Potential hostage to fortune to an inept government and corrupt minority.

national | worker & community struggles and protests | press release

Wednesday March 25, 2009 17:54

by Eugene Mc Cartan - Communist Party of Ireland

cpoi at eircom dot net

James Connolly House, 43 East Essex Street, Temple Bar, Dublin 2:

01 - 6708707 or 0879733414

ICTU to re-enter talks.

The decision by the ICTU to go back into talks with the Government has the potential to place the trade union movement in a position where it will become tied to Government policies, in particular to the consequences of the forthcoming budget and all future budgets.

COMMUNIST PARTY OF IRELAND

25th March 09

PRESS STATEMENT

The decision by the ICTU to go back into talks with the Government has the potential to place the trade union movement in a position where it will become tied to Government policies, in particular to the consequences of the forthcoming budget and all future budgets.

It is clear from the letter sent by Brian Cowen to David Begg that these talks go well beyond rescuing the current agreement but are geared more towards locking the trade union movement into a position of supporting future Government policy, leaving themselves hostage to fortune to an inept government.

Using such terms in his letter to the ICTU as “societal ownership” of the crisis, Cowen in effect is stating—and the ICTU is clearly buying into this—that society as a whole must accept the responsibility and the cost of a crisis created by a few who, in creating it, made billions off our labour.

The previous “social partnership” agreements did nothing to end the gross inequality that exists in Irish society. If the trade union movement concludes a new agreement with this bankrupt Government the likelihood of achieving a more socially just Ireland is even more extreme, given present conditions.

The present crisis is both global and has specific Irish features, resulting from the policies of the present Government and its cronies in the banks and among property speculators. If the trade union movement does a deal it will be letting this Government, the bankers and speculators away with the pensions, social welfare payments and health and educational services of its members, whether they are now employed or have lost their jobs recently. To continue to raid the public purse in order to bail out a corrupt minority.

This approach is the road to nowhere. It is time for a new departure. If workers are to be called on to make sacrifices, we need to start thinking and acting independently of this Government and crisis-ridden system. A socially just society is clearly not on the agenda of this Government, or any other potential coalition Government, no matter what combination of parties makes it up. Statement ends

Eugene Mc Cartan
General Secretary
087 9733414

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political class consciousness

by Con CARROLL

Wed Mar 25, 2009 19:11

Comrade
it tells us who runs the show in Ireland
Fingelton AIB 1 million bonus pay package. Gillian Bowler gets quater of a million sitting on board of AIB meetings. construction companies in financial scandal with AIB. owner of Mount Carmel hospital gone into privitization friends of AIB.
Fitzpatricktells us that if he had 1 million he would give it to people who are homeless.
read the report into the state of economy, research person Manus o Riordan of SIPTU

according to Brendan Smyth we can expect 6 billion in cuts lets not forget Mr. Beggs of ICTU, wage per anum 150,000 another ex SIPTU president Des Gerarthy in the company of FAS EXC in expensive hotels with Harney husband. a great adventure that these people can travel to America with FAS executive looking at astronauts in space tax payers expenses.
tighten our belts. encouraging economic cut backs on people who are on social welfare Joan Burton of Labour who gets 5,00o per anum even though she no longer in the education system.

is there alternative
don't be bullied again we voted no to Lisbon JUNE 2008, we will not be bullied we can do it again in 2009
euro elections encouraging people to vote with class conscious. unfortunately not many in dail eireann.

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Potential hostage to fortune to an inept government and corrupt minority.

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