Public sector general strike in Ireland
Nov 24 2009 01:25
News bit here:
http://www.reuters.com/article/marketsNews/idUSGEE5AM1ZM20091123
Strikes against public sector spending cuts. They have been called off in some areas to deal with the flooding.
So, any news, insight or updates from our Irish posters, or anyone else? Reports of the day, any interviews with participants, or any decent news/analysis of this anywhere?
If someone could write up the story for our new section as well that would be great.
Nov 24 2009 10:51
#2
Police on the picket lines
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/nov/24/ireland
I was glad to see Indymedia Ireland was treating the matter with the correct level of interest 
http://www.indymedia.ie/breaking_news
Books on hare coursing, and stuff about red poppies.
Nov 24 2009 11:02
#3
The police on picket lines are off duty ones, as working ones aren't striking. Civilian police workers are however.
Very interesting.
(Typo in this post corrected)
Nov 24 2009 11:26
#4
Steven. wrote:
working ones are striking
Surely, "aren't striking"?
~J.
Nov 24 2009 11:32
#5
Well they're not allowed to strike so that's hardly surprising, it is very significant for the government that the GRA leader has come out not only supportive of the strikes, but actually urging his members to go out and support them where possible.
Nov 24 2009 19:31
#6
Would you be interested in setting up a gallery for my pics from today? Can mail them over. Some interesting stuff going on around the city, could write up a report at work tomorrow, off to the pub now. Another strike Dec 3rd it seems.
Nov 25 2009 00:52
#7
Nov 25 2009 01:36
#8
weeler, we can possibly give you access to do that yourself.
Nov 25 2009 12:33
#9
catch wrote:
weeler, we can possibly give you access to do that yourself.
Doesn't he have to get 500 posts first?
~J.
Nov 25 2009 12:53
#10
Yeh, if you want I can have it done by later on today. Have a camera full of pics and willing to do a full report, better late than never. I can just as easily email it all over to Jack or Choccy?
Nov 25 2009 16:30
#11
Weeler, yes you should be able to do that now - just click submit content - images, then you can browse to add more images one at a time. That would be really great, a written report when you have time as well would be great too.
Nov 25 2009 21:48
#12
oops, submitted 5 assuming I could edit more in after. can u make it so i can edit that album and i will honestly not touch another thing on the site.
Nov 26 2009 00:38
#13
yeah right
Nov 26 2009 17:40
#14
Hopefully you can now? Thanks!
Nov 26 2009 19:12
#15
Right, thats done, 12 pics over here, two poached from WSM, rest unique to Libcom.
http://libcom.org/gallery/irish-public-sector-general-strike-november-24-2009
I will write up a piece on it once I digest what the left are saying about it, which is worryingly very little, and have a look at what is to be done.
Nov 27 2009 11:46
#16
"Bernard Harbor, a spokesman for the Impact union, which represents 65,000 public sector workers, said: "If the government cuts pay again then there will be more industrial action."
With government and the Irish Congress of Trade Unions in talks yesterday afternoon, Mr Harbor said that the two sides had to find solutions that achieved "payroll savings that don't affect people's basic pay"."
Financial Times "Irish public sector pay cuts spur mass strike" 25.11.09 and at ft.com
From "Celtic Tiger" to "Direland" in ten seconds and guess who will have to pay? Smells like the stench of being led to defeat again. Thanks to Ronan for his compilation.
Nov 27 2009 12:01
#17
Neville Retrobotham, spokesperson for UNTIED, one of the largest unions in Ireland, stated that if the government gave them even the slightest concession they would happily call off the strikes.
"It doesnt even have to be anything big, they could make up new cuts on the spot and then agree not to introduce them," he explained.
"They could even pretend to have lost the negotiations and make the unions look like they won, sure you never know what people will believe."
"At the end of the day I just want things back to normal for me as soon as possible, I'll probably just get a deal for the senior civil servants and use that to divide workers against each other."
Nov 27 2009 12:21
#18
A spokesman for the Workers Solidarity Movement described Mr Retrobotham's statement as "fantastic" which "vindicated our blind, unreasoning faith in the ICTU".
Maybe change the title to "public sector general strike in ireland"