Volunteer

By Laura Fitzgerald

THE FOREMOST employers’ organisation in the country, IBEC, is becoming increasingly vocal in its condemnation of the Joint Labour Committee (JLC) system. The JLC system sets minimum pay and conditions in certain industries, including catering, contract cleaning and the hotel sector.

Ten years ago, on 21 July, 2001, as many as 300,000 workers and young people marched angrily through the streets of Genoa. It was the culmination of a week of protest against the G8 summit held in the city and presided over by George Bush. Their numbers had been swelled by outrage against the killing on the previous day of a young protester – Carlo Giuliano – in Alimonda Square by the forces of the Italian state. This demonstration was also attacked and broken up by police using tear-gas and wielding batons indiscriminately.

The International Monetary Fund has called for the property tax on the family home due to come in next year to be introduced at a "suitably high level".  Cabinet meetings are due to restart on 4 September and it is likely that the assessment method and the level of the tax will be decided at one of the first few meetings.

At a press conferecne today it was announced that long-time Socialist Party activist and organiser, Paul Murphy (27), will be replacing Joe Higgins as the Socialist Party MEP for Dublin, following Joe's succesful election to the Dail along with Clare Daly. Here we repost Paul Murphy's post on his blog, www.paulmurphymep.eu about the challenges, opportunities and tasks he faces.