Month: July 2010
The recession is over? Don’t believe the hype!
The government, the media and various economists all trumpeted recently released figures that apparently show that the Irish economy came out of recession in the first three months of 2010. However for the unemployed, workers and their families this miraculous recovery has by passed them.
Mass Protest Sweeps France
On Thursday 24 June, about two million workers took to the streets in about 200 cities and towns of France in a national day of action called by the main trade union organisations (CGT, CFDT, CFTC, UNSA, FSU and Solidaires) against the pension reforms. This is the centre-piece of the wave of attacks concocted by the Sarkozy-Fillon government, aimed at slashing up to €100 billion from public spending by 2013. Many capitalist voices, in France and internationally, are already pushing for ‘supplementary efforts’, arguing that such a move remains insufficient.
Lust for Profits caused BP oil disaster
“It is as enraging as it is heartbreaking, and we will not relent until this leak is contained, until the waters and shores are cleaned up, and until the people unjustly victimised by this manmade disaster are made whole”. These words of US President Obama on the ongoing catastrophe that is the Deepwater Horizon BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico won’t get him off the hook.
ESB workers – Vote no to rotten pension deal
The ESB staff pension fund has a €2 billion deficit. In putting forward new pension proposals management and the group of unions (GOU) argue that there are three main factors for the pension deficit. The stock market crash, wage inflation (i.e. pay rises) and because “We are all living much, much longer.”
No support for the implementation of Croke Park
The passing of the Croke Park Agreement represents an important setback for public sector workers and the working class as a whole. If this deal is implemented unhindered then 20,000 public sector jobs will be lost, working conditions will be decimated and the quality of public services from health to education etc will be driven further into the ground.
Government risks women’s health
The Irish Well Woman this week released their annual report for 2009. The centres noticed a marked increase in uptake for their free smear test scheme in the first half of the year. This was partly due to the "Jade Goody" effect and also the state funding of the scheme.
Union executive members criticise general secretary
Dear Colleague,
The below-named members of the CPSU Executive Committee wish to place on record our objection to and distance ourselves from, the recent public and internal statements of our General Secretary, Blair Horan, regarding the Croke Park deal. In doing so we also wish to clarify what we believe to be the true position taken from the Executive Committee meeting of 24th June, 2010 regarding the new proposals.
500 March in Dublin as part of European Week of Protest
As part of the European-wide week of protest and solidarity initiated by Joe Higgins MEP, the Socialist Party initiated a national protest in Dublin city centre on Saturday June 26th.
Threat of redundancies by Eircom must be fought
"The news of Eircom's owners' intention to shed at least a further 1,300 jobs on top of the similar amount of voluntary redundancies it has already sought and almost achieved shatters the government guff that we are embarking on an economic recovery".
No to forced transfer of Mosney Asylum Seekers
"Today, having visited and spoken to the applicants for asylum in Mosney, I am appealing to the Minister for Justice Dermot TD to see that there is no compulsory relocation to other centres".