The Labour Party, in this centenary year of the heroic struggle of 1913, claims to be committed to providing the legal right to trade union representation and collective bargaining for workers with their employers. They claim it is part of the Programme for Government that they negotiated with their coalition partners, Fine Gael—though in reality all this commits them to is reforming existing legislation to be in line with recent rulings by the European Court of Human Rights. The relevant minister, Richard Bruton (Fine Gael), requested submissions on this subject earlier in the year and has made a commitment to […]
Sep
02
Trade Union Left Forum Pamphlet
To mark the one hundredth anniversary of the 1913 lockout the Trade Union Left Forum has chosen to reprint a number of James Connolly’s important articles on the politics of trade union organisation and struggle. Connolly is without doubt Ireland’s great working class intellectual and organiser. His politics were unceremoniously class politics. To his understanding of history and his choice of strategy and tactics for his day he brought class analysis rooted in the works of Marx. He unapologetically represented his class in all aspects of life and struggle including union organisation, national freedom and cultural expression. Everything he did […]
Apr
26
Tadhg Barry Film – Saturday, 4th May – Triskel Arts Centre, Cork City
Saturday, 4th May at 2.00 p.m. in the Triskel Arts Centre, Cork City. Using British Pathe film, historical photgraphs and documents an hour long documentary on the life of Cork trade union leader, socialist and republican fighter, Tadhg Barry, will be shown in Cork on 4th May. The film covers his life from his birth place on the north side of Cork City, to his early years in the work force and his initial leap into journalism, and from there to his political enlightenment and work with the ITGWU, James Connolly and James Larkin to re-build the union in Cork […]
Apr
16
Mobilise against sacrifice!
Trade Union Left Forum Statement on Croke Park II The Trade Union Left Forum commends the unions that fought for a No vote on the proposed new agreement and the members in SIPTU who passionately campaigned and delivered a No vote against both their leadership’s and the Labour Party’s instructions. The proposed agreement, which in its current form is dead, does not protect workers but would have facilitated a further undermining of terms and conditions of employment, hours of work and the incomes of working families throughout this country. This agreement was clearly designed to further sacrifice workers to pay […]
Mar
23
Campaign to Defend Trade Union Rights
A major campaign to defend trade union rights will be launched at the weekend with a rally in central London. Twenty-five national trade unions will unite on Friday to launch the Campaign For Trade Union Freedom (CTUF) organisation. Thatcher-era anti-trade union legislation has left trade unions with their hands tied while the coalition launches unprecedented assaults on workers’ pay, conditions and rights with fierce cuts to health and safety and public services. Labour failed to repeal the draconian legislation and in some cases actively tightened the laws. Recent years have seen bosses exploit the law to prevent unions from taking […]
Mar
23
With no increase in the base wages, Japan won’t get out of deflation
Major auto and electronics makers in this year’s spring labor offensive have offered an increase in annual income, as requested by corporate unions, but no increase in the base wage because these Rengo-affiliated unions shelved a request for an increase in the base wage for four consecutive years. To their corporate unions, carmakers, including Toyota and Nissan, on March 13 answered that they will grant an increase in seasonal bonuses. Leading electronics manufactures also answered on the same day that they will increase bonuses, though less than the amount their corporate unions requested, and will maintain automatic pay increases. The […]
Mar
08
Statement by the Belfast and District Trades Union Council On the sad death of the President of Venezuela, Hugo Chávez
The Belfast & District Trades Union Council expresses its condolences and solidarity with the family and comrades of President Hugo Chávez, and with the people of Venezuela. A leader of great courage, Hugo Chávez defied the rich and powerful across the globe by choosing to dedicate his life and the policies of his government to the working people and the poor. Where cowards flinched, Hugo Chávez stood proudly declaring himself a socialist, a man of the people, standing for real democracy, equality and justice. Taking this position earned President Chávez the wrath of the world’s wealthiest, their crony governments’ and […]
Feb
05
Anti-Austerity Protest – Be Angry But Get Active!
Be angry but get active The Trade Union Left Forum calls on all workers to join the Irish Congress of Trade Unions organised protests on Saturday, 9th February, and make clear their opposition to the corporate debt imposed on Irish people and the ongoing attacks on the working class being perpetrated by Irish and European governing elites. Protests have been organised in Dublin, Cork, Galway, Limerick, Waterford and Sligo, to commence at 1.30 p.m. It is vital that workers, students and their families make their voices heard at these events. The clear demand of workers’ should be for the repudiation […]
Jan
29
Inez McCormack, Trade Unionist and Human Rights Activist, Born Derry 1946, Died 21st January Derry 2013
Inez McCormack was the first woman president of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions from 2000 to 2002, Born into a Protestant working class family in Derry, she left school aged 16 and studied social work at Queen’s University Belfast and Trinity College Dublin. As a student she took part in the early Civil Rights demonstrations and was at Burntollet when they were attacked by B Specials and Loyalists. It was there she met her future husband, Vinney, a catholic from Belfast – on the barricade so to speak. As the first female trade union official for the National Union […]
Jan
18
HMV Workers
The Trade Union Left Forum extends its support and solidarity to the workers at HMV who are facing unemployment, loss of wages, and reduced redundancy pay. The TULF supports these workers, who are occupying their buildings in anger at the way they have been treated, and the union members trying to achieve a better outcome for all involved. But these last-minute occupations, which we have seen before, are not enough to challenge the fundamental injustices of the system today. We can no longer afford to leave struggle to the last minute, otherwise we will continue to merely have these heroic […]
Workers’ Rights Campaign
Resources
Sign the Workers’ Charter
