SIPTU defers Luas strike action on St Patrick’s Day to consider WRC proposals Date Released: 16 March 2016 SIPTU members working on the Luas light rail network have deferred a work stoppage scheduled for tomorrow (17th March) following talks at the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) which have resulted in proposals to resolve the dispute for three out of four grades of workers. SIPTU Organiser, John Murphy, said: “In talks lasting close to 28 hours with the employer, Transdev, at the WRC, we have made substantial progress. The WRC has produced proposals that it believes are the best achievable in relation […]
Mar
16
Support the Luas Workers
Reprinted from https://radicalwhispers.wordpress.com/2016/03/14/support-for-the-luas-workers/ Turned a Rant Supporting the Luas Workers into a new blog piece after a little break I genuinely understand why people are being played on with this case. It is a case of pay increases rather then resisting a firing, or a closure or an eviction or homelessness. It has the sympathy factor washed away. The problem is sympathy, the sort where we go ‘oh dear look at them poor people’, is not actually the best politics or the best basis for solidarity and collective action, it is dis-empowering and hierarchy creating. What we really want, to […]
Feb
29
IMPACT – Childcare workers and childcare provision
Below is an interview we in the Trade Union Left Forum did with Lisa Connell, trade union Organiser with Impact trade union and their efforts to improve childcare provision in Ireland and organise childcare workers. Lisa can be contacted at lconnell@impact.ie There are a number of elements to the crisis in child-care provision in Ireland. How do you see it? Child care has become increasingly popular as a topic discussed in wider society. On the back foot of the general election there was a narrative on what each political party could do in regard to child-care provision. The emphasis which […]
Feb
22
Stop · Halt · Arrêtez · Στάση · Stad TTIP
Many trade unions are calling for CETA, the Canadian-European trade agreement, and TTIP, the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, to be stopped and scrapped; and here is why. In summary the concern of ICTU is that TTIP is a manifestation of an aggressive neo-liberalism aimed at so circumscribing the policy space for governments that policies will be separated from economics such that it will not matter what government is elected. It will, in other words, complete the subjugation of society to markets. Moreover, this issue has to be seen in the context of a European integration project which has lost […]
Jan
24
Greek workers prepare for Feb 4th General Strike
Occupations, protests and rallies are happening in Greece in build up to a national strike on Feb 4th called by a number of Unions and supported by the class conscious and militant PAME (All Workers Militant Front). PAME have and will continue to organise actions and events in advance of the strike. A major demonstration took place yesterday in Athens in advance of the strike which has been called against what is known in Greece as the ‘Butcher Bill’ which is a pension and social security reform bill being brought by the SYRIZA Government which unions argue is a plunder […]
Jan
12
#savemoorestreet
The Trade Union Left Forum supports the Save Moore Street campaign (#savemoorestreet) and calls on Unions, and union activists, to show support for the campaign and for those seeking to save Moore Street buildings used by the heroes of 1916 from demolition. While the State has designated numbers 14-17 as a National Monument and plans to restore only the fronts of the buildings as a commemoration to the Rising, we support the campaigners demands to protect number 18, arguably the last HeadQuarters of the 1916 Rising, and the greater site from being rezone and developed as a Shopping centre which […]
Dec
31
2015: resistance, struggles, and developments
Capital’s strategic offensive to open up new areas of profit, weaken the collective and reform education continued during the past year. However, there has been some increased resistance from workers on a number of fronts and pay increases won by union members, as well as a strengthening of the water movement in opposition to privatisation, double taxation, and Irish Water. The following is a brief overview of some of the important moments of the year. Water movement continues to grow Without doubt the most important development for workers this year has been the leading role played by trade unions in […]
Dec
29
TTIP 2015 Updated Booklet
This updated booklet from John Hillary of War on Want is an excellent analysis and exposition of TTIP and the affect it will have on jobs, workers, the environment, regulations and much more. TTIP booklet 2015 update The booklet covers topics like: transparency and lack of democracy jobs and employment deregulation privatisation investor-state dispute settlement mechanisms (ISDS) food safety environmental impact Well worth reading in advance of #GE16 so you can challenge candidates on the door and at the supermarket as they canvas you for their vote. But don’t just read it get involved: 1 – write to your Union […]
Dec
22
Q3 see’s a calming of industrial action
The CSO has published its figures for industrial in the third economic quarter of the year which shows zero days lost to industrial action (their choice of words). There were no disputes and no days of industrial action in Q3. This followed 32,848 days, 7 disputes and 6 employers, in Q1 and Q2 of this year. 73% of these days lost were in the education sector involving the Governments proposed junior certificate reform. It is the first quarter since Q4 of 2012 to have zero days. While the Q4 numbers are not out we can expect a significant increase given the […]
Dec
21
WFTU Statement on the International Migrants Day
The WFTU expresses its solidarity to the migrants and refugees from Syria and all the other countries. We support their demands for dignified humane conditions and respect of their rights. The World Federation of Trade Unions with its anti-imperialist and internationalist position and action denounces the murderous and hypocritical policy of the European Union and its Governments and struggles for the elimination of the aggressiveness against the people of North Africa and the Middle East, for the dissolution of NATO and for the utilization of the natural resources by the people for their own interests and for the popular development […]
