Sep

Why trade unionists should oppose CETA

The main goal of CETA is to remove regulatory ‘barriers’ which restrict the potential profits to be made by transnational corporations on both sides of the Atlantic. These ‘barriers’ are in reality some of our most prized social standards CETA also seeks to create new markets by opening up public services and government procurement contracts to competition from transnational corporations, threatening to introduce a further wave of privatisations in key sectors, such as health and education. Only the rights of corporations are clarified; those of workers are ignored or couched in vague provisions. Not only does CETA not contain a […]

September 19th, 2017 by TU Left Admin | Type: Standard

Filed Under: News Tags: CETA, EU, ICTU, TTIP, TULF Comments are off for this post

Aug

Irish trade unionism and the end of Civil War politics?

By Sean Byers, delivered at the TULF meeting a political strategy for the trade union movement. In December 2015, as the Right2Water campaign continued to confound its opponents with mass demonstrations attracting upwards of 100,000 people, former Taoiseach John Bruton made this revealing statement to the Irish media: FG and FF have complemented each other through Irish history. In Ireland we have had consensus about major long-term policies largely because we haven’t had a sharp left/right or ideological divide. We have had differences, but they are differences about other things, not economics, and that has served the country very well… […]

August 5th, 2016 by TU Left Admin | Type: Standard

Filed Under: News Tags: capitalism, class, class organisation, class unions, communist party, Connolly, ICTU, Labour Party, Larkin, r2w, SIPTU, socialism, strike, TINA, trade unions in ireland, TTIP Comments are off for this post

Apr

ICTU President Brian Campfield at the SF Ard Fheis

I wish to thank Sinn Fein for providing the opportunity to address this Ard Fheis on behalf the Irish trade union movement. It is of course an historic year during which we are commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Easter Rising and the trade unions, generally, if not universally, take great pride in the role played by James Connolly and the Irish Citizen Army in the Rising. I say generally because trades unions are also victims of the divisions in our country and in the interests of working class and trade union unity we have had to adopt a nuanced […]

April 27th, 2016 by TU Left Admin | Type: Standard

Filed Under: News Tags: 1916, ard fheis, brian campfield, CETA, ICTU, sinn fein, trade unions and 1916, TTIP Comments are off for this post

Feb

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 […]

February 22nd, 2016 by TU Left Admin | Type: Standard

Filed Under: News Tags: CETA, environment, EU, EU treaties, ICTU, international trade agreements, jobs, monopolocy capitalism, NAFTA, scrap ttip, stop ttip, TTIP, TULF Comments are off for this post

Dec

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 […]

December 29th, 2015 by TU Left Admin | Type: Standard

Filed Under: News Tags: #GE16, climate change, EU, ISDS, TTIP, US, War on want Comments are off for this post

Nov

Water charges the EU and TTIP!

The origin of the planned water charges lies in the EU’s Water Framework Directive (2000), which provided for full cost recovery for water use and whose Article 9 states; ‘Member States shall take account of the principle of recovery of the costs of water services …’ It also required Member States to have in place water-pricing policies by 2010. The Directive was transposed into Irish Law in 2003. The Water Framework Directive, which seeks to commodify water provision through the establishment of the principle of recovery of the costs of water services. The EU took advantage of the ‘bailout’ to […]

November 11th, 2014 by TU Left Admin | Type: Standard

Filed Under: News Tags: CETA, ISDS, right2water, TTIP, TULF, water charges, water directive Comments are off for this post

Sep

ICTU on TTIP

Trade unionists must take a principled position opposing the TTIP between the US and EU. It is an anti-democratic treaty that will enhance corporate power, reduce regulations, provide for further privatisation and intensify the ongoing race to the bottom in workers rights, wages and protections. The ICTU has produced an overview document available at http://www.ictu.ie/publications/fulllist/congress-sub-to-public-consultation-on-modalities-for-investment-protection-and-isds-in-ttip/ and their initial overview is below. While this is welcome trade unions need to coordinate a campaign with environmental groups, 3rd world justice groups and communities to mount a serious opposition. TULF activists are now working with other groups to establish this. We call on ICTU […]

September 27th, 2014 by TU Left Admin | Type: Standard

Filed Under: News Tags: ICTU, Privatisation, TTIP, TULF Comments are off for this post

Sep

European Commission rejects a citizens’ petition against the EU-US trade deal (TTIP)

The European Commission has today rejected a proposal from an alliance of European campaigners to hold a ‘European Citizens’ Initiative’ against the EU-US and EU-Canada trade deals (known as TTIP and CETA). This decision prevents citizens from forcing the Commission to review its policy on the deals and to hold a hearing in the European parliament. Negotiations on TTIP and CETA deal have provoked strong opposition across Europe, the US and Canada. Campaigners fear these treaties will give unprecedented power to multinational corporations, risking privatisation of public services and dilution of environmental standards and workers’ rights. To express this opposition, […]

September 12th, 2014 by TU Left Admin | Type: Standard

Filed Under: News Tags: EU, Petition, TTIP, TULF Comments are off for this post

Sep

British Unions likely to oppose TTIP

Three of the UK’s biggest unions have tabled motions at the Trade Union Congress in Liverpool outlining their opposition to the transatlantic trade and investment partnership (TTIP), a huge trade deal being negotiated behind closed doors at the European commission between EU bureaucrats and delegates from the US. Critics say the TTIP threatens to make the outsourcing of health services in Britain permanent by allowing US multinationals, or any firm with American investors, to sue any future UK government if it attempts to take privatised health services back into public ownership, jeopardising their profits. Critics say it will also water […]

September 9th, 2014 by TU Left Admin | Type: Standard

Filed Under: News Tags: British Unions, Privatisation, TTIP, TULF Comments are off for this post

Sep

TTIP must be stopped – Unite the Union

Welcoming the launch of a People’s Movement information booklet on the proposed EU – US ‘Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership’ (TTIP), Unite Regional Secretary jimmy Kelly today (Sunday September 7th) said that the job creation claims advanced by the treaty’s proponents do not stack up, and he warned that workers’ and citizens’ rights would take a backseat to corporate interests. “It’s no wonder that there is a veil of secrecy over this treaty: its advocates, both in the US and in the EU, know that citizens would not tolerate its proposed provisions. “We all remember when the Government asked us […]

September 7th, 2014 by TU Left Admin | Type: Standard

Filed Under: News Tags: EU, Jimmy Kelly, People's Movement, trade deals, TTIP, Unite, US Comments are off for this post