5895-Irish_PolConf_Summer13_Final:Layout 1 19/06/2013 09:13 Page 1 The Irish Region of Unite the Union is publishing this magazine to mark the centenary of the 1913 Dublin Lockout © RTÉ Stills Library Picture: Baton charge by the Dublin Metropolitan Police during the 1913 Dublin Lockout 5895-Irish_PolConf_Summer13_Final:Layout 1 19/06/2013 09:13 Page 2 Page 2 June 2013 Larkininism and internationalism This is an edited version of a lecture delivered by Unite General Secretary Len McCluskey to a meeting organised by Unite with the support of the Dublin Council of Trade Unions and Dublin Community Television. The event took place in Dublin on May 29th 2013 A crowd awaits the arrival of the first food ship from England, 28 September 1913 (Irish Life magazine). Contents Page2: Len McCluskey – Larkinismandinternationalism Page7: Jimmy Kelly – 1913–2013:Forgingalliancesofthediscontented Page9: Theresa Moriarty – Womenattheheartofthestruggle Page11: Padraig Yeates – AveryBritishstrike 5895-Irish_PolConf_Summer13_Final:Layout 1 19/06/2013 09:13 Page 3 June 2013 Page 3 It is a privilege for me to have this opportunity workers,andgovernmentsunableorunwillingto IamproudthatUniteisleadingbyexample.Weare to speak about a man – from my own city – bringaboutthereformpeoplesodesperatelyneed. committedtobuildinganewsenseofoptimismfor who I consider a personal hero. ourmovement,whetherthatisathomethroughour Acrosstheworld,multilateralinstitutionsandthe communitymembershipbringingtheunemployed Iwanttotouchonanumberofthemesrelatingto agreementsthatemanatefromthemarelittle intothetradeunionfamilytohelpleadourcampaigns Larkinismandourunderstandingofinternationalism. morethanafig-leaf–perhapsconcealingsomeof foranewsettlementfromgovernment;or theembarrassmentofworldleaders,butdoing internationallywherewehaveestablishedthefirst Iintendtostartbysettingthescene–touchingon nothingtorectifythestructuralinadequaciesof genuinelyglobaltradeunion,WorkersUniting,with internationalsocialismandtheglobalcapitalistclassas today’scapitalistclass. ourcomradesintheUnitedSteelworkers. itstandstoday. Thesamecapitalistclassthathas–forthebestpartof Aglobaltradeunionwithsharedobjectives,learning ThenIwilllookbackontheGreatLockoutinthe ourlifetime–createdtheglobalinstitutionsthrough fromourdistinctexperiences. contextofhowitplayedoutnationallyand whichwealthismanipulated,therichallowedtogrow internationally,examiningtheglobalisationofitsday richer,whilstevergreaterproportionsoftheworld’s Boththeseexamples(extendingtradeunion whichtookplaceinanageofempires-particularlythe populationareleftstarvingonthescrapheap. membershipandbuildingglobalalliances)arerooted Britishempire. inLarkinism. Theinternationalismofthecapitalistclassissimplyto Andthen–withoutwantingtolecturetheIrishon presideoveraracetothebottomforworkersall Themostimportantthingwecandoisempowerour theirlabourLeaderJimLarkin–Iwanttooutlinehis overtheglobe. members–asthecoreelementoftheunion roleandtheconceptofLarkinism,includingthe movement–sothattheyarenotpassiveinourcause, phenomenademonstratedbythoseindividualsloosely Theirneo-liberalagendamustbechallengedbyus– butinsteadareleadingourvisiontotransformsociety describedasLarkinites. thetradeunionmovement–globally,whilstatthe forthemselvesandfuturegenerations. sametimeactingonanationalbasistocontestfor That is what Jim Larkin stood for. IwanttofinishtonightbylookingatLarkin’sown statepowerandorganiseworkersinourhome objectivesandhowtheseimpactedinternationallyon territories.Wemustdothisbybeingopentonew Unionsmusttakeanactiveleadonthestreetsandin thelabourmovementduringhislifetime–andtoask kindsofalliances. communities. whatlessonswecanlearntoday. Byworkingwithcommunitygroups,NGOs,new Ourowndemocraticstructuresarekeytobuilding So, firstly, to consider our current setting. politicalprogressiveforcesandformingallianceswhich solidarity,establishingaccountabilityanddetermining Theglobalfinancialcrashof2008madeonething willfindtheirexpressionsonagloballevel. appropriatestrategies. abundantlyclear:capitalismsucceededinbecoming thesingledominantglobalmodelbywhichwealllive Thismeansthattoday’stradeunionscannot Theobjectivesthatwesetmustinvolveusina andwork. simplybeorgansthatnegotiateintheworkplace discussionwiththememberswheretheyset fortheirmembers(whilstthiswillalwaysremain theseobjectives–sotheyarenotdeterminedby Sincethecollapseofmanysocialistcountriesin ourprimaryfunction),buttheymustfightthe us,forthem. EasternEuropetheworldeconomyhas–decadeby restrictionsandfailedpoliciestoooftenmeted decade–becomemorefragmentedbetweenrichand outbygovernment. Theblunttruthhoweveristhis–thattherealstruggle poor,seengrowinginequalityandfewerchecksand ultimatelytakesplaceatanationalorevenalocallevel. balancesonitsfree-marketethos. Today’stradeunionmovementmustbeavehicle throughwhichwenotonlyaddressmember’s Yetthisdoesnotunderminetheimportanceof Thisdisparityisastrueforpeopleasitisforstates– bargainingdemandsbutalsoleadthefight–inthe internationalismforourmovementwhichisessential wideninginequality,wealthconcentratedatthetop,a politicalarena–foreverythingthataffectsworking toouroutlookifwearetotakeonglobal shrinkingpercentageofGDPgoingintothepocketsof people. capitalism.Letmeturntoyourhistory–orourshared Jim Larkin JimLarkinwasbornonCombermereStreetin instrumentalrole,andwhichwouldserveas Toxteth,Liverpool,andasabarefootyoungster inspirationforhisconductinDublintwoyearslater. wouldwanderthesamestreetsintheheartofthe LiverpooldocklandswhereIspenttheformative 1911sawindustrialactioninLiverpoolonan yearsofmyworkinglife. unprecedentedscale,withupto100,000people attendingademonstrationinSheilPark,providing Indeed,Iamproudtosaythatmyhomecityof anessentialfoundationfortherecruitmentof Liverpoolwouldplayacrucialpartintheforging Liverpoolworkersintotheunionmovementand ofindomitablelinksbetweentheBritishlabour thecapturingofthecityforLabour. movement,theIrishlabourmovement,andthe broadercauseofinternationalworking-class ItisquitefittingthatJackHayes,acontemporary solidarity. ofLarkin’sandafellowIrishnationalist,wasthe firstLabourMPtositforaLiverpoolconstituency BoththeLabourpartyandthetradeunionshad afterhiselectionforEdgeHillin1923. initiallyfaceddifficultiesmakingprogressin Liverpool, Boththe1911TransportStrikeandthe1913 withspontaneousprotestsagainstslavewagesand DublinLockouttookplaceinthecontextof intolerablelivingconditionsfailingtotranslateinto massivelyincreasingmilitancyandworking-class recruitsforthelabourmovement. protestacrossBritainandIreland. IthasbeensaidthatiftheGlasgowworkingmenof Followingatreblingofunionmembership thisperiodweregoodsocialistsbutlousyrioters; between1888and1910,intheperiod1910to Liverpoolworkingmenwerequitethereverse. 1914,membershipoftradeunionsrosebyover sixtypercent,from2.1millionto4.1million, Larkin addresses a crowd in Beresford Place from the Allofthisbegantochange,however,afterthe1911 whilemembershipofso-called‘newunions’ TransportStrike,inwhichLarkinplayedan increasedbyover300percent. window of Liberty Hall, 1913. 5895-Irish_PolConf_Summer13_Final:Layout 1 19/06/2013 09:13 Page 4 Page 4 June 2013 Crucially,tradeunionismduringthistimewas highlightsnotonlythelinkbetweentheIrishand thesewereunofficial,organisedbyrankandfile reachingouttoworkerswhohad,untilthen, Britishworkingclassbuttherolethatmenlikehim againstthewishesofunionofficials–11.6million sufferedfromlackofunionrepresentation. andConnollyplayedasIrishrepublicans. dayswerelostinBritainthatyear.Thisturmoilfirst Thisperiodhasbeencharacterisedasthe‘Great hitIrelandinBelfast. Unrest’:from1910untiltheoutbreakofthewar, GilbertwasborninStockportnearManchesterand workingdayslostrosetotenmillionormore workedinthecottonmills.HewasinvolvedintheILP JimLarkinwassentBelfastbytheNationalUnion eachyear. andswornintotheIrishRepublicanbrotherhoodin ofDockLabourers,whereandhesetabout Manchesterin1913.Hefoughtinthe1916risingasa organisingworkers.Theemployers’resistancewas Strikesacrossthecountryfeaturedviciousand republican,amemberoftheITGWUandalabour savageagainsthiscampaigntoorganisedockersand disproportionateresponsesfromemployersandthe memberofDailEireann.Gilberthadanuncannyknack cartersinBelfast. Britishstate,withmasslockouts,victimisationand ofturningupattherighttimeandtherightplace. policebrutalitywidespread. HisactivitiesproducedasplitintheOrange HewasintheGPOin1916,hehelpedpersuadethe Order,astrikeintheRoyalUlsterConstabulary, Themilitancyofthisperiod,althoughsimilartothe republicansinFiannaFailtoenterthefreestate,and thedeploymentofthousandsofBritishtroopsto SyndicalistmovementsofEurope,wasinformedby whenLarkinandtheWorkersUnionofIrelandwere protectscabsandtheuseoftheonlycavalry classsolidarity. tryingtofindawaybackintothebroadtradeunion chargewithintheUnitedKingdomagainst movementitwashewhomadethepointoforder workerssincethePeterloomassacre.It’sno Frustratedwithgovernmenthostilitytowardssocial thathelpedLarkingainadmittancetotheDublin wonderBenTillett,inhisannualreporttohis reformandHomeRuleforIreland,manylabour counciloftradeunions. union,describedtheclasswarasthemostsavage leaders,shopstewardsandordinaryworkingmenand everseen. womenlostfaithinWestminsterpoliticsandinstead GilbertlefttheITGWUandjoinedtheTGWU;he soughttoexertchangefrombelow,withBenTillett wasdistrictsecretaryuntilthemid-1960s. Lookingbackatthesituation100yearsago,with denouncingParliamentas‘afarceandasham…the growinginternationaleconomictradeand richman’sDuma’. It’simportanttolookatthevastsweepof pressureonindustrialiststoimproveefficiency– globalisationinAmericaandEuropeandhowworkers therewasacounterbalancealongsidethiswiththe TheimpactofLarkinwasfeltthroughoutIrelandand