Dublin March to Free the Ballybrack 3

by Paula Geraghty Thu Feb 16, 2006 01:51 mspgeraghty at yahoo dot ie

images (c) Paula Geraghty

by Paula Geraghty Thu Feb 16, 2006 01:55 mspgeraghty at yahoo dot ie

(c) Paula Geraghty
Many grateful thanks to Anthony who resized the images!

by Paula Geraghty Thu Feb 16, 2006 02:13

(c) Paula geraghty

by Paula Geraghty Thu Feb 16, 2006 02:16

(c) Paula Geraghty

by Paula geraghty Thu Feb 16, 2006 02:22

(c) paula geraghty

by Gay Geori Thu Feb 16, 2006 02:35

Well done - they tell their own story. Particularly, the one with Larkin framing the marchers, the wheelchaired and non-national protestors. Luckily, none of RBB... (though I saw him on the march)

by weeler - wsm Thu Feb 16, 2006 02:47

march looks huge, how many people were there?

by Joe Thu Feb 16, 2006 11:19

This mornings Metro says there were 1000

by pat c Thu Feb 16, 2006 11:34

Irish Times say 200. But then we really shouldnt believe what we read in the capitalist media about workers disputes. Disregard what the Metro and IT say, none of the NUJ members there can be trusted, or so the SWP have ruled. Wait until the SWP announce the "official" figure.

I want to see the 3 brickies released and I want to see Collen adhering to TU rates and only hiring TU labour but the local labour idea is daft, workers from Budapest, Belfast and Ballyfermot have just as much right to work in Ballybrack as locals do.

by Curious Thu Feb 16, 2006 11:44

I'd love to know what the SP line is on this. After all Joe Higgins was the man who championed the Turkish workers in Gama. Surprised to see their banner and Joe there. The 'jobs for the community' slogan is to be seen in nearly all the pictures what does this mean? Can't see the SP agreeing with that slogan in the centre of Belfast. Interesting that the lead banner was People Before Profit. Not surprised by the communalist nature of the lot behind that. Did the SP have any literature outlining their position because there is nothing in their latest paper or their website.

by Pat Dunne - Community & Workers Action Group Pers Cap Thu Feb 16, 2006 12:04

Nice to see Photo of Joanne Delaney above on the March. She is supporting her fathers union BATU.

by Bolshevik Thu Feb 16, 2006 12:32

The words below are from the BNP Website but they could just as easily have been written by the SWP. Nowhere in the SWP leaflets will you find a mention of the right of foreign workers to be employed on sites in Dun Laoghaire. The only thing mentioned is local labour and locals being put out of work.

"Local construction firms in the central belt are feeling the pinch because contracts are being lost to unscrupulous companies who seek to make obscene profits by employing cheap immigrant labour instead of local tradesmen, without giving a thought to the detrimental social impact this policy brings."

by anto Thu Feb 16, 2006 12:38

Dose any union support this action

by dave - swp Thu Feb 16, 2006 13:13

Yesterday was a fantastic march and display of solidarity for three imprisoned union men.
There is no contradiction between supporting the rights of Irish workers and supporting the rights of migrant workers. Strong unions will benefit all. Like all of the socialist organisations present yesterday the SWP supports the rights of all workers. We do not discriminate. We have a proud anti-racist tradition.
I can only say that pat c, curious and others seem to be deliberately misrepresenting the campaign and the imprioned men. As has been made clear on other threads the men were not looking for exclusive local employment but for a 'proportion of local labour to be employed'. This is standard practice in many local authority areas and was the case in Dun laoghire for many years. they are not looking for anybody to be sacked either but simply to be considered for positions arising as teh site expanded. Collens sub-contarctors told them to take a hike. Some men were even refused letters for social welfare
As well as Trade Union Rights the campign is also about local communities having a say in and benefiting from devolpment in their areas. In this it is no different from the case of the Rossport 5, or from the Zapatistas in Mexico who also campaign for a local say over local developpment. Like the people of mayo or the indigenous people of mexico, the people of ballybrack have a right to a democratic say in what is happening in thier community. This is surely a fundamental principle of any kind of politics which claims to be progressive.
Collen is notoriously anti union. They have long been engaged in a campaign against the BATU trade union. They had 17 BATU members arrested for picketing in January 2003. They are well aware that their is a high union density in the locality. The Ballybrack 3 were blacked because they were trade unionists. They are in prison beacuse they stood up to an anti-union employer. They are making a heroic stand against the courts and the greed of developers. Any true left winger will be backing them.

blogspot at www.ballybrack3.blogspot.com messages of support for the three to ballybrack3@hotmail.com

by Cian - Socialist Party Thu Feb 16, 2006 13:27 ComradeCian at eircom dot net Limerick 085-7077919

Hey,

I don't have the time to write out the full leaflet and hopefully it will be put online soon enough anyway. But hhere is some of the info:

Title:

PICKET ALL COLLEN SITES
SHUT THEM DOWN
Free the Batu Brickies!

1st paragraph: basic idea - We need to respond to this
2nd paragraph: basic idea - Economic problems looming, need militant approach

3rd paragraph (Emboldened) :
"The SP believes tht Batu activists and members need to take hold of and organise this dispute by establishing an organising committee to co-ordinate action to force Collen Construction to lift the High Court injunction. Collen sites at Minicipal Gallery Parnell Sqyare and UCD (Fosters Ave entrance) as well as the site in Ballybrack should be picketed and shut down until the three Batu members are freed from jail."

4th Paragraph: Title - Militant Campagn to force employers back

5th: United Trade Union response needed

6th: Oppose Social Partnership.

Demands:
- BATU members should establish anorganising committee to co-ordinate the struggle to free the 3 bricklayers
- Pickets to be placed on all Colledn Construction sites - shut them downuntill the High Court injunction is lifted and the 3 workers are freed
- For a campaign on action to force the replacement of sub-contractors with trade union labour
-For a united campaign by all construction unions to recruit non-union Irish and migrant building workers. Fight the "Race to the Bottom"

-------------------------------------------------------
Socialist Party recognises that are possible racial tensions developing and possibly tat plays a role in this that is why it is important that trade unionists and socialists point at the real enemy, the bosses, and at th strength of workers, unity. We have to argue for united action of migrant and irish workers, for a campaign to bring these into the unions etc. Groups not arguing for this are playing into the hands of bosses who will benifit from dividing workers and are playing into the hands of government an the far right. It wouldn't surprise me if some of the more populist left were doing this but I haven't read any of the other groups leaflets. Oh, also, the SP have played an important role in Batu in getting them to do something on this as we have a full time Batu worker. A text wassent around by Batu but I am unsure of what work they have done and what position they have taken. Batu is a very strange case study of a Union, don't you think?
Thanks,
Cian

by Tubs - Local Jobs For Local People Thu Feb 16, 2006 13:43

So can I take it that the SP would have serious problems with the original SWP leaflet on the other thread which ends with the slogan - IT'S YOUR COMMUNITY! WE MUST STICK TOGETHER!.

by pat c Thu Feb 16, 2006 13:48

"I can only say that pat c, curious and others seem to be deliberately misrepresenting the campaign and the imprioned men."

i am not deliberately misrepresenting the campaign. i am making criticisms. i know that criticism is an alien concept within the swp but when you operate outside it you must expect it. not everyone accepts the edicts of the swp high command as gospel truth.

the propaganda produced by the swp so far has been deficent in asserting the RIGHT of eastern europeans to work in ballybrack. the leaflet proposed by cian of the sp above is a great improvement.

to get back to the criticism og local labour: saying that i dont agree with local labour does not mean that i am misrepresenting you. it merely means that i disagree with you. i think every worker has an equal right to employment on the site. if a vacancy comes up 2moro then someone from budapest has just as much claim as someone from ballybrack. if you say anything different then in my opinion you are not a socialist and you are playing up to local prejudices.

lets support the imprisioned brickies, lets demand their release, lets demand that unionisation of all collens sites. lets not support the idea of local labour which can only divide the working class.

by d - swp Thu Feb 16, 2006 13:58

There are no sign of any racial tensions in this campaign. Though some elements of eth media may choose to put that spin on it. Indeed the three imprisoned bricklayers, the other picketing builders, and all of their supporters have constantly been at pains to point out that they have nothing against migrant workers and that their campaign is about the right of all building workers, migrant and Irish, to decent pay and conditions and to trade union representation.
In simple terms they are defending their own right to work, not attacking anyone elses right to work.
A victory for Collen will obviously give the green light to developers to rev up their engines to warp speed in the race for the bottom.
The families and the men are not racists. The are also well aware of the swp's anti-racism. The front page of our last issue of our paper was on exploitaion of migrant workers in the building industry. Most of them have seen it and read it and nobody has objected in teh slightest. I think most working class peope are smart enough to relaise without being lectured to that the bosses are the real enemy.
Everyone's support is welcome but it is important to be aware of the facts on the ground before jumping to conclusions.
It should be noted that there is only one foreign worker on the laurel avenue site, who, without compromising him, was not unsympathetic to the picketers.
BATU and the other unions should indeed be recruiting migrants en masse. SIPTU is actually doing a good job on this. But we won't attract anyone to the unions by not supporting the people already in them.
On BATU, they are restrained by court order from going anywhere near a collen site. They fear sequestration of their funds if they are seen to offically back the men. We are of course arguing that they should break the injunction and come out officially in support of the men. But these arguments are not won overnight and they are certainly not won by hectoring.
There's another demo in Dun Laoghire on Saturday staring at 2pm at the people's park. It should be big and spirited. All are welcome

by Michael R. Thu Feb 16, 2006 14:21

Many thanks Paula for all the excellent photos. The march looked great. The fight for human rights are alive and well in Dublin & Ireland!!!

I never knew about the march however. There was no mention of it on the site here in the events section (as far as I can see anyhow). Make sure to get all future events up here!.

The "People Before Profit" banner looked great. This really is what it is all about. This really should ring home with 95% of the people of Ireland as we are all (100%), in one form or another exploited in the name of profit.

by pat c Thu Feb 16, 2006 14:22

"The families and the men are not racists"

dave, this is a typical swp smear tactic, get someone to deny something they never said.

i never suggested that either the men or their families were racist.

i also notice that you use the tactics of your northern comrades and blame the press for any shortcomings in your campaign. journalists are workers and union members as well. give the nuj a break wiilya?

to conclude, i can see no reason why someone from ballybrack should get a job on the site before someone from belgrade.

no to socialism in one constituency!

workers of all countries unite!

by Tubs - Local Jobs For Local People Thu Feb 16, 2006 15:08

Dave you say that SIPTU are actually doing a good job on this one. Well that wouldn't have anything to do with the Labour Party's disgraceful position on immigration - would it now? Their ambiguity is a disgrace. Sure isn't there 40 million Poles to worry about.

Simple question Dave. Do you stand by the campaign leaflet that finished with IT'S YOUR COMMUNITY! WE MUST STICK TOGETHER!?
If you don't see the ambiguity in that I'd suggest the SWP should start the merger talks with the Labour Party pretty soon.

by Michael R. Thu Feb 16, 2006 15:31

Hello Tubs,

I was just looking at the SWP website to see if I could get a look their actual leaflet. I came across the current edition of Socialist Worker newspaper. The cover story had the heading:-

"COVER UP ON EXPLOITATION OF MIGRANT WORKERS"

http://www.swp.ie/socialistworker/2006/sw254/SW_254_web.pdf

This heading took up half the page, and underneath a big picture of Gama workers followed by the article on the exploitiation of migrant workers.

Does this answer your question on ambiguity?

Regards.

by Tubs - Local Jobs For Local People Thu Feb 16, 2006 15:41

They will be judged by ALL their actions. It's one thing to say something in your newspaper but how you engage in local issues is also important. How about you Michael, what do you think of the leaflet that ends with IT'S YOUR COMMUNITY! WE MUST STICK TOGETHER!?
Don't you think that it is ambiguous?

by Michael R. Thu Feb 16, 2006 16:25

Hi Tubs. To be honest I would need to see the whole leaftet. I could not judge that slogan in isolation. (any idea where one can get leaflet??)

I can certainly see what you are getting at but if I had to judge the slogan on its own I dont see any major ambiguity. Im sure a certain amount of the workers will come from the community so why should the community not stand up for the rights of these workes? And specifically the 3 men that are in jail are from the community. Should the community not stick up for them? Should they not stick together??

What I am more interested in is are there any Unions behind this and if so how many?

by Tubs - Local Jobs For Local People Thu Feb 16, 2006 16:38

We'll agree to disagree so. Maybe if you go along to a People Before Profit Alliance meeting you might suggest that they prefix it with Irish just so they stand up for our 'community'. After all that should ring home with 95% of the people of Ireland. Just out of interest who are the other 5%?

by Michael R. Thu Feb 16, 2006 17:22

Now why would you not go along to the next People Before Profit meeting at suggest that yourself! : )
But I didn't catch exactly what you meant by your prefix etc. comment above - using that prefix etc. what slogan would you use to replace "its your community, we must stick together" with??

The 5% are the people whom profit before people benefits. i.e. the owners of capital & profit. People before Profit is not in their interest. And you can be assured they will use everything within their power to make sure it never becomes reversed.

by Tubs - Local Jobs For Local People Thu Feb 16, 2006 17:47

I thought it might suit the PBPA better if they became the Irish People Before Profit Alliance. Who knows Ireland might be considered to be a community. Didn't understand what you meant by 95%. Was afraid the 5% might be those not from the 'community'.

by old hand ex B.A.T.U. Fri Feb 17, 2006 01:36

Look at all you have to say,most bricklayers want the lads out of jail,the trots have them in there,as they had Dave and Willy last time.The two trots groups are saying what to be done and whats not to be done. Cian from the SP has a big plan,Dave from the SWP has too,what about the union members they were not asked,Cian thinks B.A.T.U. " a very strange case study of a union"well I can tell Cian it was all right before the SP members got jobs in it. I said all this on the other and site, I was told I was telling a lie.Now the SP are saying on this site that they do have people working in the union,The union is going under because of the trots.

by Gay Geori Fri Feb 17, 2006 02:26 gaygeori at graffiti dot net

I saw the demo - I reckon there was was about 500 people there. There was a big SWP contigent, one of whom tried to sell me their newspaper. As she had an English accent, I said to her : "oh, you're obviously from ballybrack, then, luv".

Btw, RBB et les suspectes usuels and People Before Profit the same thing. According to the WHOIS on netsol.com, Richard Boyd Barrett of the Irish Anti-War Movement owns the PEOPLE-BEFORE-PROFIT.ORG website:

Domain ID:D108757913-LROR
Domain Name:PEOPLE-BEFORE-PROFIT.ORG
Created On:21-Nov-2005 20:11:26 UTC
Last Updated On:21-Jan-2006 04:13:59 UTC
Expiration Date:21-Nov-2006 20:11:26 UTC
Sponsoring Registrar:TierraNet Inc. dba DomainDiscover (R86-LROR)
Status:CLIENT TRANSFER PROHIBITED
Registrant ID:TNTN-0000278265
Registrant Name:Richard Boyd Barrett
Registrant Organization:Irish Anti-War Movement
Registrant Street1:PO Box 9260
Registrant Street2:
Registrant Street3:
Registrant City:Dublin
Registrant State/Province:NA
Registrant Postal Code:na
Registrant Country:IE
Registrant Phone:+35.3876329511
Registrant Phone Ext.:
Registrant FAX:
Registrant FAX Ext.:
Registrant Email:chair@irishantiwar.org
Admin ID:TNTN-0000278265
Admin Name:Richard Boyd Barrett
Admin Organization:Irish Anti-War Movement

by fdp Fri Feb 17, 2006 12:16

Should the unions pull out of partnership talks for this issue?

See Daily Ireland here

http://dailyireland.televisual.co.uk/home.tvt?_ticket=2...opp=1

by The Digger Fri Feb 17, 2006 12:23

What could the IAWM, an Anti War group possibly have to do with the People organistion? RBB has no shame at all, casually using one front to set up another. Now he is using this dispute to further his electoral ambitions.

by new hand Fri Feb 17, 2006 23:36

just because the sp have a few members in the batu doesn't mean they control it or have "wrecked" it. They have very little influnence within it, and the swp none at all. if like you say the union is ruined you'll have to look at the people running the show centrally and on the ground. And if you don't go to the picket in protest at trotskyist control of a once great union, you're more deluded than they are!

by anarcho Fri Feb 17, 2006 23:51

In fairness the trots didn't "put the lads in there" the police and the courts put them in there. The sp and swp have "big plans", but its advice. Batu can listen or not, most likely not. But whether you love them or hate them they've every right to print leaflets.

by old hand ex B.A.T.U, Sat Feb 18, 2006 18:24

Anarcho what you say is good enught,you sound like someone working people could work with.I have a problem I am not a typist and also am dislexic ,over the weekend I will look for the help of a typist so I can give a longer post and say more.All this can not be seen in isolation from the last two building workers jailed,Dave and Willy,the trots got them to say men were working in the black on the site they were on,that was not so ,it was all made up,I have a docment singed by the G.S. of B.A.T.U. in the Labour Court saying just that.Dave ,Willy,and Johney,got 6000 pounds each,Dave has since been put out of the union,Johney too and Willy is not working.They were useded ,the trots had no more need for them.Theres a very big story out there,as to how trots used working prople.Its comeing out bit by bit.

by U muppet Sun Feb 19, 2006 12:21

I was around the time Willy and Dave were locked up and I can tell you now the Dublin Branch of the Bricklayers told them lads to break the injuction with O Connors. The commettee was made up of socialist and socialist workers party associates,Neville Farrelly ,Ken O Connor, Gerry Kenirk were all mixing with the socialist party and Bill O Brien was mixing with the socialist workers party so that commettee has to take responsibility for the bricklayers union been infiltrated by the trots.
By the way Johnnys back in the union and he is glad to be! Hope that clears up some stuff for you,now can we use this tread to try and get the 3 lads out and leave the O Connors dispute to the history books

Does any body know how the 3 lads are holding up ?

by Myth Sun Feb 19, 2006 14:25

There is a myth throughout this whole thread that the SP has a lot of members who are or where in key positions within BATU this is rubbish. Neville Farrelly ,Ken O Connor, Gerry Kenirk have never had anything to do with the SP, the joke is that Neville and Gerry are hostile to the SP as is Brendan O'Sullivan, yet old hand and muppet claim they are card carrying members. Whatever any of these individuals did in BATU has nothing to do with the SP. The SWP have no members in BATU and nothing to do with the dispute at Collen apart from RBB claiming he is running the show but that is another myth.

by watch Sun Feb 19, 2006 16:18

There were some officials in BATU that activle organised scab labour against Gama workers. Hardly the actions of a SP dominated union!

This is why it is highly dangerous that people in the SWP are in effect whipping up communalism and potential racism with their 'job for locals'.

It is important that BATU and all the unions respond in a positive way to immigrant labour and go out and recruit, educate and politicise them. Not do what the bosses want and turn into racist organisations there to organise wage competition between Irish an immigrant labour.

by old Hand ex B.A.T.U. Sun Feb 19, 2006 16:35

Myth all of these people were associated with the SP for years,Neville Farrlly was asked to make the main speech at the SP Mayday partys piss- up some years back,Farrlley is now a subi,that the way the SPers go,Gerry Kenirk was never done with prase for the Milleys,the Milleys are priceless,(I say headless )the Milleys will save us all,well he might know by now,.hopefully.As for B.OS ,been with Joe Higgins since their Labour Party days,the first time I meet Higgins was when I was with B.OS,at a pub quiz,for Higgins, B.OS asked me to go.Tom Fitzgerald is working for the union ,are you saying he is not in SP,what about this sister,she works for the union and is in the SP too,it her whole life,and there more than them. Now who is runing the show,RBB ,Fitzgerald,if so, for who,the SP or B.A.T.U.,the members would like to know. Muppet Johnney is not back in the union he told me himself,working on a C2 ,makeing money, will have noting to do with them. As for Bill OBrien fall out with them all over the OConnors dispute, he seen it was all lies,on one working in the black, trots leading working men up the garden pat.He might have used the SWP to win the Crampton dispute,great victory,OBrien showed the way there ,the SP nearly fucked that one up too,OBrien, good on him ,stop that.OBrien could never be a trot,with his back ground,his father a long standing member of the CP,in Ireland and England, comeing from a good communist house hold,himself in the Young Communist in Brimingham(YCL) when he was grown up, he could never be a trot.The trots do not like him,and he likes the trots less.

by anarcho Sun Feb 19, 2006 17:04

A bit of a red scare old hand, blame the strikes and problems in the workplace on "trots", not so different to blaming strikes on "reds" or "anarchists", the sp don't create these problems, the SP didn't force GAMA to underpay and exploit it's workers and didn't force Collen to use black labour. And i'd be very suprised if they forced the three lads to set up the picket (or the judge to put them in jail for that matter). I saw yesterday the irish times tried to blame the whole thing on a batu official too. Not very different from your own remarks. Nowadays as well the differences between "trots" and official communists are hardly good reason not to support a strike. Anarchists don't have much time for trots either but can put that aside to support strikers, you should do the same and leave the "trot baiting" at the door. Its no different to the red baiting of the past.

by anarcho Sun Feb 19, 2006 17:23

As far as I remeber the sp and batu split over gama, batu publically said joe higgins was talking nonsense at the beginning of the dispute and didn't get involved they said batu has no problem with gama or something like that. The sp had an article denouncing the position and the two sides parted company. SP were proved right in the end in that case. Whatever about this case if the socialist party contolled batu they would have gotten support from batu during the gama dispute from the start.

by Old Hand ex B.A.T.U. Sun Feb 19, 2006 18:21

Anarcho there is on "Red Scare" just washing our knickers in public, some times the best way to get the hard shit out,I am a communist myself,even been called a anarchists,not bad, what do you think.Truth is what has to come on top,working people want that too.

by anarcho Sun Feb 19, 2006 20:24

Once it's the truth. For now though going on past record i would believe the jailed workers and not believe it's all an sp plot. Also on the sps past record with the other disputes (especially the one in which they were disbelieved by the whole union movement, gama) I would have to give them the benefit of the doubht. As a communist though aren't the sp and swp the closest thing to your politics?

by old hand ex B.A.T.U. Sun Feb 19, 2006 22:53

Anrcho, communist and anarchist do not think they are above the working class,trots do,thats why they have this entrieism thing.They go into every working class straggle take it over,trots know best, they always know best ,they can never just get behind the people who know how
to plough their own fields,they do not need trots to tell them.Have a good look at them,what going around now,middle class gobshits,mostly school treachers,looking down on the rest of us poor working class school kids.They are the enemy from within,how many movements have they moved into and disrupted the antiwar,bin tax,done their best to take over the Sell to Sea,the people in Mayo started talking Irish that fucked up the trots,Higgins could not be every were,you see he is not god after all,just thinks he is. You have a good spirit Anarcho,be nice to have a coffee or a pint with you some day,as for the lads in jail,my heart gos out to them,there is on black work going on in that site,Collen would have made sure of that before sending them to jail,local labour is a other thing.

by anarcho Sun Feb 19, 2006 23:09

I don't know about the old hand, communists in the past had a habit of pushing the party line or sending you to the gulag. Human rights wasn't really their thing! Not that trotsky was much better. I still don't see much difference between what you call trots and other leninists. If the CPI was of any decent size it would probably be at the same stuff. But you're over doing it on the SP, In this case the workers say there is black labour, the bosses say there isn't. The SP as far as I can see haven't said anything at all. Apart from support the picketers. No one believed higgins about gama either so they've got the benifit of the doubht as far as I'm concerned. And I'll give the three lads the benifit of the doubht over the bosses here as well. Gama said they were behaving properly and BATU backed gama up at the time too. My point is don't let your reasonable hatred of trots turn you against the lads in jail cause i'm sure they've little to do with them in reality.

by reporter Tue Feb 21, 2006 09:52

One picketer has been arrested at the UCD Collen site, they've been taken to the Donnybrook station.

Today over 60 Gardaí were at the site at dawn. there were 5 vans, 8 from the traffic corps and even the helicoptor was deployed. They had road blocks set up at the Fosters Ave entrance. Cops were very heavy handed at one point even grabbing a passer-by and escorting them past the picket!

It seems only subbies came to work and that the Collen employees stayed away.

This is a serious act of repression by Collen and the Gardaí. BATU need to mobilise to meet this head on.

by Andrews Family Wed Feb 22, 2006 00:48

Just a quick letter to ask the bricklayer to support the 3 men in prission no matter what people are saying out this is in everybodys intrest the 3 lads are in there for YOU, NOT JUST THEMSELVES. please get out on the picket line and support your future,they are feeling a bit low because they are not getting the support they expected from they co-workers PLEASE BE AT COLLIN SITE IN UCD and SHUT IT DOWN as for all subbies out there where do you think your next job will be? is it secure? NO IS NOT andrew has been there.he has worked for subbies a few weeks here and a few weeks there, but at the end of the day where will you ALL be if you dont back each other and support each other and find a stabble job with stable job prsi holiday pay and union rights!. its up to you , be there for the lads, they are there for you!. I would like to finish by saying thank you to the people that have been there but we need much more.

by Cian - SP Wed Feb 22, 2006 00:51 ComradeCian at eircom dot net Limerick 085-7077919

Free the BATU brickies!
PICKET ALL COLLEN SITES - SHUT THEM DOWN!

Socialist Party leaflet - Available as a PDF http://www.socialistparty.net/pdf/pdfs/free_the_brickies(17-02-06).pdf

Building workers need to make a swift militant response to the challenge thrown down by Collen Construction Ltd and the High Court. BATU members should take on Collen with the same tactics they employed in the past of solidarity action to shut down all Collen sites to force them to lift the High Court injunction and free BATU members - Andrew Clarke, Keith Kelly, and William McClurg.

During the "hey days" of the Celtic Tiger construction workers and in particular BATU members fought for direct employment and for decent wages. The militant tactics employed by BATU members were very successful and played a major role in pushing large numbers of subcontractors off the sites and in getting building workers significant pay increases. This same approach can defeat Collen and send a message to all construction companies and sub-contractors that their campaign to drive down wages and weaken the unions won’t be accepted.

The Socialist Party believes that BATU activists and members need to take hold of and organise this dispute by establishing an organising committee to co-ordinate action to force Collen Construction to lift the High Court injunction. Collen sites at the Municipal Gallery Parnell Square and UCD (Forsters Ave entrance) as well as the site in Ballybrack should be picketed and shut down until the three BATU members are freed from jail.

Militant campaign to force employers back

Construction companies and sub-contractors are trying to take back the gains made by building workers. They are using non-union and migrant labour and are trying to push down the wages of all building workers. The super-exploitation of migrant workers was exposed and defeated at GAMA by a campaign of militant struggle by the Turkish workers with the support of Joe Higgins TD and the Socialist Party. The Socialist Party calls on the construction unions to launch a militant campaign to recruit nonunion Irish and migrant building workers into the unions and to fight to maintain the wage rates and conditions of all building workers.

The jailing of the three BATU bricklayers is the latest in a number of serious attacks on fundamental trade union rights. Witness the strike at Irish Ferries also Dunnes have sacked a shop steward Joanne Delaney for wearing a union badge and now the trade unionists have been jailed for campaigning for jobs.

United Trade Union response needed

There must be a united response from the trade union movement. BATU should be supported by all of the construction unions, in particular SIPTU and also the ICTU. BATU should demand that ICTU immediately impose an all-out picket on all Collen Construction sites. ICTU and some union leaders will say they can’t do this because it is against the law. Anti trade union legislation is being used to assist the bosses in attacking jobs and conditions. They are there to try to prevent union action. These laws must be broken by the trade unions if workers rights are to be defended. The courts would be powerless to enforce their anti-union laws if they were faced down by the might of a united trade union movement.

This dispute centres on a Collen Construction site where they are building houses for Dun Laoghraire / Rathdown County Council. This is another example (like GAMA) of big construction companies being given state contracts and being allowed by the government and local authorities to break the law and union/construction industry agreements.

Oppose Social Partnership

"Social partnership" is a con that’s been used for the last 19 years to increase the profits of big business and stop workers struggling for decent pay and conditions. The Socialist Party is opposed to "social partnership" and believes that trade union activists and members need to get organised to reclaim and transform our unions. We need fighting democratic unions that are prepared to struggle against the "race to the bottom", to protect the wages and conditions of all workers, Irish and migrant. If you are interested in finding out more about how you can get involved in campaigning to transform our unions then contact the Socialist Party.

We demand:

- BATU members should establish an organising committee to co-ordinate the struggle to free the three jailed bricklayers.

- Pickets to be placed on all Collen Construction sites – shut them down until the High Court injunction is lifted and the three workers are freed.

- For a campaign of action to force the replacement of the sub-contractors with trade union labour

- For a united campaign by all construction unions to recruit non-union Irish and migrant building workers. Fight the "race to the bottom".

by andrew's family Wed Feb 22, 2006 13:47

Just a quick note to say that today at the UCD picket there were at least 50 supporters this is a good number but we still need MORE. There was about 25/30 who pased the picket but most of all these were imagrints I am PLEADING to all imagriants that this fight is not only for locals but for you too. For you to recive the same wage as all trades in ireland. Please get out to the UCD site tomorrow at 7pm and show the lads your support. As i have mentioned in my first note they are there for you please be ther for them. help Free these innocent men and allow them to return home to there families where they should be.Because if you dont show your support whats the point in them being in there, Help win this fight and SHUT COLLINS SITE at UCD.

Thank you to all the supporters that have been there for the lads keep up the good work. It is well appriciated belive it or not.

Regards Andrew's Family

by friend of andrew - freeing the ballybrack 3 Wed Feb 22, 2006 19:10

Ok now ive got your attention.PLEASE help getting the ballybrack 3 out of jail,with the terms and conditions they need and deserve!
These are 3 very respectfull members of the community that are standing up for their rights and the rights of ALL hard working men.
Their not trouble makers that are being locked up for crimes,they went to college to better themselves so that they can make a good
wage and support their families,instead of having to go on the dole,and also so they can do their bit for their communities and build
good structerd long lasting houses for the government by putting in their experience and training.But WHATS the messeage thats been sent out now,GO TO COLLEGE TRY TO SUPPORT YOURSELF GET EXPERIENCE AND A TRADE THEN END UP ON THE DOLE AND LOCKED UP !WHY BOTHER HEY!when you can 1)not stand up for your self and your rights and not join the union,because by the looks of it if you do you wont even get asked your name when you go to apply for a job on the site, 2)be able to build houses the quick cheap and wrong way so they will have to be knocked down in 25 years just like he ones on that site before where (AND THEIR IS EVIDENCE THAT THIS HAS BEEN CARRIED OUT ON THE BALLYBRACK SITE,IF THE COUNCIL BOTHERD LOOKING,INSTEAD OF TAKEING THE WORD OF THE MEN THAT ARE DOING IT), 3)get minimum wage instead of what a man/woman that can build these houses with proven qualifications and experince should get, 4)get all the back up from the county council in dunlaoire for doing things the cheap and rushed wrong way , 5)get the protection from 50 police men standing outside the site im working on putting all their energy into fighting families and friends of the innocent hard working ballybrack 3, 6) i also then have the side of all the local td's as their obviously not publicly able to stand up for the people who deserve it and got them to where they are today,their obviously sitting on the side lines waiting to take all the lime light of RICHARD BOYD BARROT THE ONLY MAN WHO DESERVES THE HIGH POSITION HES IN,BECAUSE HES BEEN THERE EVERY STEP OF THE WAY. THANKS FOR TAKEING THE TIME TO READ THIS,hopefully youll never have to be in the degrading position just so you can get what you rightfully deserve,just please help andrew keith and billy to fight for the rights of everyone by supporting them on the pickets at the ucd site!

by DLR resident Wed Feb 22, 2006 19:21

"i also then have the side of all the local td's as their obviously not publicly able to stand up for the people who deserve it and got them to where they are today..."

The local TDs have been very bad. None of them support the 3 Ballybrack Brickies. "Labour" TD Eamon Gilmore has distanced himself from the men. The only TD that raised the issue was Joe Higgins. That should be noted, especially by those thinking Labour are some alternative. I also say that RBB is getting undue stick off some. It amounts to 'red scare' tactics in my opinion.

by Billy - BATU Mon Feb 27, 2006 18:07

Johney got thrown out of the union cos he's a Turncoat. He calls himself mingo. He drove a white van at the picketers in ballybrack, He took photo's of the lads, said they were for the c.i.f, and cleared off while he could.

by brownie Mon Feb 27, 2006 20:00

Billy , I would' nt worry about Johnny (the Minging mingo) he wont get a card again,he wont get work on any union jobs, no union bricklayers will work with him, so he,s a very lonely man.
He has only his coke a cola habbit to keep him, it's killing the little w***er to be out of the union and I think the CIF have'nt much time for him either.

by brownies right Fri Mar 10, 2006 03:44

mingos union membership was a touchy subject he told a few home truths about certain people in high position within that union,home truths that were proved by the dismissal of an offical seven years later for serious misconduct..u know who he is !!!!!!!
as for mingo and union jobs i think after this long he isnt worried too much,and the coca cola habbit,gerry id invite u out for one anytime id hate to see u on the beer,in case u ended up like nev.

by DD DEE Tue Apr 25, 2006 19:59

Well done boys.

Think you all are the business.. hope the joy wasn't to hard on you. Good Luck For the Future.

From Friends of Spiderman