National Day Of Action

by Sharon. - Individual. Sat Nov 07, 2009 01:40

Hi !
It was gloomy and threatening - the weather , not the atmosphere , or our spirits!
The group we were with assembled at the Church in Lower Seán McDermott Street in Dublin , where we shared t-shirts and listened to 'Jim Larkin' .
The hundred-or-so of us that were there then formed-up and marched to O'Connell Street , where we joined-in with the main body of protestors - all seventy-odd thousand of them , despite what some media outlets would have you believe ("10,000 protestors...") .
A few photographs and a few lines of script can be found at the 'Related Link' below.
Thanks!
Sharon.

The ghost of 'Jim Larkin' looks on as the CDP / JI / CE workers get organised!

by Union head Sat Oct 31, 2009 07:28

Interesting choice of words here from Jack O'Connor: "I am urging everyone who possibly can to join the Irish Congress of Trade Unions protests at eight venues across the country on Friday, November 6, while ensuring that essential services are properly maintained." Now, "properly maintained." means lots of different things to different people. It probably means limited power supplies, enough to make sure hospitals are ok, and A&E hospital treatment, and that's it. No more on November 6! "Zones A&X: No power between 12am-8am, Zones B&Y: No power power between 8am-4pm, Zones C&Z: No power between 4pm-12pm." And public transport drops people to and from the various locations and that's it. Exactly as happened in the great PAYE Tax March in March 1979.

by Sharon. - Individual Sat Oct 31, 2009 00:27

Hi Paul !
This information/update email was circulated on Friday 30 October 2009 to all SIPTU contact's in the Community Sector division , from Jack O'Connor's Office -

"October 30 2009.
From - The Office of the General President Jack O'Connor
NOVEMBER 6th PROTEST

Dear Colleague,
I would ask you to join the campaign and protest for a better, fairer way to the current attempt by the Government to impose the entire burden of the adjustment in public finances on working people and those who depend on public services.
I am urging everyone who possibly can to join the Irish Congress of Trade Unions protests at eight venues across the country on Friday, November 6, while ensuring that essential services are properly maintained.
The purpose of the protests is to force a change in the way the Government plans to deal with the economic and financial crisis. The campaign is based on the urgent need for action to protect and create jobs, to save the homes of working people from repossession and for measures to stimulate, rather than further depress, the economy.
Any recovery plan must be rooted in fairness and justice.
The protests on Friday, November 6, commence at 2.30 p.m. at the following venues;

Dublin: Parnell Square
Waterford: The Glen
Tullamore: County Hall
Cork: Connolly Hall
Limerick: Mechanics Institute
Galway: The Cathedral
Sligo: The Blue Lagoon
Dundalk: The Fairgreen
It is vital that we obtain the maximum participation of our members for the Get Up Stand Up protests.

Fraternally yours ,
Jack O'Connor
General President."

"...eight venues across the country.." , yet no mention of the "co-ordinated action" organised for that same day , and in relation to that same issue , and organised by the same (?) group , that is being held in the north-east of this country.
Disappointing , to say the least.
Thanks anyway, Paul,
Sharon.

by Paul Kinsella - Various Tue Oct 27, 2009 03:35 paulbkinsella at gmail dot com 53 Lorcan Grove, Santry, Dublin 9, Ireland. 00353-85-1478100

I was right! There is co-ordinated action happening North And South on November 6th! Just found this on ICTU's NI web site at this link: http://www.ictuni.org/?module=datalistdetail&itemid=90a...3ca9b. The notice is below.

"PUBLIC SERVICE CUTS HURT EVERYBODY

The Northern Ireland Committee of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions call today on working people in the private and public sectors to protest against further cuts in public services and for policies which protect and create jobs in all sectors of the economy.

Congress and its affiliated trade unions are organising a series of protest rallies across Northern Ireland which will occur simultaneously at 1pm, Friday 6 November 2009.

At present, rallies are confirmed for Belfast, Derry, Magherafelt and Newry. Other locations will be confirmed over the next few days.

Announcing the series of protest rallies, ICTU Assistant Secretary, Peter Bunting said:

“Recent revelations of cutbacks to maternity services, hospital beds and even school nurses for children with special needs are part of a bigger and very disturbing picture. They are symptoms of a trend whereby the public services have been subjected to so many so-called ‘efficiencies’ that there is nothing left to cut except vital front line services."

“This is incredibly short-sighted. The fact that we have lost 43,000 jobs in the past year means that the private sector can no longer play its full role in adding stimulus and demand to the economy. The fact is that the private sector is now hugely dependent on the public sector. Private sector suppliers to the public sector will suffer from cuts in the schools and health budget. Retailers depend upon the spending power of public sector workers."

“Action is required now for offering protection for workers who have lost their jobs, such as a Workers’ Protection Fund which places their right to a fair redundancy settlement first in the queue when companies go bankrupt. Similarly, no worker should be threatened with homelessness, especially from banks which depend upon the public’s generousity.”

“The NI Executive Budget for 2008/2011 introduced cuts of £1.604bn across all Departments in Northern Ireland. The Executive is now planning for an additional £370m in cuts before the end of the current financial year. In the Belfast Trust alone this will mean an extra cut in the order of £25m and the closure of 150 beds in the two largest hospitals in Belfast. The threat of additional water charges has been raised again."

“Now is the time to make known the public opposition to these cuts in services and the loss of jobs in the private sector. Join with the trade unions in showing your opposition to the cuts. Rally with us on the 6th November.”

by Sharon. - Individual. Tue Oct 27, 2009 00:14

Hi Paul!
If the protest on November 6th next is to be a 'national' event then , by definition, it would have to be representative of all 32 counties or, at the very least, trade union reps/members from all 32 counties would have had to be asked to organise an event in their county and/or to mark the occasion in some way.
But that hasn't happened. So the protest on November 6th next is a 'state-wide' event , rather than a 'national' event.
I think it's important that that point be made.
Thanks!
'Sharon'.

by Paul Kinsella - Various Mon Oct 26, 2009 23:34 paulbkinsella at gmail dot com 53 Lorcan Grove, Santry, Dublin 9, Ireland. 00353-85-1478100

Hi Sharon,

I agree that the "National Day Of Action" on November 6th should include the whole island, North And South, for a host of reasons. It would be a great show of opposition to the Ultra-Thatcherite policies of Both the Stormount Administration And the 26 State Government. I remember seeing on some websites (not sure which ones) that there was talk of co-ordinated action North And South on November 6th. I'm not sure, if there is going to be co-ordinated action North And South on the 6th, but it would be great if there was.

Paul.

by Sharon. - Individual. Sun Oct 25, 2009 20:38

Hi Paul !

Myself and between 30 and 50 other supporters from the Clondalkin area have marched through the streets three times now , in opposition to these proposed cutbacks - twice in Dublin City Centre and once through the streets of Clondalkin. And we will be marching again on November 6th next , and proud to do so.
However , on my own behalf , could I ask you what , if any, feedback you have had from supporters in our six north-eastern counties , which you have not covered or mentioned in any of your posts to date , on this thread ?
A "National Day Of Action" must, by definition , include that area .
Thanks!
Sharon.

by Paul Kinsella - Various Sun Oct 25, 2009 18:22 paulbkinsella at gmail dot com 53 Lorcan Grove, Santry, Dublin 9, Ireland. 00353-85-1478100

I'm pleased to announce that the Galway Day Of Action venue has been confirmed as The Cathedral. Like with the other venues the Protest will assemble at 2.30pm.

by Paul Kinsella - Various Wed Oct 21, 2009 20:33 paulbkinsella at gmail dot com 53 Lorcan Grove, Santry, Dublin 9, Ireland. 00353-85-1478100

As I said in my original article I have no info for the Galway protest on November 6th, so I would be grateful if people from Galway could give us the location, so I can update the info, and edit my original article.

Thanks,

Paul.