Grassroots Unite - Get out on the streets

by Estragon Wed May 20, 2009 11:49

100,000 marched in Germany. 120 on a protest in Dublin, what is going on?

Maybe Godot has a valid point. This Grassroots arrangement wasn't able to mobilise the anger that exists in the country. We need to work in the official trade unions to change them not try to build alternatives that are not attractive to workers.

I think people would have gone on a protest if it had been called by the official movement because despite what some on the left say about the union leaders the majority of trade unionists still follow the direction of the leadership.

People are not happy but they are also demoralised and shocked by what is happening in the country.

The small numbers who turned out in Dublin on May 16th was not because the organisers lacked enthusiasm or didn't put a lot of work into trying to make the protest a success. But the very small turn out does reflect that they have little support across the larger trade union movement and it does show up the limitations of the "Grassroots" approach.

If you want to change the unions there are no short cuts. You have to get your hands dirty and get in and scrap with the right wing leadership and try to build major opposition groups inside the unions and win positions of responsibility for the left. You have to build a real credible alternative to the current ICTU leaders that trade union members can believe in.

A last point. The remarks in the SWP bulletin about building in the unions are alarming. That is not the way to go about it. We need genuine left organisations that are broad based to be built in the unions not factions linked to a tiny party.

by Godot Wed May 20, 2009 07:59

"Signs of a slow revival of working class organisation"? Frankly, this is bizzare given that the pre-March 30th momentum has dissipated, the 'May Day' march was farcical, 120 of the usual suspects turn up for a Grassroots Unite demo and people across the country have embraced the 'share the pain' rhetoric.

The supposed way out of this is to "offer a different leadership to the current disastrous lot." Jesus wept. The fundamental problem lies in the beliefs, attitudes and opinions of trade union members - which is itself a minority of the workforce - not with a lowest common denominator scapegoating of union leaders. Blimey, when the SWP did offer up an alternative leadership to SIPTU in the form of Kieran Allen, he moved to the right by dropping opposition to the partnership, and still failed to get in. Has nothing been learnt?

The problems of declining density and the lack of engagement people have with unions when they join, will not be solved by telling people to vote for KA or anybody else. The idea of a 'grassroots unite', a network of trade unionists organising, holding meetings, passing motions, publishing/distributing material in their respective sectors is required - not a 'grassroots' which focuses on the usual suspects preaching to the converted outside the cetntral bank/ Anglo Irish and only exists to elect people or recruit members to a party. Simply appropriating terms like grassroots changes nothing.

by Clare Champion Tue May 19, 2009 17:56

People who live far away from Dublin (and who were unable to attend) would be interested in finding out how the Saturday 16 May Grassroots demo went. Would someone who was in attendance please do up a brief report letting us know who was there, the speakers etc. I have read that about 60,000 attended a similar demo in Brussels as part of the European Trade Union day of action.

by Updater Fri May 15, 2009 16:25

Socialist Worker Bulletin:

May 16th - Get out on the Streets
Good support is developing for the May 16th Grassroots mobilisation. Leaflet are going around fire-stations and a special national meeting of UNITE shop stewards will give some endorsement to the idea.

We are involved in a long term project to connect with a layer of grassroots activists who can offer a different leadership to the current disastrous lot.

In recent weeks, there are signs of a slow revival of working class organisation.

The Irish Independent carried a fantastic picture of INO delegates rising to their feet as they held up their delegate cards to vote for all out strike in the hospitals.

The IMPACT conference saw one leading official give an apology for the mistakes of the union leadership in their handling of March 30th.

These signs of recovery are not uniform. What characterizes the current period is a deep unevenness which different moods developing among acitivist to a middle layer of their membership.

Nevertheless, these shifts provide the basis for serious revolutionary intervention, provided we make the shifts required. In line with this the National Committee which met this week made a number of decision.

1. That it is a matter of urgency to build union fraction. A fraction is where a group of revolutionaries in the one union of workplace meet to decide on tactics. The basis of a fraction is democratic centralism - full debate on tactics and then once decisions are made, the we work as one unit to see if they can work. This form of organisation is even more vital today where we require sharp discussions on tactical shifts and changes.

2. In the immediate terms we shall convene fractions in: the INO Ed: names removed , IMPACT and Teachers

3. The NC also discussed the nature of the rank and file groups we seek to build. Essentially, we need to break from the notion that a rank and file groups consists of the SW and a few contacts. To be real, it has to involve serious figures in unions who hold representative positions. Forging such groupings means giving a real lead to fellow workers, though contesting national and branch positions in the unions.

May 16th:

Branches are asked to take one workplace and ensure that leaflet advertising May 16th gets to it. There is huge pressure with the election campaign but we still need to leave a space for this activity.

Broadly, May 16th is being built through a number of grassroots activists taking posters, putting up its own website, organising leaflet distribution,.

The SWP needs to ensure that

a.. leaflets for the demo are on all canvassing at doors
b.. Organise three stalls in the Dublin city centre on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.

Elections

The elections are going really well, not withstanding the mess over the production of posters.

Where candidates have a prior record of activity, there are serious chances of wining
seats.

In the next period, we need to intensify the involvement of all in the campaign. This means ensuring that someone is delegated to ring every single possible supporter to get people out canvassing.

Sometime people will feel very nervous about knocking on doors. In that situation we can either ask them to leaflet or to come along with some else.

Throughout the campaign , there needs to be a serious effort to lay the basis for longer term networks, of people who will take our paper.

We are receiving increased reports about rising levels of racism (see below) and we NEED such networks when we will have to confront the Irish equivalent of the BNP.

A branch that does not have a politicised network around it will face huge difficulties, especially if the source of racist organisation comes from poor working class organisations.

Socialism is the best inoculation against racism - and we need to win the fighters who can administer it.

Racist candidate stands in bye election

A candidate of the Immigration Control platform will be standing in the Dublin Central bye election.

This is an areas with some of the highest level of migrants in the country.

At this point, there are no indication that the racists are capable of a serious campaign and therefore we should not focus on them.

But we must also prepare for other eventualities.

To do that, the NC agreed to organise at short notice a Love Music, Hate Racism gig in the area to galvanise anti-racists.

John Molyneaux Day School on Marx

John Molneaux will speak in Belfast on Friday 22nd May on the Revolutionary ideas of Karl Marx

He will also speak in Dublin at 5.30 on Saturday 23rd May in the Central Hotel

Please encourage as many supporters as possible to come to it.

by Gregor Kerr Sun May 10, 2009 11:05

If you can help with distributing leaflets to help build for this protest, please meet at Tara Street DART Station at 5p.m. on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday afternoons of this week to collect leaflets for distribution to commuters at DART stations, LUAS stops, bus stops etc.

Please try to make it along for at least one of these distros.

by Peter Kenealy - Grassroots Unite Tue May 05, 2009 23:54

Copies of posters and leaflets to promote the Day of Action on the 16th are now available. Please download and distribute them, put them on notice boards at work, in college, local shops etc.