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THE PUBLISHED IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE IRISH CONGRESS OF TRADE UNIONS UNIOSPECNIAL EDPITION OST FEBRUARY 2009 UUNNIITTYYY THOUSANDS of people will converge on the resolving the crisis. Congress has drawn up streets of Dublin on February 21 to voice an alternative vision to the ‘slash and burn’ their anger at the government’s failure to approach adopted by the current coalition. respond fairly to the current crisis and its It involves a 10-point programme of attempt to shift the burden on to the regeneration and contains proposals on shoulders of working people. protecting jobs, saving people’s homes and The demonstration has been organised by getting the unemployed back to work. Congress as the first step in what has been Last night, David Begg, left, said: “Govern - described as a “a rolling campaign of ment needs to understand that any plan they action” to put fairness back on the arrive at must be underscored by the principle agenda and ensure government of fairness. introduces measures that will “Working people will not be the scapegoats see all sectors contribute to here.” MARCH & RALLY FEB 21 PARNELL SQ @ 2PM UNION POST A BETTER WAY THIS is not the first time we have and it will be business as usual. Timeline... from faced a crisis and it almost certainly Their ideas hark back to the vote to crisis talks 4 will not be the last. But on this 1980s and their outdated political occasion the collapse of the Irish agenda is largely the same: let economy has been echoed by working people bear the brunt, ei - collapse on a global scale. ther through lower wages or re - When one of Wall Street’s most duced public services – less public hallowed names – Lehman Brothers transport, closed hospital wards, – collapsed on September 22, 2008, larger classes for the youngest and Congress Plan for it became clear that the superstruc - no help for those with special ture of an entire world order fell to needs. National Recovery 10 earth with it. Let us be very clear: there The era of the unfettered can be no more business as free market was dead. The usual, those days are over and only problem is that certain it is time political and busi - elements in this country – ness leaders grasped this very primarily those who benefited obvious fact. most from the old world order Let us also be very clear that their Death of last – have not yet grasped this old failed agenda will neither work, Irish Brigadista 21 simple truth. nor be accepted by the Irish trade The US has grasped it: George union movement. Bush carried out the single greatest The employers have in effect wave of nationalisations in US his - walked away from the pay deal ne - tory and President Obama’s elec - gotiated in September, but have yet tion was a massive rejection of that to explain why individual companies old order. could not have utilised the very And all across Europe, govern - sophisticated ‘inability to pay’ mech - ICTU boycott ments of right, left or centre have anism built into the agreement. call over Gaza 28 recognised the same reality: that Curiously, they have also failed to light regulation, poor oversight, bad explain why many large companies enforcement and a perverse bonus have already paid the deal, or com - system which prioritises short term mitted to doing so. gain over long term good, has no Their stance has been effectively place in the modern world. endorsed by Government. The neoliberal ideology that was Thus, what we are seeing is noth - given full expression by Thatcher ing less than a campaign against An end to casino and Reagan has self-destructed and wages and living standards, an at - capitalism 30 now threatens to take the global tempt to drive down wages in a economy with it. mistaken belief it will make the UNION POST was produced by Brazier Media for the Irish Congress of Trade Unions Unfortunately, this country seems economy competitive again. be in thrall to slow learners in both It won’t – it will (and already has) Irish Congress of Northern Ireland Committee Trade Unions Irish Congress of Trades Unions government and business, those terrorise people into not spending. 31/32 Parnell Square 4-6 Donegall Street Place Dublin 1 Belfast BT1 2FN who cling to the desperate hope The result? Less goods bought, Ireland Northern Ireland Tel: +353 1 8897777 Tel: 02890 247940 that after a few rounds of ‘cuts’ the more outlets closed, more jobs lost. Fax: +353 1 8872012 Fax: 02890 246898 Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] economy will return to rude health This course of action has the www.ictu.ie Web: www.ictuni.org DESIGNED & EDITED BY BRAZIER MEDIA Email: [email protected] Neoliberal ideology has self-destructed 2 “ UNION POST S February 2009 ICTU VIEW David Begg A FAIRER WAY General Secretary potential to send us into a down - same top bank executives that fools of. Congress believes that ward, deflationary spiral from which crashed their own banks, the same viable national recovery requires it could take decades to recover. top executives that have difficulty genuine national effort and under - And people under severe financial surviving on a weekly wage that standing and a genuine sharing of pressure are then forced to watch equals what most would earn in a the burden. “ the spectre of billions in tax rev - year. If people are angry, it is be - We believe that there is a enue being handed over to the cause they feel they are being made better, fairer way. and now threatens to take the global economy with it February 2009 S UNION POST 3 SIDE LINES ME...TIMELINE...TIMELINE...TI IFUT vow to BITES resist pay cuts UNIVERSITY lecturers have vowed to Cash boost resist any bid to cut pay or change announced conditions as individual third level in - MAJOR in - stitutions struggle to deal with cur - frastructure tailed budgets. projects in SSept – Nationatl wage argreemenut brokered. Wgorkers get gtional strikelin solidearity with the baltlot for iondustrial Northern The Irish Federation of University increases of six per cent phased in over 21 months. A action by our members in the electrical contracting in - Ireland are Teachers warned that any changes to three-month pay pause for those in the private sector dustry.” to get core pay and conditions had to be and 11 months for public sector employees was also Nov 26 – CIF rejects national pay agreement £1.4bn in agreed. Low-paid workers receive an extra 0.5 per cent. negotiated nationally. and seeks 10 per cent pay cut across the funding in General secretary Mike Jennings Nov 17 – ICTU special delegate conference sector, affecting more than 200,000 workers. the coming said: “Whether it is attempts to with - at Dublin’s Liberty Hall accepts national Director general Tom Parlon said: “The bot - year, it has wage agreement. Delegates vote 305 in tom line is the industry cannot afford the been re - hold pay increments, non-filling of favour of deal with 36 against. deal.” SIPTU chief Jack O’Connor dubs vealed. vacancies, or seeking not to renew move “unbelievably short sighted” and Stormont contracts, nothing can be imposed by Nov 17 – SIPTU chief Jack O’Connor claimed any em - claimed it was ironic the employers who Finance Min - college managers.” ployer who reneged on agreement was guilty of benefited most from the Celtic Tiger should ister Nigel He added: “But we will gladly sit “national sabotage” and called on the government to be the first to renege on the agreement. Dodds said a down and negotiate with the Higher total of £3bn Education Authority or the Depart - would be spent over ment of Education to deal with any of the next two these questions on a national basis.” years. Mr Dodds added: "I ‘McJobs’ for out think it's ab - solutely crit - of work physios ical at a time THE president of the Irish Society of when things Chartered Physiotherapists has are difficult. claimed graduates in the profession "It will not only build are forced to work in fast food outlets good infra - because they can’t find positions structure within the health service. and good Annette Shanahan, speaking to the public serv - Oireachtas health committee on Janu - ices, but also ary 28, said this was despite patients keep people having to wait up to a year for physio - in work now." therapy. She claimed graduates were work - Deal endorsed: Union delegates vote to accept the national wage agreement ing in jobs “from care assistants to withhold state contracts from those that do. CIF presi - Owen Wills of the TEEU describes the deci - Burger King”. dent Tom Parlon hits back accusing SIPTU of blackmail - sion as “an unparalleled act of betrayal” and Cork Port According to figures presented to ing construction companies. calls on the Government to take action jobs to go the committee, only 16 per cent were Nov 17 – Business group ISME calls on gov - against CIF members. in permanent employment. Cork dockers ernment to suspend deal in interests of Dec 4 – Brian Lenihan tells RTE’s Morning Ireland pro - Ms Shanahan added: “It’s totally have voted wider economy. Chief executive Mark Field - gramme “nothing can be ruled out” regarding a review to accept a inadequate when we know that peo - ing claims firms must have a “sus - of the national pay deal and asked all parties redundancy ple need our services.” tained pay freeze” to “trade out to “reflect” on the difficult conditions package of” their current difficulties.