People Before Profit
Cork
A Voice for People, Community and Environment
Newsletter
Issue 1601
Left Wing Economics Makes Sense
The recent General Election results pushed establishment parties into negotiations and bargaining that they normally wouldn’t dream of in engaging in. Despite talk of a Fianna Fail resurgence they actually had their second worst ever performance. This, combined with the drop in support for Fine Gael, has meant that they have had to talk to each other to make the best of their weakened position overall when for the first time in history they (the “Fianna Gael” entity) are not in the majority in the Dáil. Despite the not unexpected sell-outs of the Independents who rushed to grab power and cabinet seats and the rejections of the mandates on abolishing water charges, the situation in the Dáil is unstable and uncertain.
What is stable and certain is the rise of the radical left. The PBP/AAA grouping in the Dáil now has 6 energetic and capable TD's who have and will continue to stand by their election promises. People Before Profit is a 32 county party which does not recognise discrimination between cultures and religious beliefs but recognises the very real divisions of class enforced by wealthy and powerful elites We are presented in the Dáil by Richard Boyd Barrett TD, Gino Kenny TD and Bríd Smith TD and in N.I by Gerry Carroll MLA and Eamonn McCann MLA. We also have elected councillors in Dublin, Belfast, Sligo and Wexford. We do politics differently. We work to empower communities and unions. We see ‘People Power’ as the way to bring change. The economic policies of right wing parties favour the few, the wealthy and the powerful. The needs of people waiting for housing and services are made dependent on the whims of speculators and wealthy developers. People Before Profit represents different politics and a society of equals. We fight for : -The abolition of Property Tax and Water Charges and abolition of the USC for those earning below 30k -A one-tier healthcare system where your are treated according to your medical needs and not the size of your wallet -The reversal of the cuts to social welfare - Restoration and increase in public services This could be paid for by: -Making corporations pay at least the 12.5% taxation. -A third rate of tax for earners of over 100k euro p.a. -A wealth tax on assets (excluding the family home) – 1% on assets valued at 1 million euro -A solidarity levy on sales of commercial property. Left wing economics makes sense It means putting People Before Profit
People Before Profit Alliance www.peoplebeforeprofit.ie
PBPA Cork www.peoplebeforeprof
Housing Crisis
Fine Gael’s Cork based minister with responsibility for housing is making loud noises about addressing the issue. Simon C with the county and city councils and stated that vacant properties need to be targeted. It is of course a scandal that home thousands linger on the lists but it was the government led by Fine Gael of which Coveney was a part that continued the p underfunding and cutting financial supports to local authorities while refusing to address the issues of unused land bank speculators cashing on on distress mortgages and forcing more people into homelessness. A further scandal is where peo badly needed rent allowance are being made to transfer to Housing Assistance Payments schemes where often landlords participate, effectively forcing more families out.
Very little has changed in the government’s approach to housing and homelessness. They still insist that as sizeable portio needed housing needs to be provided by private developers...housing for profit not people. They now speak of recognising the national emergency in housing provision but refuse to countenance a proper state-run program which would, on top of providing homes for families in desperate need also give much needed jobs and incomes abused and ravaged by rich speculators and developers. The provision of these jobs would have a significant knock-on eff money back into the local economy when workers are fairly employed and paid.
In the courts, the dogged pursuit of people locked into negative equity and unmanageable mortgages continues quietly an media attention. People who are struggling to feed their children are dragged along to the court every few months so the v bought their loans at knock-down prices can turn the screw tighter or force them out on to the streets, all in the relentless over people. Coveney and his party have done nothing to alleviate this situation. Why would they? In their own ranks are and property speculators who use this system to further enrich themselves at the expense of ordinary families and childre are ashamed that they will find out how close they are to homelessness.
RINGASKIDDY AND INDAVER’S INCINERATOR
When people hear “€160 million investment” they usually think new jobs, money in local economy high tech and safe truth in the case of the Indaver Hazardous Waste Incinerator investment couldn't be further from the truth. This is Inva getting their flawed hazardous waste project off the ground and each time they have faced fierce opposition from the loc Ringaskiddy itself and the whole Cork Harbour itself. with Groups like CHASE majorly involved. #PeoplePower Indaver’s incinerators on the European mainland and found they were adjacent to rail and motorway links in highly industrialised areas in contrast to Ringaskiddy, which was a coastal village. None of Invaders other incinerators are located in a village with a school, none are located near a college such as The National Maritime College of Ireland and none are located near a Naval Base like Haulbowline. None are located in a small simple Coastal Village like Ringaskiddy.
Cork Harbour is World Famous. It is one of the largest (and most beautiful) Natural Harbours in the world. Millions have been investment in the Harbour regeneration by local communities, Cork Government. However Cancer rates in places like Cobh and other areas in Cork harbour are among the highest in the C We don't need to add a Hazardous Waste Incinerator to the mix to make things much worse for the local community Ringaskiddy Village itself has not benefitted from any of the vast investment in the area. The village looks much the sa 80’s.
People Before Profit believe that Incineration is not an efficient way to product energy nor a solution to either Climat Management, which Indaver will try to make to believe.People Before Profit want to cut down on waste of all sorts, prom Incineration and Landfills. People Before Profit want those who make the Waste to deal with it themselves. We don't bel should have to deal with the health ramifications of having those Industries in their area, we don't believe it should communities have to deal with it and we don't believe the cheapest method of doing something because it maximise prioritised, be it the creation of the waste or its disposal at the expense of local communities and environment.
WE MUST STOP INDAVER ONCE AND FOR ALL. WE WANT TO KEEP IRELAND THE GREEN FOR!!!
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TESCO: CUT YOUR PROFITS – NOT WORKERS WAGES Tesco have announced that long serving members of staff are on ‘inflexible contracts’ and are demanding that they take wage cuts. This is shocking behaviour from a highly profitable firm – and we should show solidarity with workers and tell Tesco: BACK OFF About 1,000 members of staff are affected and it would mean a cut of €2.35 (16.5%) per hour for workers earning €14.31. Over a whole year it would lead to a minimum reduction of €6,591 per worker. Workers are also being threatened with: - The loss of late night allowance. - The loss of early morning allowance. - The loss of the guaranteed share bonus scheme. It is a blatant case of Tesco attempting to increase their profits at the expense of their most long and long-standing members of staff.
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This is not a struggling company. Dave Lewis, the CEO of Tesco is on €1.5 million a year – so he does not know what it is like to live on just over €11 an hour! Tesco is a highly profitable retailer that has one quarter of the entire grocery market in the Republic of Ireland. The company refuses to release their profits but the shop workers union MANDATE estimate them to be in the region of €250-300 million per year in Ireland. The international Tesco group claim that they made a loss last year. But Irish workers are not responsible for the bad investment decisions made in the US or in the Middle East. These workers have made Tesco into the most successful retail business in Ireland today. If the parent company needs to make savings, they should start with the fat cats at the top of the company. WHAT YOU CAN DO: Tell Tesco management to back off attacking its workers. Sign the People Before Profit petition Support the Tesco Workers on picket lines and boycott Tesco at times of industrial action
5,800 People on the Cork Housing Waiting list. 282 Vacant Social Housing in Cork
WATER CHARGES
The suspension of the water charges is a welcome victory for the people but the fight is far from over. We want the charges abolished! Water as a human right must be constitutionally recognised with the provision and maintenance of the infrastructure to be properly and fairly funded through general taxation. The Dail has rejected the motion to abolish the charges and provide a refund. For hundreds of thousands of voters who supported anti-water charges candidates this is a complete betrayal. Yet when the government drag their feet the people must march! It's a keen lesson we've already learned. Each time the people organised en masse, concessions were granted. Yet this time no concessions will do. And there's no time to be wasted as we need to apply people power pressure and the same winning formula towards our housing emergency and health care system. The government deny there are simple solutions yet when we rise up we might realise we had the power all along and needed only to flex our will!
Right2Water National Protest 17-09-16
REPEAL THE 8TH AMENDMENT Three weeks after Irelands, overwhelming Yes vote for equality in the May 22nd Marriage Referendum, The United Nations and Amnesty International condemned Ireland for “violating the Human Rights of women and girls”. Cork South Central’s 68% YES Vote on May 22nd showed the we value equality and human rights very highly. However the 8th Amendment,
to the Irish Constitution puts the rights of the foetus over the rights of women. This means we are not complying with our Human Rights obligations, we are not equal after all 4,000 women a year travel abroad seeking legal terminations. That’s 40,000 Irish Citizens a decade who do not feel equal, who do not feel their Human Rights are respected.
#RepealThe8th
#YesEquality
Jim O’Connell
Munster PBP Representative Office: 21a Penrose Wharf, Penrose Quay, Cork Email: peoplebeforeprofitcork@gmail.com Phone: 086 3556482 Web: www.peoplebeforeprofitcork.com Facebook: People Before Profit Alliance - Cork
Join People Before Profit - Text “JOIN” to 0872839964
We know you want equality, we know you value Human Rights - you voted in your hundreds of thousands in Cork to show this to the world. With the anniversary of Marriage Referendum upon us, we now need to vote again for equality and Human Rights.
Bin Charges Scandal Stop The 200% Increases From the 1st of July private waste collection companies plan to increase their annual service charges to rates of up to â‚Ź156 per year. This charge will apply regardless of whether you put out a single bin all year and will be on top of new pay by weight charges. The price increases are likely to add to the already growing problem of illegal dumping because they will hit low income families who are already struggling to pay their bills. The introduction of bin charges by a Fianna FĂĄil led government meant that because of EU competition law, the service would have to be opened up to privatisation. These massive hikes in charges are the inevitable result of that privatisation. In the DĂĄil AAAPBP has put forward a motion calling on the government to immediately take action to prevent waste companies from implementing these increases. The resolution calls for a maximum charge of 11 cents for residual kerbside waste, six percent for food and zero cents for recyclables per kilo. It also calls for a reinstatement of waivers for pensioners disabled, carers and also those in receipt of social welfare and family Income Supplement. This is a short term measure to stop the cartel of waste management companies ripping us off. The long term solution is to take the whole waste collections service back into public ownership, paid for by general taxation. The massive protest movement against water charges that has left Irish Water all but dead shows that protest and people power can work. People Before Profit urges people in the community to come together and organise against these rip off charges.
YOUR LOCAL PBP REPRESENTATIVE JIM O’CONNELL
People Before Profit Meetings & Events in your area.
Branch Meetings We have a Branch Meetings for Members and Supporters on a Bi-Weekly basis. If you are interested in attending, meeting times or anything else, please contact your local PBP Representative. Cork Branch Meeting
July 19th 8pm
Penrose Wharf
Midleton Branch Meeting
July 20th 8pm
Midleton Park Hotel
Public Meeting We are holding Public Meetings at least once a month, with various topics and speakers. We on occasion have some of our Sitting TD’s attending also. Upcoming Public Meetings After Brexit - Another Europe is Possible July 21st - 8pm Isaac Hotel A Woman’s Choice - Why Repeal the 8th July 27th - 8pm Oriel House, Ballincollig
PBP Saturday Stall Water Charges Stall
July 16th
Ulster Bank,Patrick Street
Repeal the 8th
July 23rd
Ulster Bank,Patrick Street
Jim O’Connell has worked extensively within the constituency and on a national level on the important issues such as the fight against austerity, the provision and upkeep of decent housing for all and the protection of our environment including the preservation of our natural assets. He presents to the people of Cork South Central the opportunity to participate in a new form of politics where representation means using the parliamentary institutions for the benefit of people and not for the political class, monopolising corporations or the exploitative tax evaders. Jim wants to work with you, not against you as others have done once elected. Together we can bring about the change we deserve.