAMA bailout is likely to be more than ten times the size of the entire “menu” of cuts proposed by An Bord Snip.

The Socialist Party’s Lisbon Leaflet is now available online. Simply click the image above to flick through it, download a PDF of it,or print it out or email it to a friend.

Today at a press conference in the Davenport Hotel prominent Socialist Party spokepeople, accompanied by strike leaders from Coca Cola and MTL Dockworkers, laid out their opposition to the Lisbon Treaty, and explained how the treaty would undermine workers' rights.

By Joe Higgins, MEP.

I notice IBEC’s have put up pro-Lisbon posters across the country proclaiming “yes for jobs”, linking the accepting of the treaty with job protection. Is this some form of sick joke from the bosses organisation?

The pro-Lisbon political parties do not need to raise funds for the ‘Yes’ to Lisbon campaign. Big business is directly funding their side of the debate.

The announcement that Intel and Ryanair will spend hundreds of thousands of euro to try to achieve a Yes vote in the upcoming Lisbon Treaty represents an unconcealed attempt by big business to shape politics in its favour.

Less than two weeks after the Euro Election campaign a Euro related charade is about to be visited on the Irish people. We are now being told that the FiannaFail/Green Party Coalition Government will present us with the Lisbon Treaty for a vote in late September or early October as soon as the EU Heads of State agree ‘legal guarantees’ apparently clarifying what the Treaty really means.

Less than two weeks after the Euro Election campaign a Euro related charade is about to be visited on the Irish people. We are now being told that the FiannaFail/Green Party Coalition Government will present us with the Lisbon Treaty for a vote in late September or early October as soon as the EU Heads of State agree ‘legal guarantees’ apparently clarifying what the Treaty really means.

When it comes to the thrust toward militarisation of the EU firmly implanted in the Lisbon Treaty, no guarantees can change what are very categorical dictates to Member States.