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Over 100,000 march against bank debt and austerity
Up to 100,000 people marched in six Irish cities and towns on Saturday (9th February) in protest at the bank debt and one sided austerity policies.
More than 50,000 marched in Dublin where Congress general secretary, David Begg, told a massive rally in Merrion Square that the Irish protests against the unsustainable €64 billion debt will be brought to Brussels and Frankfurt and to governments across the EU.
He said that the “architects of austerity” would be informed that Ireland will no longer be the “Mr Nice Guy” or “poster child” of Europe and that the campaign against the bank debt would continue until the agreement reached by EU leaders in June last year to separate it from sovereign debt was honoured. He said that protests would also continue at home until the Government changed course on its one-sided austerity policies and adopted measures to stimulate growth and employment.
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Thousands join Cork Protest
By Sharon Cregan
At 2.00 p.m. thousands of people left SIPTU, Connolly Hall and marched on the streets of Cork to protest at the bank debt which is now burdening all citizens of Ireland. While media reports stated the attendance was 6,000, it was obvious from the numbers there that the attendance was double that.
Young people lead the Congress protest in Cork on Saturday, 9th February (Photo: Yvonne O'Callaghan)
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Over 5,000 march against bank debt in Galway
By Paul Hardy
Five thousand marchers gathered at Galway Cathedral to protest against Ireland’s unpayable €64bn bank debt burden and its effect on wages, jobs and public services in the West. The march was led by Seamus Dillon, chair of SIPTU’s Galway District Committee and a worker in the county’s mental health services. Seamus was followed by a large SIPTU party made up of workers from both public and private sector and their families, other trade union delegations, community organisations, political groups and members of the public.
Protestors at the Irish Congress of Trade Unions protest against the bank debt burden in Galway (Photo: Photocall Ireland)
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10,000 March Against Austerity in Limerick
By Paul Gavan
Over 10,000 people marched through Limerick city centre against austerity and the huge debt burden on Irish people. The event, which was organised by the Limerick Council of Trade Unions, took almost an hour to pass through the streets of the city centre to Pery Square where a rally took place.
ICTU protest against austerity and bank debt in Limerick City (Photo: Photocall Ireland)
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Over 6,000 march in Sligo
The protestors from SIPTU, IMPACT, INMO, CPSU, UNITE, INTO, TUI and others gathered at Sligo County Council offices and progressed across the pedestrian bridge onto the Mall, down Bridge Street across Castle Street and were addressed in O’Connell Street.
The march was led by the Sligo City Pipe Band and was joined by the Samba Band as it progressed to the meeting point.
Protestors at the Lift The Burden march and demonstration in Sligo listening to speakers in O'Connell Street (Photocall Ireland)
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13,000 people march in Waterford
By Davy Lane
The Waterford rally commenced at 2.00 p.m. in the Glen where unions and community groups assembled and over 13,000 people joined in as the Thomas Francis Meagher Band followed by the ICTU and union banners down Summer Hill on to the Quays.
On the march against austerity and bank debt in Waterford City (Photo: Photocall Ireland)
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Meeting to discuss ruling on Bus Éireann dispute
SIPTU representatives in Bus Éireann are meeting today (Thursday, 14th February) to discuss the union’s response to a Labour Court ruling on a dispute at the company concerning management attempts to unilaterally enforce cuts in workers' terms and conditions of employment.
SIPTU Organiser, Willie Noone, said: “Our members have always been willing to change working conditions and practices within reason but are not prepared to have changes unilaterally imposed on them. Bus Éireann workers are not prepared to continue to provide a public transport system while management is eroding every aspect of their conditions of employment, including their wages.”
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Old Darnley Lodge workers vote to continue sit-in
Workers in the Old Darnley Lodge have voted to continue their sit-in at the hotel in Athboy, Co. Meath, until all have received the statutory entitlements, including redundancy pay, holiday pay and hours owed, due to them.
Old Darnley Lodge workers outside the Hotel in Athboy, Co. Meath
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SIPTU fire fighters to commence national ballot for industrial action
SIPTU fire fighters are set to commence a national ballot for industrial action aimed at resisting the introduction of plans by the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government to implement cuts to fire services that will endanger fire crews and local communities.
SIPTU retained and full-time fire fighters from all 34 fire services across the country will vote on industrial action aimed at halting the implementation of changes to working practices contained in “Keeping Communities Safe”, a policy document published by the Department of the Environment on Thursday (7th February).
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Department of Health to meet SIPTU to discuss graduate nursing scheme
Minister for Health, James Reilly, has said he would be “delighted” for the Department of Health to meet with SIPTU representatives to discuss alternative proposals to the nursing graduate scheme for savings in the health sector.
Reilly’s response follows a letter from the SIPTU Nurse and Midwife Sector Committee requesting an urgent meeting to discuss the ending of the graduate nursing scheme and the union’s alternative cost saving proposals.
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1913 Events
Click here to view or download the full Programme
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SIPTU calls for compensation for survivors of Magdalene Laundries
SIPTU has called for the financial compensation of the survivors of the Magdalene Laundries and their families for the forced labour these women endured and from which religious orders and other businesses profited.
SIPTU Equality and Campaigns Organiser, Ethel Buckley, said: “The scale of the abuse of women in the Magdalene Laundries can no longer be denied following the publication of the inter-departmental committee report on State involvement with these institutions on Tuesday (5th February).
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MANDATE Trade Union
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Liberty View
The actions of the Socialist Party and the anti-property tax protestors at the demonstration against bank debt and austerity on Saturday (9th February) were both dangerous and undemocratic.
It is incomprehensible how people who claim to have a progressive political view can invade a protest against the bank debt and austerity which they had no part in organising.
However, they did not prevent the huge marches and rallies across the country which were a great success for the trade union movement and for all of those who supported the Day of Action.
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Quarter of population classified as deprived
Almost a quarter of the population was officially classified as deprived in 2011, the highest level since the Central Statistics Office (CSO) began compiling such data in 2004.
The figures were revealed in the CSO Survey on Income and Living Conditions (SILC), a household survey covering a broad range of issues in relation to income and living conditions, which was published on Wednesday, 13th February.
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Wars wash out political sins
By Dr Hikmat Ajjuri, Ambassador of the state of Palestine to Ireland, Dublin
The whole world watched the latest Israeli elections on the 22nd January this year. In my opinion, it was a vote of no confidence in the historic leading parties in Israel, the Likud and the Labour. Voting for the newly emerged parties reflects also the state of confusion among Israeli society stemming from the overall state of fear which is created by the Zionist philosophy in order to sustain its hegemonic mandate. To sustain the requisite inordinate level of fear, Netanyahu for the past few years has created a monster called the “Iranian nuclear weapon”. It is in fact an attempt to distract the world’s attention from the main issue, which is the Israeli Palestinian conflict.
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Progressive Film Club
 The Progressive Film Club is a voluntary organisation dedicated to showing progressive films from all over the world. Struggles for people’s rights, for the rights of workers, of immigrants, of women, for national liberation and for social justice are some of the themes of the outstanding films we have selected. Showings: usually one all-day show per month—are at the New Theatre in East Essex Street. All of our screenings are free to the public, but donations are always welcome!
Click here to download the full Programme
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Global Labour Column
Unpacking the Marikana Massacre
The heartless killing of 34 striking miners at Marikana on 16th August, 2012 by the South African police startled the world both in the manner and period it happened. Almost 20 years after the demise of apartheid, it evoked memories of the past and raised questions about the post-apartheid socioeconomic and political order and the integrity of industrial relations. This paper argues that Marikana is a crisis linked to the intersection of precariousness and fragmentation of workers. In explaining the choices by different stakeholders, it is imperative to unpack the political, historical, social and economic context.
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Austerity "Strategies" and Social Policy Opt-Outs under fire at EESC
The Plenary Session of the European Economic and Social Committee held on 17th January saw the unusual occurrence of the European Council President Herman Van Rompuy being heckled by an Italian member of the EESC Workers’ Group, in protest against EU policies of relentless austerity. Far more significantly, the President was also dramatically confronted with the demand from a British trade union member to face down UK Tory blackmail designed to dilute Social Europe still further. Manus O'Riordan, Irish member of the EESC Workers’ Group, reports.
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Irish Independent and Tesco
Dear Editor,
I refer to the article in the Irish Independent (11th February) with regards to workers in the Tesco Distribution Centre at Donabate, Co. Dublin being required to wear arm band monitors. The article suggested that SIPTU had agreed with the company with regard to the use of this equipment to monitor staff.
This article was extremely misleading and factually incorrect.
While SIPTU has a collective agreement with Tesco which covers our members working in this plant. There is no agreement with this system for the purpose of monitoring performance.
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1913-2013 Appeal
Dear Editor,
In 1913 Dublin Dockers were strongly unionised with the Port employers recognising the Irish Transport and General Workers Union. When the 1913 Lock Out began the dockers decided to increase their union dues in order to create a hardship fund for the workers involved. The head of the union Jim Larkin did threaten to pull out the dockers in an effort to apply pressure. However, it was James Connolly who organised the strike in solidarity with the locked out workers. The Port employer’s reaction was swift. Foreign ‘scab’ labour was imported and they were billeted inside the Port area so that they could not be got at. Except for a brief period there was little or no disruption to port traffic. When the lockout/strike was over the dockers and their families paid a heavy price with evidence to suggest that those involved in the strike were then not picked for employment in the docks.
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International Women's Day
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Public Meeting
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Win an iPad 2 with SIPTU Membership Services
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SIPTU Basic English Scheme
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Inclusive Education and Training Practitioner Training Course
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Win €100 Voucher from Newbridge Silverware!
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Larkin Credit Union
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Travel Insurance
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