On the surface it looks like the talks for an extension of the Croke Park deal are in troubled waters. With the walk out of the Garda rank and file association and the nurses trade union threatening to walk with the 24 / 7 frontline alliance.

From 1480 to 1750 the masses of many countries where whipped up into a frenzy, the powers that be used fear, intimidation and propaganda to conjure up mass hysteria and hatred for so called “unclean spirits”.  I am of course referring to “witch hunts”.

The Socialist Party stands against the establishment and media consensus that singles out public sector workers pay and conditions and public sector workers themselves as targets for vilification and continuous attack.

Paul Murphy MEP has launched a new website, ScamBridge.org to expose the JobBridge expoloitation scheme.

The JobBridge scheme has been used as a scam for the government to massage the unemployment figures and for many companies to cynically exploit unemployed people. The ScamBridge.org website has been launched to expose this scam and give people an opportunity to share their stories of exploitation. The latest figures suggest that just 400 people who finished their JobBridge internships received jobs with the companies that provided the internships. This is not a scheme that is seriously addressing the crisis of youth unemployment. We are calling for an immediate investigation and review of this scheme, with proper monitoring being introduced.

After the experience in recent years of Labour Court recommendations for enhanced redundancy or improved conditions being ignored by employers in cases such as Vita Cortex, Carroll’s Joinery, Coca Cola serious questions are being asked by workers about what if anything is this government prepared to do to protect workers' rights.

After 139 days of occupying their factory, the Vita Cortex workers have reached an agreement with employer Jack Ronan. By taking decisive action in taking over their workplace and by remaining steadfast, the workers have been partly successful in achieving their extremely modest demands.

The battle against cuts to DEIS schools saw the mobilisation of huge numbers of parents from Tallaght and the Dublin South West area. The remarkable level of pressure exerted on the government and local Labour and Fine Gael TDs forced them to rethink and roll back from what they saw as an easy target. The campaign highlighted the merit of organised opposition, the challenges faced in building a campaign and the need to consolidate and build on the efforts of all involved to fight further attacks.

One hundred and fifteen Irish Cement workers have been on strike since 3 April at plants in Limerick and Drogheda. Despite being a subsidiary of CRH, the fourth largest building company in the world with profits of €711 million in 2011, Irish Cement is attempting to use the crisis to drive down wages and cut jobs.

Why have the leaderships of the teachers unions accepted Minister Ruari Quinn and the governments’ decision to suspended all allowances for new entrants pending a review of allowances for all teachers?

On Monday 26 March GAME workers begun their sit-in protest,  after they were told to close stores early and go home, as there was no longer a job for them. The staff were told they would have to apply to the state for redundancy and that they were not getting wages due to them.