Irish workers begin fightback !

[Coggeh]

Up to 100,000 people have gathered in Dublin city centre to protest at the Irish government's handling of the country's recession.

Many are angry at plans to impose a pension levy on public sector workers.



Trade union organisers of the march said workers did not cause the economic crisis but were having to pay for it.



Link:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7903518.stm


Excellent news ! :D wish i didn't miss it :(

[DiaMat86]

"Make the bosses take the losses."

[Coggeh]

Some pics of the day's march . http://www.indymedia.ie/attachments/feb2009/dscf0768.jpg

http://www.indymedia.ie/attachments/feb2009/dscf0773.jpg

http://www.indymedia.ie/attachments/feb2009/dscf0778.jpg
http://www.indymedia.ie/attachments/feb2009/dscf0770.jpg

Its also encouraging to note that most workers targeted their anger at the banks/government . Slogans of the workers united shall never be defeated . And also chants against greed and exploitation were heard .

This is encouraging simply because people are putting their anger where it belongs , with the bourgeois and not turning to the far right .:thumbup1:

[PRC-UTE]

you're right, comrade, working class anger is clearly being directed at the bosses.
this article has some good quotes from marchers


Tens of thousands march against cutbacks in Ireland
Sat Feb 21, 2009 12:20pm EST

By Carmel Crimmins

DUBLIN (Reuters) - Nearly 100,000 people marched through Dublin on
Saturday to protest at government cutbacks in the face of a deepening
recession and bailouts for the banks.

Ireland's Prime Minister Brian Cowen is under pressure from Brussels and
ratings agencies to squeeze a ballooning budget deficit, but plans to
introduce a pension levy on public sector workers and freeze their pay has
hammered his approval ratings and those of his party to record lows.

In a statement ahead of the march, the government said the measures were
necessary to show international investors that Ireland was tackling its
finances.

Even with spending cuts and tax hikes, the budget shortfall is forecast to
hit 9.5 percent of gross domestic product this year, the worst breach of
EU budget limits in the euro zone.

"Failure to show that credible start means that we impact directly and
severely on our international reputation among investors and, in
particular, on our capacity to raise funds and on the direct cost of
servicing the borrowing which we are able to undertake," the government
said.

But in Dublin, a crowd estimated by police to be between 85,000 and
100,000 people, accused the government of leaving teachers, nurses, civil
servants and construction workers with the bill for Ireland's economic
woes and letting banks and property developers off the hook.

"My family will be down 500 euros ($628.80) a month because my husband and
I both work in the public sector," said Sheila O'Shea, a primary school
teacher who was also protesting at education cuts that have hit classes
for special needs children.

"There is absolute burning vitriol that we feel at the savage way they
have hit the most vulnerable in society."

Posters reflected the sentiment with slogans such as "You made the most.
Pay the most!" and "We won't pay for the greed of the super rich."

UNPRINTABLE

Pamela, a council worker, who gave only her first name, laughed when asked
her opinion of the government.

"It's unprintable," she said. "The government measures are very annoying,
particularly when you see how the banks are being protected."

The protest, organized by Ireland's main trade union group, comes ahead of
strikes later this month and next by public sector clerical workers and
bus drivers and marks a clear break in peaceful industrial relations,
which had been an important contributor to the success of the "Celtic
Tiger" economy.

A protracted and sharp drop in property prices, starting in March 2007,
marked the beginning of Ireland's economic decline which accelerated
rapidly in late 2008 and early 2009 as job losses and falling output
spread beyond the construction sector.

Public anger at the government's handling of the economy has been
exacerbated by taxpayer exposure to billions of euros in potential bad
debts following the government's nationalization of Anglo Irish Bank, the
country's No. 3 lender.

A string of scandals at Anglo have undermined Ireland's international
reputation and rattled Cowen's government.

Extracts of a report by PricewaterhouseCoopers late on Friday revealed
that the bank was exposed to a small number of property developers, some
of whom were likely to face major losses as the Irish property market
keeps unraveling.

Around 15 customers each have 500 million euros worth of loans with Anglo
and under a high stress scenario the lender could face impairment charges
of 2.3 billion euros in its 2009 financial year and 3 billion euros in
2010.

(Editing by Katie Nguyen)

http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSTRE51K1LL20090221?sp=true

[PRC-UTE]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BrCiIE_TL_4

[Dóchas]

i really wish i was there it sounded amazing!! it was pretty cool how they kinda advertised it in the windows of liberty hall

[Rjevan]

Really good news!
But again you don't hear a word of this in the media here in Germany (surprise, surprise :rolleyes:).

[Andropov]

Was at the march, was a great display of working class unity and the capacity for mobilisation in this current crisis.
It will be a long hot summer, thats for sure.
BTW I heard in some papers it was reported that there was 120,000 at the march.

[Crux]

Over 100,000 workers demonstrate against government cuts

For united action of all workers to defeat government!
Kevin McLoughlin, Socialist Party (CWI Ireland), Dublin

The Irish police estimate that 120,000 people took part in a demonstration in Dublin, last Saturday that was called by the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU). The demonstration was called in opposition to the policies the Irish government is implementing in response to the unprecedented economic crisis ravaging the country.
The turnout was reminiscent of the mass mobilisation against the Iraq war on 15 February 2003. However, unlike then, this was not a mobilisation of broad sections of society; this was a workers demonstration, overwhelmingly dominated by public sector workers opposing the government’s move to slash their wages by the imposition of a Pension Levy.
Such a turnout, from a section of the working class, shows the anger that exists but also gives a glimpse of the potential power that a united movement of all workers could achieve.
There was a huge cross section of public sector workers on the protest. Fire-fighters marching in their uniform. Teachers, nurses, civil servants, local authority workers were all in attendance. There was not much noise and chanting - a tradition that will be relearned - but there was a lot of colour, with many union-made placards and home-made ones as well.
The demonstration reached its destination before it had fully left the assembly point and marchers were still arriving when the speeches at the end were finished.
Significantly representatives of rank and file soldiers participated in the demonstration, something that clearly agitated the top brass in the army. The head of the armed forces felt compelled to come out and say that soldiers would do what they were ordered to do. This was a response to a previous statement from the soldiers’ organisation, PDFORRA, stating that soldiers would not do the work of public sector workers who took strike action against the Pension Levy.
Two organisations representing two different sections of the Garda (the police force) also took part. This included an organisation representing rank and file policemen and policewomen, but also one representing Garda sergeants and inspectors.
The Socialist Party (CWI Ireland) took part in the demonstration, selling over 350 copies of our paper The Socialist. We also raised a lot of money and support at stalls and during other public activities at a number of locations. With Joe Higgins – the well known Socialist Party member and former TD (member of Irish parliament) from 1997-2007 – on a megaphone, before and after the demonstration, large crowds gathered around our stalls and we held a successful mix of a street party stall and a public meeting.
The Socialist Party is holding a public rally this coming Thursday which is the day that members of the CPSU (public sector union) will take strike action. The rally will be convened and chaired by Joe Higgins and speakers will include Denis Keane from the Executive of the CPSU (personal capacity), Donie Fell from Waterford Crystal, Ruth Coppinger, who is a Teacher and Socialist Party councillor and John McCamley, a SIPTU shop steward in Dublin Bus, who are also planning action.
A month ago, talks between the union leaders, the government and the bosses, geared towards finding a ‘common approach’ to deal with the economic crisis, fell apart at the eleventh hour. That happened because the government put forward a proposal to impose a pension levy, which at one stroke would slash the wage of an average public sector worker by 5 – 6%. On top of the attack on wages, the government announced plans to cut € 2 billion off expenditure this year, as part of a plan to slash €14 billion in spending over the next five years.
The government and the media are attempting to use the crisis in the private sector, where employment is collapsing, to justify its attack on the public sector. They argue that the whole of society, but in particular the “privileged and protected” public sector, need to share the pain now, so that the future can be brighter for all.
The anger of public sector workers at being, in reality, blamed for the crisis and attacked, has exploded, and forced the union leaders to organise last Saturday’s march.
Economy in free fall

The economy is in free fall. Goodbody Stock Brokers are predicting that the economy will contract by a further 6% this year, after a 3% contraction last year. Currently there are 327,000 signing on for unemployment benefits and Goodbody expect that figure to rise by 150,000 this year and a further 80,000 in 2010. That would mean unemployment of over 500,000 or 25% of the workforce, reminiscent of the highest unemployment levels in the US during the Great Depression.
Public or private sector workers do not accept the arguments of the government or the media. A recent poll indicated that 47% of people were opposed to and 41% were in favour of the imposition of the pension levy on public sector workers.
When broken down, those figures indicate that a large majority of working class people are opposed to this measure. The widespread understanding that profiteering by the banks and property developers, fully encouraged by the government, has played a key role in the collapse in the economy makes it much more difficult for this government to win support for its propaganda or for its policies.
Last Saturday, the Socialist Party argued that the unions must now organise a one-day strike of all public sector workers against the levy and the cuts. At the same time, the unions must fight on behalf of private sector workers. That means resisting job losses and pay cuts. But currently the unions are doing nothing to help private sector workers fight to defend jobs and pay. They should be organising for united action of all workers to defeat this weak government.
The weakness of the position of the union is shown in the case of the Waterford Glass occupation. Notwithstanding the action of the workers, it seems likely now that the union, UNITE, will go along with the buy-out of the firm by the US private equity company, KPS. If accepted, this would result in massive jobs losses, attacks in pay and conditions and poor redundancy and pension payments. But there is a clear case for the nationalisation of Waterford Crystal and the union should be stepping up its action and fighting for such a solution.
While the union leaders have been forced to move against the government, they do not want to defeat the government. Incredibly, key figures in the unions are arguing that to defeat the government would be counter-productive, as the alternative government, dominated by Fine Gael but also including a boosted Labour Party, would be more right wing.
These union leaders have, in effect, argued that it was the action of workers in the Winter of Discontent, in Britain in the late 1970s, that caused the coming to power of Thatcherism and they are using that argument as a justification for trying to control and limit the struggle against the Fianna Fail-led government. However, this position, in the context of severe crisis and draconian attacks on the working class, is untenable.
Pressure from below is forcing various public sector unions to ballot for and to organise industrial action. Lower paid civil servants will strike action this Thursday, 26 February. Dublin Bus workers will strike this coming Saturday against cuts in the number of drivers and services, with even a section of bus workers due to take indefinite action from 1 March.
Role of union leaders

The Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) leaders hoped that last Saturday’s mass mobilisation would force the government back to the negotiating table over the pensions levy and other issues. They are prepared to sign up to a deal if they could get some concessions, along with some measures to hit or curb the bankers and speculators.
The union leaders accept that workers should make sacrifices (arguing for an all-class, social solidarity pact) and it seems they are prepared to come up with suggestions for how the same value of savings could be found for the government but by other means. If the demonstration is not enough to open up new talks with the government, the ICTU leaders are likely to pursue more ballots for industrial action, to further try and strengthen their hand and bargaining position.
Strikes, particularly a series of one-day strikes, are likely. It is possible that the government may make some concessions, which could bring the union leaders on board, while fundamentally continuing the attacks on pay and conditions. Any such agreement is likely to be short-term because of the collapse in the economy - there will be no end of new attacks on the working class.
For the same reasons, if they were not able to come to an agreement a month ago, what is to say the union leaders and government will be able to come to one over the next month? The social partnership between the government, bosses and the trade union leaders, forged over the last twenty years, could be quickly pulled apart.
Notwithstanding the widespread anger and disgust, there is also a lot of fear about the economic situation, what the future holds and, as a result, there is also hesitation at this stage amongst many workers about taking more significant or all out industrial action.
It is possible that the decline in the economy could knock workers back and, at some point, cut across this class upsurge. Alternatively, the game of brinkmanship that the union leaders are playing could backfire and the movement against the government could escalate beyond their control.
Whatever happens in the next weeks and months ahead, it is clear that Ireland will never be the same again. The attacks of the bosses and the government, the scandals involving billions in the banks, and the redevelopment of mass mobilisations and struggle, are having a profound effect on society. Events are pushing consciousness decisively to the left and opening up major prospects for the building of a fighting socialist movement.

[Crux]

Posted by someone at another forum:

Yesterday there was a demonstration of well over 100,000 people in
Dublin, called by the Irish Congress of Trade Unions to oppose a move
by the government to cut all public sector worker's wages by around 7.5%.

Unfortunately, the trade union bureaucracy saw the demonstration as a
way to release anger and as a way to put pressure on the government to
rejoin the "social partnership" process rather than as a starting
point for a real struggle. There is very real pressure on the
bureaucrats from below however and some unions are balloting for
industrial action.

From a spotting point of view this demonstration was a rich vein of
gold. Pretty much every group on the Irish left was present, and quite
a few groups were over from Britain for a day out. A vast array of
unions had contingents, too many to list here so I will note only the
surprising presence of groups from PDFORRA, the army representative
body, which has been involved in a major row with the army leadership
after it announced that its members would not break strikes, the Garda
Representative Association and the Association of Garda Sergeants and
Inspectors.

The latter two groups represent the low and middle ranking cops and
I've never seen them on a demonstration like this - both had
substantial contingents with a lot of placards often with more
militant slogans than those of the mainstream unions. They were
heckled by anarchists at one point. A joke was doing the rounds
afterwards that their presence explains the Gardaí's unusual
willingness to estimate the size of the demonstration pretty accurately.

As far as political groups are concerned, there were plenty of them
but all of them were a little swamped by the size of the
demonstration. Here's a list of what I saw, but remember that I could
very easily have missed groups.

Socialist Party (CWI): Probably the largest presence, with over 100
people selling "The Socialist" and leafletting.

Socialist Workers Party (IST): The biggest mobilisation I've seen from
them in a long time with more than 50 people split between the SWP
itself and their electoral operation the People Before Profit
Alliance. The PBPA also had non-SWP members leafletting, so it's
difficult to be precise. The new format for "Socialist Worker" is a
bit peculiar, by the way. It's dropped to eight pages but also gone
full colour and it's printed on glossy card-like paper. Amusingly, one
of the main slogans on their leaflets and posters was "Let's Follow
Iceland", which I think may have causes some confusion.

Workers Party (Moscow type Stalinists): A contingent of at least a
couple of dozen, handing out free copies of their magazine "Look Left"
and leaflets campaigning against the extradition of Sean Garland.
Garland, a long time leader of the Workers Party and their Official
Sinn Fein predecessor is the subject of attempts to extradite him to
the US.

Workers Solidarity Movement (Platformist Anarchists): two or three
dozen people, some handing out free copes of "Workers Solidarity" and
leaflets advertising the Anarchist Bookfair and others in a
contingent. They spent much of the demonstration stationary and off to
the side, chanting at other contingents on the march to organise strikes.

Eirigi (left republicans): A contingent of a couple of dozen or more
with placards and banners.

Irish Socialist Network (ex-WP, "libertarian Marxist"): I saw at least
six of them handing out free copies of their paper "Resistance". There
may well have been quite a few more than this.

Communist Party of Ireland (Moscow type Stalinists): I saw one
leafletter and two CP flags, but again there could have been more
elsewhere.

Socialist Democracy (USFI): two people handing out an eight page
photocopied leaflet or magazine.

League for the Fifth International (L5I): Their one Irish supporter
and two members of Workers Power from Britain were handing out leaflets.

International Bolshevik Tendency (IBT): One member, selling copies of
1917 from 2007. To be fair, he was also selling a range of pamphlets.

International Communist League - FI (Sparts): Three Sparts, at least
one of whom was over from England. I'm told that Spartacist Group
Ireland is no longer an official section, having too few members.

Workers Revolutionary Party (one of the ICFIs): A couple of people
over from the British WRP and selling the Newsline.

Communist League (Pathfinder tendency): Three people over from the
British affiliate of the US SWP and selling, of course, their American
paper "The Militant".

People's Movement: Two people leafletting about the Lisbon Treaty.

Provisional Sinn Fein (ex republicans): No sign of them on the march
itself, but some of their TDs and councillors were standing on the
footpath with a banner and some placards as the demonstration went
past. I believe that their Ard Fheis (conference) may have clashed
with the demonstration.

Labour Party/Labour Youth (ex-social democrats): They dug out the
banners they had made for the anti-Iraq war demonstrations and formed
a contingent. No leaflets or the like, because they don't have
anything much to say. Currently they are riding high in the opinion
polls by seeming to disapprove of various government attacks on living
standards while not actually saying what they would do differently.

No sign of: that one IMT supporter, the IRSP, Republican Sinn Fein.
They might have been around and I just didn't see them however.

[cyu]

The latter two groups represent the low and middle ranking cops and
I've never seen them on a demonstration like this - both had
substantial contingents with a lot of placards often with more
militant slogans than those of the mainstream unions.


Nice :cool:

[Charles Xavier]

Good new. Glad to see the Irish Trade union movement.

[BOZG]

The latter two groups represent the low and middle ranking cops and
I've never seen them on a demonstration like this - both had
substantial contingents with a lot of placards often with more
militant slogans than those of the mainstream unions.


Nice :cool:

Yeah, it's an interesting situation. The last demonstration by cops took place in 1998 when they organised a "Blue flu" over pay but it was an isolated event. It's a sign of the colossal changes taking place when they're protesting amongst the working class. I'd say senior officials are quite worried by it, particularly considering PDFORRA which represents rank-and-file soldiers were represented on the demonstration and that they've asked the Minister for Defence to clarify that they won't be used as strike breakers. While asking for clarification and saying that you won't are two very different things, I think it would be dangerous to underestimate the opposition to strike breaking.

[REVOLUTIONARY32]

Yeah, it's an interesting situation. The last demonstration by cops took place in 1998 when they organised a "Blue flu" over pay but it was an isolated event. It's a sign of the colossal changes taking place when they're protesting amongst the working class. I'd say senior officials are quite worried by it, particularly considering PDFORRA which represents rank-and-file soldiers were represented on the demonstration and that they've asked the Minister for Defence to clarify that they won't be used as strike breakers. While asking for clarification and saying that you won't are two very different things, I think it would be dangerous to underestimate the opposition to strike breaking.



Picking up on your strike breaking comment.We need to engineer situations where the state is forced to use strike breakers as there is nothing that will mobalize the workers more than heavy handed state tactics.Radicalize the unions.As they can be pretty soft.
INFILTRATE! AGITATE! OVERTHROW!