Jailings will only intensify the protests against the bin tax

by No Bin Tax Fri Sep 19, 2003 21:23

THE JAILING of Socialist Party TD Joe Higgins and Cllr Clare Daly for one month for their refusal to cease campaigning against the bin tax in Dublin is an attack on working class peoples rights to protest against injustice.

Both Joe and Clare were elected to the Dail and Fingal County Council respectively with a mandate to oppose the introduction of bin charges and to represent the thousands of families who are opposed to bin charges. Bin Charges are a form of double taxation.

Under the present Southern Government, more than 80% of all income tax is collected from the working class under the PAYE system. PAYE workers do not object to paying for the service but certainly do object to paying twice.

The agenda of the establishment is to defeat resistance to the bin tax, make the tax collectible, reintroduce the hated water charges and bring local taxation up to the 1000 euro a year mark.

The Government and the Councils try to portray the tax as an environmentally friendly measure based on the principle that "the polluter pays". However, the point is that the polluter manifestly does not pay in the southern State. A couple of years ago total national waste came to 80 million tonnes. Of this, a mere 1.2 million tonnes was accounted for by household waste. Most of the rest was accounted for by big business and agriculture. Yet ordinary householders were hit with service charges and big business was rewarded with the lowest corporate tax rates in Europe.

The jailing of Joe Higgins and Clare Daly for fighting for the rights of working class people is been met with outrage throughout the country. This is at the same time that millionaire tax dodgers have been found to have cheated the tax man of a small fortune by hiding money in offshore Ansbacher bank accounts. Not a single Ansbacher Man has seen the inside of a prison cell.

The defeat of the bin charges in the South would also be a victory for working people in Northern Ireland. Campaigns are presently being built across the North to organise non-payment of the planned water charges which are also designed to financially cripple working class people even further.

We are calling for workers throughout Northern Ireland to protest and show solidarity with Joe and Clare and with the working class people of Dublin fighting the bin tax.

Yours,

Carmel Gates, NIPSA President (personal capacity)

Padraig Mulholland, NIPSA General Council member (personal capacity)

Brian Booth, NIPSA General Council member (personal capacity)

Kevin Lawrenson, NIPSA General Council member (personal capacity)

Paul Dale, NIPSA General Council member (personal capacity)

Mary Cahillane INTO Executive member

Gordon McNeill,

Madan Gumpta,

Chris Bowyer, sacked airport shop stewards

Jim Barbour, FBU Executive Committee

Jim Quinn FBU, Chairperson NI

Tony Maguire, Belfast Trades Council

Anton McCabe, Omagh Trades Council

Mickey Duffy, NIPSA Fermanagh & Tyrone Health Branch

Harry Hutchinson, Secretary T&GWU Mid-Ulster & West Branch

Peter Hadden,

Gary Mulcahy,

Ciaran Mulholland,

Northern Regional Executive Committee, Socialist Party

For more information contact: Gary Mulcahy 07742087602

by No Bin Tax Fri Sep 19, 2003 21:26

Protest rallies are scheduled for Tallaght, Swords and Blanchardstown for Saturday and for the City Centre on Monday evening.

Currently three bin trucks are still under long term blockade in Fingal. Community action on this issue is set to get stronger and stronger.

by Ted Tynan - The Workers' Party Fri Sep 19, 2003 21:51 wpi at indigo dot ie

The Workers’ Party has strongly condemned the jailing of Socialist Party TD Joe Higgins and his colleague Cllr. Clare Daly for their part in the widespread campaign against bin charges in North County Dublin.

Workers’ Party spokesman Ted Tynan, who was himself jailed in Cork on the same issue in the 1990s, said the jailing of the two activists was an outrage and he called for a nationwide mobilisation to support the Dublin anti-bin tax campaigners.

“Once again we see ordinary workers and their representatives being jailed for resisting an unjust form of double taxation while those with wealth and power in high places can openly flout the law and engage in criminal tax fraud and bribery on a obscenely massive scale. The judge in this case has declared loudly and plainly that there is indeed one law for the rich and crooked in this country and another punitive and unjust law for PAYE workers”, said Mr. Tynan.

The Cork based Workers’ Party spokesman offered his and his party’s full support to Deputy Higgins and Councillor Daly, their families and supporters and said that nationwide displays of solidarity will follow, starting with a demonstration at Cork City Hall on Monday evening (full details to follow).

by Orla Ni Chomhrai - SWP Fri Sep 19, 2003 22:29 nichomhrai at eircom dot net

BIN TAX SHOWDOWN
SUPPORT THE ANTI-BIN TAX PROTESTERS
STREET DEMO SAT. 20/9 LYNCH'S CASTLE,1-2pm

Protesters are fighting to resist double taxation,against undemocratic laws and practices...express your outrage at the jailing of protesters.

by wolfatad4 Sat Sep 20, 2003 02:49

. . .. let's get joe and clare the same

mail - irishheads@hotmail.com

by iosaf Sat Sep 20, 2003 12:36

Get them all laptops and mobiles.
May the elected representatives of the Socialist Party of Ireland use this time to learn about the appaling conditions in Dublin's prison, and work towards the succesful conclusing of many injustices against the poor of Ireland.

ONE OUT ALL OUT.

by iosaf ipsiphi O as if Sat Sep 20, 2003 16:52

I've decided to keep an eye on the Oireachtas daily biz. Now this is quite a new venture for me, but rest assured I won't be alone, and will be counting nay utilising wisdom, wit and that ancient cunning for which I am prematurely known.


Would you do us a favour and ensure that there's enough paper and computer access, printing, freedom of expression and that sort of stuff "in the Joy"?

by Ailín Sat Sep 20, 2003 21:22

Dublin Republican Sinn Féin

September 20, 2003

At an emergency meeting of Comhairle Ceantair Átha Cliath, Republican Sinn Féin a resolution was passed in support of the campaign against the Bin Tax.

The meeting also noted the ease with which prominent leaders of the anti-bin tax campaign were imprisoned while corrupt politicians seem immune to prosecution.