Month: October 2010
Cuts and fees for students, mega bonuses for hierarchy
At a recent meeting of the Dáil Public Accounts Committee, universities were accused of acting “unlawfully” and “illegally” in making unauthorised payments to staff.
The callous treatment of Laura Ashley workers
Dublin’s Grafton Street has long been a major showpiece for what Ireland’s retailing business has to sell to the public in terms of consumer goods, from a needle, not so much to the proverbial anchor as to the €5,000 designer handbag.
Fingal County Council Hiring of photographer for €9471 is indefensible
The decision of Fingal County Council officials to hire a photographer and have the photos taken of the 24 newly elected or re-elected Fingal County Councillors last year and then have the photos subsequently printed and framed at a cost of €9,471 is an indefensible extravagance in which the councillors themselves were entirely unwitting participants.
David Begg wrong to blame workers and unemployed for their alleged unwillingness to fight
The recent reported remarks of David Begg, when answering criticism of ICTU’s lack of a fighting lead throughout this economic crisis, are absolutely galling.
France: A major trial of strength between the classes
“Petrol shortage spreads, only the demos are filling up!” was the headline of France’s satirical paper, Le Canard Enchaine, the day after more than three and a half million had taken to the streets again in 260 towns and cities across the country. This is one twentieth of the whole population of France!
Support the Laura Ashley strikers!
Despite pre-tax profits of £10.5 million in the first half of this year the bosses of the Laura Ashley outlet on Grafton Street abruptly told its 22 predominantly female employees late last month the the shop would be closing because they managed to sell the leasehold on the property to Disney for a lucrative price. The workers were initially given the impression that they would be successfully redeployed within the chain of stores.
To stop cuts and bailouts ICTU must take real action
In the September issue of the Union Post David Begg, ICTU general secretary and Jack O’Connor, ICTU president, argued against the government’s current economic policies. However, one thing was starkly missing from both of their statements - in fact it was missing from the whole newspaper – there was no mention of a strategy to defeat the government’s attacks on working people.
Deputy Varadkar promises that FG will leave Margaret Thatcher in the shade
Deputy Leo Varadkar’s speech to the Dublin Economic Workshop in Kenmere last weekend should send a chill down the spines of working people, the unemployed and those in general who depend on public services, all of whom have already been made pay a heavy price for this economic crisis.
France: Struggle against Sarkozy’s “reforms” escalates
The mobilisation of the French working class has now reached a crucial stage. Strikes and mass demonstrations today, according to the CGT trade union confederation, again brought a staggering 3.5 million people onto the streets.