The Socialist September 2016 by Socialist Party

PaPer of the SocialiSt Party

iSSue 102

A system

rotten to the

core

INSIDE

Jobstown trials begin

Building a movement for abortion rights

p6-7

Mick Barry TD on Corbyn & the Blairite battle

n End Apple's tax dodging – seize the €13 billion n Substantially increase tax on big business n End the reliance on multinationals & the private sector n Democratic public ownership & planning of the economy n People’s needs before profits socialistpartyireland

SePtember 2016

Join the Socialist Party Text ‘Join’ to 087 3141986

WWW.SOCIALISTPARTY.IE

September 2016

THE SOCIALIST

news

Capitalism fails the millennial generation The ten-cent generation a bright new day has dawned – the Low Pay Commission has delivered a ten cent increase in the minimum wage! Over a 40-hour week the increase adds up to €4. so now we can add to our weekly shop a copy of the irish independent (so we can read about how our pay is too high and our generation is sensitive and entitled), and two cans of store-brand lager to toast the recovery. Better yet, the government has given us a guarantee that things really aren’t going to change on their watch – they promise a €10.50 minimum wage in 5 years, still way below a living wage.

Still Generation Emigration nearly 10,000 more irish nationals left the country than returned in the 12 months to april 2016. The number would be higher without the downturn in australia. There hasn’t been any fundamental improvement – huge numbers of young people still can’t carve out a future here in ireland.

leaderships of the big trade unions signed up to this, selling out their newer and future members. What a contrast to the Luas workers, who in the middle of a bitter strike voted against this kind of two-tier system being brought in, standing up for young workers and refusing to be bought off.

student debt has become a huge problem in the usa, uK

interested in turning youth into free labour than in getting us work experience.

Generation What Survey

89% of this is 15-39 year-olds allshaping the outlook of agree that “banks young people. This is shown & money rule by the “Generation What” survey: the world” 89% of 15-34-year-

and australia where massive numbers of graduates spend decades paying it back, like a second mortgage. as soon as you manage to make a halfdecent income, you have to start forking out payments. now Fine Gael, with Fianna Fáil support, want to shove a €16,000 - €20,000 debt onto the shoulders of graduates. This is their idea of a “solution” to the third-level education ripoff. Fine Gael are also hoping that a loan scheme will give them a cover to impose much higher fees €4,000 or €5,000 a year, when it’s already a massive €3,000.

60% of young workers are low-paid, earning 12% less than pre-crisis

“Thank you, student loans – I can never repay you”

By Manus Lenihan

Generation Pay Gap 60% of young workers are low-paid – double the rate for workers as a whole. and it’s getting worse: young workers earned 58% of what older

workers earned before the crisis – now they earn just 46%. it’s clear that bosses have taken advantage of the crisis and mass unemployment to cut wages for unorganised, vulnerable young people.

Generation Temp One in three of 15-24-year-old workers are on temporary contracts. “The recovery” is not going to improve pay or conditions to decent levels for young people – soaring business profits haven’t raised wages. The bosses have established a new normal in the workplace and won’t give it up without a struggle.

Audit slams JobBridge The Department of social Protection has released an audit of JobBridge. Fewer than one in five interns actually get a job, half of interns drop out of the scheme early, and the whole system is riddled with abuses. now it should be obvious that the capitalist parties are more

olds agree that “Banks and money rule the world.” 85% don’t “trust in politics”. 75% believe the state should fund education. huge majorities agree that “There are too many poor people” and that “The gap between the rich and the poor is widening in ireland”. 78% say the economic crisis will affect their future. What we’ve described above is the reality facing young people in irish capitalism – and youth consciousness is wising up to this reality.

10% less for same work new workers in the public sector are earning 10% less than their older colleagues for doing the exact same work. The

“Leprechaun economics” creates fictitious growth By Aprille Scully

uSpend your sense of disbelief – Ireland's economy “grew” by a staggering 26.3% in Gdp in 2015. This caused even the Financial Times (the unapologetic newspaper of international capitalism) to ask “has the Irish economy become so distorted by its tax regime that nobody knows what is happening on the ground?” Multinationals skew growth The rise in GDP was not reflected in jobs as promised, with a meagre rise of 2.6% as Irish society still struggles with unemployment and underemployment. In fact, 18% of adults living in poverty are employed. So where can we see this soaring growth? The answer is, in profits for multinationals due to tax evasion practice. The biggest contributing factor to this GDP “growth” was an increase of €300bn in Ireland’s stock of productive assets. A large chunk of this is Apple moving its intellectual property assets; that is

the copyrights, patents on design and technology from the Silicon Valley. Instead, they are claimed as being 'invented' in Ireland for tax purposes. US economist Paul Krugman has labelled this “leprechaun economics”; like our twee national mascot, it is purely fictitious. A dual task is accomplished here; Apple can minimise the tax it pays on profits while the Irish government can tout Ireland as a ‘open for business’ and use these soaring growth figures provides ‘proof’ that the programme of austerity works. Cooking the books This cooking of the books echoes the Goldman Sachs/Greek government deal of 2001 where Goldman Sachs helped the Greek government to mask the true extent of its deficit in order to circumvent the EU Maastricht deficit rules. Using fictitious market exchange rate Goldman Sachs cross-currency loan of €2.8bn. As a result, 2% of Greece’s debt disappeared from its national

Leprechaun economics: a by-product of creative accounting by the Irish State

accounts. Goldman Sachs received €600m for its services. There is no time here to give justice to the effects of the brutal austerity regime the Greek working class are now enduring over the Greek debt. Reactions ranging from disbelief to scorn has accompanied the news of the growth figures in Ireland. Earlier this year, Fine Gael

had to ditch their “Keep the Recovery Going” tagline of their election campaign such was the backlash against it. Only this week news broke that Irish universities and colleges have fallen in the world rankings again due to funding cuts affecting the quality of education students receive. The emptiness of the ‘recovery’ and fabricated growth figures is all

the capitalist class is capable of giving. They are incapable of addressing the crisis in housing, health and education. Capitalism is incapable of providing a decent standard of living for working class people. A left government is needed that breaks with this system and implement socialist policies that prioritise our needs not multinational greed.

September 2016

THE SOCIALIST

effect. Rents will undoubtedly soar even higher when the two years are up. Despite the fact that profiteering and reliance on the private market has caused this crisis, this political establishment is content to put the rights of landlords, bankers and developers to profit above the right of people to decent and affordable accommodation.

By Clodagh Troelstra Heffernan

IGureS In the latest daft.ie report have shown that the ever increasing rent prices set by profit-driven landlords has seen a 39% increase in rents since 2011. According to the report, the average price of rent nationwide is €1,037. rents in dublin in particular have reached extortionate levels, with prices now at an average of 5.2% above their previous peak. This renting crisis, caused and perpetuated by the government’s refusal to invest in social and affordable housing is hitting more and more working class people, particularly young workers, students and migrants. With rents now higher than they were at the peak of the Celtic Tiger, vulnerable members of society are now faced with being put on the endless social housing waiting list, having to live in disgraceful conditions, or becoming homeless. 21st Century Tenements The deplorable profiteering by landlords has forced many to live in what are essentially 21st century tenements, where as many as five people are squeezed into one

housing

Extortionate rents fuel housing crisis 39% increase in rents since 2011

Rents nationally are now higher than the Celtic Tiger peak

room and charged €100 each per month. The advertisements on Daft.ie for accommodation in Dublin reveals the huge costs of rents for what are more or less bedsits. A bed in a one bedroom apartment, in which two bunk beds sleep four people in one room, costs €300. Another ad demonstrated how a greedy landlord in the capital is exploiting people

who are desperate for accommodation by charging €450 a month per bed in a twin room. In fact, the average price for a single bed in the city centre is €588. Government inaction This is understandably extremely anxiety inducing for many young workers and students. These rates are completely unaffordable even for students who receive the maxi-

Disgusting attacks on housing campaigner

mum student maintenance grant, which is no more than €657.22 per month. What has the government done to alleviate the problem of rising rents? They imposed a two year rent control limit, but not before giving landlords the opportunity to raise rent prices to unaffordable levels before this rule came into

Challenge the profit system Immediate action must be taken against landlords by immediately imposing real rent controls and rents should be lowered to the relatively low levels of 2011. A challenge must be posed to the vested interests of landlords, property developers and the construction industries which should be brought under public ownership. The government should start to use existing resources to invest in housing. The €13 billion owed by Apple is illustrative of the enormous resources that exist to tackle this mounting crisis. This money alone would clear the housing lists by building 130,000 council houses. Ultimately we need a government that is going to challenge the capitalist system of profit and the use the wealth for the benefit of all.

Accommodation crisis hits students

By Councillor Michael O’Brien

he leAk that emanated from dublin City Council leading to two articles on successive weekends attacking high profile homeless woman and campaigner erica Fleming is part and parcel of the campaign by the government and senior local authority officialdom to make private landlordism part of the ‘solution’ to the housing and homelessness crisis. Market based solutions Erica like most people in emergency accommodation in the Dublin area are being pressurised to go into private accommodation under the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) scheme. Up until the HAP was introduced in the summer of 2014 by former Labour Minister Jan O’Sullivan it was generally uncontested at official level that private rented accommodation on a long term basis was undesirable, and that being socially housed or becoming a homeowner represented progression. However the explosion of homelessness and the massive growth of the housing lists ushered in a policy shift. Former Minister Alan Kelly and current Minister Simon Coveney in their respective plans in response to the crisis are effectively aiming for landlords via HAP to house the lion’s share of housing

Housing campaigner, Erica Fleming, targetted by media

applicants and for those applicants to be then removed from the housing allocations list because their housing need has been ‘met’. For people in emergency accommodation, who have spent up to 14 years waiting to be publicly housed, the idea of giving up the short to medium term prospect of being housed in return for HAP support is a terrible dilemma and turning it down, as Erica Fleming has done, is neither uncommon nor unreasonable. This is especially that case if they became homeless in the first instance because they could not afford a massive hike in the rent from their last landlord. Torrent of abuse The government is clearly banking on a level of despair creeping in among those who may have been on the housing lists for ten years or less so that they give up on the hope

Average nationwide rent: €1,037

of being publicly housed, and reconcile being at the mercy of private landlords for the foreseeable future. The leaks to the Sunday Independent have unleashed a torrent of abuse from right wingers against Erica Fleming on social media, and was calculated to undermine support in wider society for people in emergency accommodation, and somehow paint them as unreasonable or ungrateful. However Erica Fleming to her credit has endured this assault on her character and a similar attack from Minister Varadkar over the issue of education supports for working lone parents. It’s clear the government have lost the political argument on how to respond to the housing crisis so we should be prepared for more dirty tactics on their part and the willing support of the right-wing media.

By Megan Oglesby

the current exploitative treatment of students by landlords is a stark reflection of the larger-scale national housing crisis which has been created by a mixture of neo-liberal austerity measures and the current government’s unapologetic support of blatantly immoral landlordism. Students across the country being forced to share accommodation with up to seven other students and being told to pay between €300 and €700 a month for the ‘privilege’ of doing so. Students’ Unions must act: n Firstly, students’ unions should be campaigning for more on-campus accommodation to be built in order to reduce the stress on students to compete to the point of accepting demoralising living conditions. n Secondly, the Student Unions of Ireland could also follow the example of University College London’s five-month long rent strike in 2015, which resulted in increased bursaries for student accommodation, and reducing rents in its lowest priced accommodation. This type of radical action is exactly what is necessary to create more social accommodation in universities.

September 2016

THE SOCIALIST

news

Government supports Apple’s tax dodging T

By Cillian Gillespie

he SpeCTACle of the Irish government appealing the ruling of the european Commission (eC) that Apple should pay €13 billion in unpaid taxes to the state is a shameful one. It is a stark reminder that they are the craven servants of capitalism in this country. They are siding with a company that has cash reserves of €200 billion, and with the Irish government’s assistance, is engaging in massive tax dodging. Michael Noonan, sought to disingenuously claim that even if this money were recuperated by the state it could only be used to pay down Ireland’s debt, a largely odious one created by the property crash of 20082009. Blatant hypocrisy The European Commission is no friend of working class people; it has been a central component of the Troika that have foisted vicious austerity programmes on the working class of Greece, Ireland, Spain and Portugal. When doing so, the Irish government obediently implemented and supported these programmes. In July, the government used a ruling by the EC demanding the imposition of water charges to argue why they would inevitably have to be re-imposed. The obvious contrast between such statements

Finance Minister Michael Noonan: fighting Apple’s corner

and their scramble to ensure that Apple does not pay the taxes it owes, should be lost on no one. This hypocrisy has been mirrored in the big business media. The day following the EC’s ruling a headline in the Irish Independent screamed “Ireland must stand up the faceless EU bullies”. This was the very same paper that consistently vilified public sector workers, along with the anti-household tax and water charges campaigns, while cheer-leading the Troika’s inspired austerity programme, telling us they were all but

inevitable. The Irish Times (Tuesday, 30 August) argued that it would be “damaging for the state” even if Apple were forced to pay a sum in the low billions (the figure of €13 billion was then yet unknown). They reflect a fear on the part of the ruling class that Ireland’s image as a tax haven for big business will be damaged. A failed model Since the 1950s, Irish capitalism has relied on investment from multinationals to help industrialise

the economy and develop a manufacturing base, reflecting its own inability to do so. They hoped that they could profit from such a potential development in the economy with spin-off development in the indigenous manufacturing, construction and service sectors of the economy. This is why successive governments have sought to attract multinationals with sweetheart deals, such as the one given by the state to Apple in 1991 or with a pitifully low headline tax rate of 12.5% (the real effective rate is 8.3%). The degree to which this low tax model has developed the Irish economy has been exaggerated; less than 10% of the workforce are employed by multinationals despite numerous tax concessions that they have been given over decades. The bitter experience of Dell in Limerick in 2009, when 3,000 workers were let go so the company could move its operations to Poland, with its lower paid workforce, illustrate how such jobs will be destroyed in the interests of profit. As it happens, Poland had a higher corporate tax rate of 19% at the time. Seize the wealth The €13 billion owed by Apple must be paid up straight away. All the tax breaks and loopholes offered to big business in Ireland must be brought to end. Corporation tax must be drastically

raised and the tax of the profits on big business, which is ultimately created through the labour of working class people, must be ploughed into building homes, investing in public services and infrastructure programme, such as the development of renewable energy. If we are to develop a viable manufacturing base within the economy we must end the reliance of the private sector which has failed to do so. The key sectors of the economy must be brought into democratic public ownership and on the basis of democratic plan of the economy their resources must be productively utilised for the benefit for everyone in society, not for a hand full of billionaire CEOs.

€13bn for Apple, or… n build twenty new hospitals throughout the state n clear the housing waiting list by building 130,000 homes n Provide free education for the next twenty years from primary to tertiary level resulting in the abolition of third level fees and costs associated with primary and secondary level n Provide free bus service in all our major cities for the next 270 years

apple tax scam... Jobstown... race to the bottom... We need...

A party for the class struggles ahead By Kevin McLoughlin

ITh A straight face, enda kenny says he is appealing the Apple judgement in the public interest. It is speculated that five or six other multinationals operating in Ireland are also being investigated. If the back tax figure for Apple is €19 billion, how much was robbed altogether from the public – in the public interest? Defending capitalist interests Could it be €50 billion or more? To say this was done in the public interest shows that the expressions, “public” or “national interest” are just smokescreens to justify rotten policies against the interests of ordinary workingclass people. Karl Marx once said, “The executive of the modern state is but a committee for managing the common affairs of the whole bourgeoisie “. He was correct. There isn’t a national interest. We live in a capitalist society which is broken down into class interests and the Irish establishment is siding with the multinationals against the interests

of Irish working-class people. All the main parties – Fine Gael, Fianna Fail, Sinn Fein and Labour – support a low tax regime for big business and in effect are prepared to go along with growing economic inequality and the “race to the bottom” which is seeing people’s conditions and rights and their futures, being bartered away. Miscarriage of justice Before the end of September we will see another example of class bias. A young person from Jobstown will go on trial in the juvenile court for “false imprisonment”, for the protest against Joan Burton in November 2014. The fact that a jury is not involved in a juvenile case makes it more likely that he will be found guilty. The rest of the Jobstown cases will be heard next April. That these trials are taking place, with the possibility that people could be jailed for years because of a protest that resulted in noting more than a water balloon hitting a Minister and a delay of two and a half hours, is a disgraceful miscarriage of justice and attack on the right to protest.

Struggles, including industrial battles, lie ahead for workers

It also an attempt to strike a blow against the idea of workingclass people fighting back and to attack left-wing policies and ideas, as four members of the AAA, including Paul Murphy TD, will be in the dock. A new party Apple, Jobstown, everyday there are more and more situations that show that ordinary working-class

people are not being represented and that none of the main political parties represent our interests either. The Socialist Party thinks that the best response to the Jobstown attacks would be for the AAA, as well as fighting the court cases to the fullest, to also use the publicity that the trial engenders as an opportunity to put forward the idea that a new party for working class

people needs to be built. In that way their attack can be turned into a platform to build the alternative. The attacks from the establishment and the media on the AAA mean it will have a unique position to play a key role in helping to establish a new mass party for working-class people to fight capitalism, and that is exactly what the establishment and the state is trying to destroy.

September 2016

THE SOCIALIST

#JobstownNotGuilty trials begin…

By Paul Murphy TD

DroP the chargeS!

eSpITe The expectations of many that the #JobstownnotGuilty protesters would not go to trial, the first charged for false imprisonment is due to start his trial on 19 September. next year, another 18 face charges, which could result in up to life imprisonment. These are the most serious political trials in decades. They threaten the right of people to protest. Ruling class goes on offensive The actions of the state leading up to these trials lay bare how it operates to defend the interests of the 1%. The context is one of a mass movement of civil disobedience against water charges, which has now succeeded in forcing their suspension and the collapse of the traditional political establishment parties. The ruling class in Ireland is looking at a scary vista of further social movements, the rise of the left and the possibility of more victories for working people which will further embolden them. It therefore acted – with hundreds of arrests, the jailing of anti-water meter protests and Jobstown – to send a message and try to dampen down that protest. The choreographing of two weeks of dawn raids in February 2015 with 6, 8 or 10 Gardai arresting protesters was a key part of this. The leaks to RTE by the Gardai were also designed to criminalise the protestors in the eyes of people.

news

State criminalises right to protest WhaT yOu Can DO: n Get an electronic information pack. Text "Jobstown" and your email address to: 086 3676089 n Donate to #JobstownnotGuilty so it can run a strong public information campaign n Raise this issue in your trade union, students union or club and organise some solidarity

The first trial of the Jobstown protesters begins on 19 September

This happened simultaneously to the revelations about Operation Mizen, which was a spying operation directed by the Gardai against anti-water charges protesters. The forces of the state were marshalled and used to try to assist the imposition of water charges – a key part of the ruling class' agenda for shifting the taxation burden and privatisation. Media can’t contain their bias A particular feature of this trial has been the trial by media and politicians already deployed to try to shape public opinion. This goes

from Claire Byrne declaring that “you falsely imprisoned the Tanaiste” on the first day of the dawn raids, to Olivia Mitchell declaring a few days later that “these were acts of violence and terrorism”. This media campaign reached its zenith with Ryan Tupridy on the Late Late show declaring that “what everyone at home just saw, which was, you know, the Tánaiste, the deputy Prime Minister of the country, trapped in a car for two hours, against her will.” These trials have a key role to play in cutting across that rising

confidence by sending a message that protest is criminal and that activists are criminals. That is why the old adage “an injury to one is an injury to all” is applicable here. Faced with a hostile media and state, the community of Jobstown needs all the assistance and solidarity that can be gathered. This needs to become a major movement of working class communities and young people to defend the protesters. Anyone who wants the right to protest in the future needs to defend the right to protest now, by defending Jobstown!

n Twin your estate or community with Jobstown and organise some solidarity n if you want to help the aaa’s campaigning work in support of Jobstown in this area or to get leaflets for distribution contact us at aaawithJobstown @gmail.com n To contact Jobstown not Guilty directly, contact Kieran on: 085 7221120

Water Charges: Build pressure for full abolition By Denise Parker

he GovernmenT’S decision to suspend water charges was a real triumph for the grass roots campaign and a clear indication of the power of working class people, once they become organised in a campaign of collective civil disobedience and protest. Carrot and stick policy Since the introduction of water charges it has been clear that the Government and the EU have been determined to push these through. When faced with mass opposition they introduced the sweeteners of the flat rate and the €100 conservation grant to try to convince us that we needed to pay. This carrot and stick policy was a failure. The newly elected government backed by Fianna Fáil and “the Endapendents” tried to kick the proverbial can down the road by establishing a supposedly impar-

tial commission on water charges. That “fair process” was quickly blown out of the water with the comments from the Chair of the independent commission, Joe O’Toole who lets the cat out of the bag with his comment “People voted a certain way, Leinster House is not prepared to grasp that particular nettle, so we have to find a solution that will have enough sugar on it to make the medicine go down easily”, so the findings of the independent commission one could say, have already been written. No trust in government Water is being made into a commodity for profit worldwide and this is the second attempt in less than 20 years that the charge has been introduced here, the first attempt was defeated by working class people by non-payment. We now stand at 73% non-payment on the last bill, this poses a real problem in attempts to re-impose the charge

Left to their own devices, we cannot depend on the parties that work within the capitalist system to abolish this charge. Mass nonpayment is still the key weapon in defeating the water charges but

we must be prepared for the sweeteners that the commission will recommend, we need to remind Fine Gael of the opposition to charges in any form and continue to build for mass non-

payment and demand all criminal charges brought against water protesters be withdrawn. On the Right2Water demonstration on 17 September we have an opportunity to send such a clear message.

September 2016

THE SO

special feature

building a movement

a referendum is a real citizens’ assembly

rISh PolITICS this summer has been dominated by the widespread and ever more vocal outcry for repeal of the 8th Amendment, writes KATIA hAnCKE. no matter how much the political establishment tries to hide away from the issue, a powerful campaign for repeal has exploded on to the scene and will not just ebb away.

youThFul movement from below, women in Ireland standing up for their rightsit is the last thing this government wanted. They had hoped to “park” this proverbial hot potato in a “Citizens’ Assembly”, so they could claim they were doing something without actually changing anything.

Citizens’ Assembly cop out 100 randomly picked people get to discuss the issue in a Citizens’ Assembly and then recommend under what circumstances women should be trusted with their own bodies. Whether to have a child or not should be a private choice, not a public debate. Unfortunately, because of the 8th Amendment being wedged into the Constitution back in 1983, we have to make abortion rights a public debate. But what we need is a referendum, in which everyone aged 18 or over in Ireland will get to have a say on the issue. The very concept of the Citizens’ Assembly is a cop out. Is this not why we elect TDs – to legislate? The Dail should take its responsibility and finally give this generation a say by calling a Referendum to Repeal the 8th now. It is very clear the government is trying to avoid this – and they will use the Citizen’s Assembly if it suits. But that is all they intend to do with it. Already various government sources have made it very clear that what they “expect” a Citizens’ Assembly to suggest is a referendum to preface extremely restrictive legislation, which would only allow abortion in the case of fatal foetal abnormality (FFA), rape and risk to the life of the mother. While this would be an assist to the 76 tragic cases of women who have to deal with a FFA diagnosis every year – and let’s be clear, it is absolutely outrageous how women in that situation are made to suffer in this State – it will not be any step forward for the 35 women every week who access abortion for other reasons. Even worse is the potential that

the Citizen’s Assembly will advocate a referendum that only amends or replaces the 8th to allow for choice in the case of FFA potentially setting back the movement for a woman’s right to choose for years. Firm pro-choice position needed What we need now is a leadership that is clear and honest about what is objectively necessary. We know history is our side on this and that a repeal referendum is now possible in the forthcoming period. That puts an onus on us to reach out to as many people as possible to convince them of the need to support a pro-choice position. The best way to do that is by having a programme that bases itself on a firm pro-choice position – linking the availability of abortion with the need to separate church and state so the procedure can be carried out in the public health system, so comprehensive sex education can be provided in schools, but also investment in child care and other obstacles that force women not to have children for economic reasons. Such a principled approach of opening up the discussion about the reality of abortion in Ireland has already had a major impact on public opinion, as proven by opinion poll after opinion poll. There is a reason why the “pro-life” lobbyists are panicking and opening their war chests to campaign in working class areas. The honest and straightforward approach of pro-choice activists, breaking the taboo of abortion and calling out the hypocrisy of the establishment, is convincing an increasing majority to back the need for Repeal. In order to win not just Repeal, but actual abortion rights in Ireland, we need to continue to stand up for a clear pro-choice position based on women’s right to bodily autonomy. This will inspire the developing grassroots movement to grow further and give the necessary push from below to force the conservative establishment into action. It allows us to set the agenda, to point out what is needed.

No compromise with conservative establishment On the contrary, looking for compromise by “reaching out” to conservative politicians will not work, it will allow them to set the agenda. It will land us in a dead end street where the 8th is “amended” rather than repealed or to continue to restrict abortion access along the lines outlined above. Access to abortion when the mother’s life is at risk we already have – and look where it left us. Access to abortion in the case of rape will – in the context of a backward state, judiciary and political establishment – be extremely limited. While the reporting of rape is on the rise in Ireland, it is estimated it is still underreported by 90%. No wonder, when you look at the extremely low likelihood of prosecutions, leave alone convictions. In short, such a “compromise” is nothing short of a betrayal which could set the women’s movement in Ireland back for years. We need to be clear and uncompromising – the constitution should not be used to police women’s bodies. We need access to abortion in this country, as part of the public health service, so women can make decisions about their own bodies, not the state or church.

Abortion rights – why churc By Monika Janas FRoM iTS very inception, the weak irish capitalist state and the ruling class it represents had needed a crutch to prop up its rule. A critical force that has played such a role has been the Catholic Church. This relationship continues to have consequences for working class people and women in ireland. The state is complicit in the abuse perpetuated by the Churc such as the child abuse scandals and the Magdalene laundries. The Catholic Church has the state education and healthcare system in its clutches. Fortifying Catholic theology The rotten role of the church in Ireland is long and well documented, especially on the abortion issue. When abortion was being legalised in Britain in 1967, contraceptives were still not available in Ireland. It was during this time that the contraception train took place; a number of women travelled to the North to obtain contraception

and give it out in the South. With this growing challenge to Catholic doctrine and with more women travelling to Britain to receive abortions the Church went on the offensive. It scrambled to fortify itself and its ideology in the Irish society. It obtained promises from Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael to stop liberalisation of abortion rights, and to introduce a change in the constitution that would prevent it in the future. So with the 1983 referendum, the 8th amendment was introduced. It was a sharp, calculated step to stem off the progressive tide. The church has always been a regressive force in our society . We saw how out of touch they really are in the Marriage Equality referendum. Their homophobic, conservative and outdated ideas fell on deaf ears as the people moved onto ideas of solidarity and equality, and were repelled by intolerance and self-righteousness. The massive turn out and the overwhelming ‘Yes’ vote were an indication of a growing pro-

September 2016

OCIALIST

Fighting for repeal & right to choose – what next? By Laura Fitzgerald

he mArCh For Choice on 24 September is a crucial event in the fight for abortion rights. The fact it’s a march for choice, rather than a march for a tweaking of the 8th amendment, or a repealing of the 8th amendment to be followed by restrictive legislation that precludes actual rights, is important. Growing momentum The Socialist Party, and Socialist Party activists in ROSA and the AAA, are organising now to make this as significant a demonstration as possible. On the day, we will be there to make the point that the only Citizens’ Assembly that we need is a swift referendum to repeal the 8th. Flowing from what is shaping up to be a hugely youthful demonstration – recent developments around the Mazer mural, the fantastic prochoice comments from the Sydney Rose of Tralee, and the ubiquitous ‘REPEAL’ jumpers give a hint of this. It is extremely timely that Ruth Coppinger TD will introduce the AAA/PBP bill for an immediate repeal the 8th referendum to be voted on in the Dail in early October. Those who mobilise around the March for Choice should have this bill as their next focus with the potential for significant demonstrations outside the Dail to say – “Women Can’t Wait – Repeal the 8th” – now, not in the dim and distant future. Role of Students’ Unions Ruth Coppinger TD has written to all the Student Unions and many will organise local rallies in their universities in support of the Bill. This is very positive and shows the potential for students to get organised and to step in to play a key active role in building a mass movement for abortion rights. Increasingly, students and Student Unions should be pro-

ch domination must end gressive consciousness. The landslide victory was a massive hit to the pillars of the Catholic Church in Ireland. Church control must end The next hit can potentially be on abortion rights. The fact there is growing support for repealing the 8th amendment and woman’s right to choose is a blow to the Church. However, as long as they have a hold of the basic services in our society, true victory is not possible. If abortion is legalised in Ireland, there is still no guarantee that all who need it will be able to access it. With the Catholic church in control of hospitals, it will use its influence to prevent it. Private clinics would be set up to provide abortion services that, once again, would exclude working class and poor migrant women who will not be able to afford them. Surely the state would not let them get away with this you say? The state has a long history of placating the church. Just look at the fact that religious institutions are

still allowed to fire people who act against their ethos. This means that a LGBTQ teacher or doctor could be legally fired from a Catholic school or hospital. It is an absolute disgrace. A programme for secular change We need a separation of church and state, so that we can step out of the middle ages. We need secular education, based on the needs of society and life. It is ridiculous that schools are allowed to blatantly discriminate against children that are not baptised; to prioritise certain children to get education over others. An Irish Times survey from July 2015 illustrated that 77% of 17-24 year olds felt the sex educatin they received in schools was inadequate. We need proper, LGBTQ inclusive, progressive sex education in schools. Young people should have the access to information about their own bodies without having to scurry thought the depths of the internet.

We need laws that protect all minorities from discrimination on religious bases. We need hospitals run and directed my medical professionals, not nuns and bishops. Medicine should be based on science and ethics, not individual religion. There already are institutions of religion in our society. They are called churches, mosques, temples etc. Medicine and education have no place in these institutions, why then do we allow religion to play a role in hospitals and schools? Only a separation of church and state will allow for true equality. More than that, we need a left government of the working class that will cater to the needs of the people, not to big business and the clergy. We need a secular state under which education and science is given precedence over religious ideology. We need an alternative to the capitalist system- the creation of a democratic socialist society based on real equality where its wealth and resources are productively utilised for the benefit of all.

special feature

t for abortion rights

moting WomenOnWeb.org. This a Netherlands based organisation of pro-choice doctors that provide women with safe, illegal abortions in Ireland with pills provided through the post after an online medical consultation. Student Unions and students organising for abortion rights should consider whether the safe distribution of these pills in conjunction with WomenOnWeb could be a way to continue to exert massive pressure on the political establishment. They are feeling the pressure on the issue, but are trying to limit the discussion to Fatal Foetal Abnormalities (FFA) alone, a very important issue but only a very small percentage of abortion cases.

organise “Alternative Assemblies” The Citizens’ Assembly is due to be convened sometime in October. Of course, pro-choice groups who get the chance to do so will make presentations advocating for repeal and for pro choice legislation. However, our position must be clear. No more pontificating on this issue is acceptable! In the spirit of the grassroots and highly effective street meetings that were everywhere at the height of the water charges movement, grassroots “Alternative Assemblies” in cities, towns and local communities could be considered. An Alternative Assembly would highlight the reality – that women need and get abortions for a myriad of reasons every day. It could aid women to make those choices irrespective of the vile laws that exist to restrict this through promoting and explaining about the abortion pills from WomenOnWeb. This could be considered as a way to push for an immediate referendum on repeal to be linked with legislation for a woman’s right to choose.

September 2016

THE SOCIALIST

Labour leadership battle

British Labour Party battle

#KeepCorbyn: Dump the Blairites By Mick Barry TD

n All-ouT battle is underway for the leadership of the British labour party. The challenge to left leader Jeremy Corbyn comes from owen Smith, who enjoys the support of Blairite mps and the capitalist establishment. “Rigged purge” The challenge is an attempt at a coup – it has been accompanied by repressive measures. One hundred and thirty thousand members who joined after 12 January were banned from voting by the national executive. Branches have been banned from meeting until after the vote on 24 September. Several pro-Corbyn constituency parties have been shut down on spurious grounds. However, a powerful social backlash has been unleashed against the coup. 183,000 people applied to join paying £25 within a 24-hour deadline, most to defend Corbyn. Tens of thousands of these applications have been ruled out by party officials, often using the excuse that applicants expressed support for other (often times left) parties. One woman was denied membership seemingly for posting "I f----- love the Foo Fighters" on Facebook. Bakers Union General Secretary Ronnie Draper was

banned despite Lord Sainsbury being allowed to vote – Sainsbury made a £2m donation to the Liberal Democrats this year. Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell has described the measures as a "rigged purge". Despite this, 234 out of 275 constituency parties have nominated Corbyn. A poll of those entitled to vote showed Corbyn on 62pc when undecideds were excluded (from 59.5pc in last year's leadership vote). There are now, in effect, two parties within one. A Corbyn victory will not be accepted by the open supporters of capitalism within Labour's ranks. Defeat the right wing There is speculation that up to 150 MPs could split, establish a new party and claim £4 million in allowances as the main opposition grouping. A second possibility is that the Blairites remain within Labour to trip up Corbyn at every opportunity in the hope that the Tories win the next General Election and that defeat unseats Corbyn. A third scenario might be for a combination of the two with both a split and a "fifth column" within Labour working towards common goals. Corbyn and the Left need to be clear on this score and ditch illu-

Jeremy Corbyn is set to defeat the Blairites in the Labour leadership contest for a second time in one year

sions that a united challenge to the Tories and austerity can be built with these traitors. This can be done by embracing the policy of mandatory reselection and not allowing MPs who refuse to support democraticallyagreed anti austerity socialist policies to represent Labour. It can also be done by actively building a mass membership, including all socialists driven out during the Blair era. Break with capitalism needed Part and parcel of this enterprise

should be the opening up of a debate on how a Labour left government can decisively improve the lives of the 99%. Corbyn has advanced positive proposals in this regard – a £10 minimum wage; an end to NHS privatisation; abolition of tuition fees; building 500,000 new Council houses; rent controls; renationalisation of the railways etc. However, just as a partial revolution is not sufficient within the Labour Party, nor is it within capitalist society. While the profiteers control the banks, major industry,

Blairite hysteria over “Trotskyist infiltrators” different socialist groups, including the Socialist Party, can be allowed to openly organise and put forward their ideas for democratic debate and discussion.

By Conor Payne

he CAmpAIGn against Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership of the British labour party has led to new attacks from the media and the Blairites on ‘Trotskyism” and the militant, forerunners of the Socialist party. deputy leader Tom Watson produced a ‘dossier’ on Trotskyist infiltration of the party, claiming that labour was being taken over by “Trotsky entryists” who are “twisting the arms” of young members to support Corbyn! The press has been full of scare stories, repeating and embellishing these allegations. The Telegraph went as far as to complain that Corbyn (in 1988!) supported a parliamentary motion calling for the complete rehabilitation of Trotsky and “all those innocent people murdered by the Stalin regime”. influx into Labour Obviously, these allegations are designed to disappear the reality that hundreds of thousands of working class and, particularly, young people have joined the Labour Party to defend Corbyn’s leadership. This is not a result of manipulation by the ‘hard left’ but of the mass support which exists for left, anti-austerity politics and a

Militant led the battle against the poll tax that brought down Thatcher

party of that represents the interests of working class people. The reality is that as a result of this influx, the Blairites have lost their own ability to control and manipulate what happens in the Labour Party, and are trying now to re-establish that control, including by purging as many members as possible. But the Blairites’ fear of Trotskyism is real. It is significant that the current coup against Corbyn has seen the re-publication of Michael Crick’s 1980s

witch-hunting book Militant. In the 1980s, a key step in the Blairite takeover of the Labour Party was the expulsion of Militant supporters, who stood unapologetically for genuine socialist ideas within the Labour Party and who advocated a fighting approach to taking on Thatcher. Corbyn has correctly dismissed the allegations of Tom Watson as nonsense. He should go further and advocate that Labour to be organised on a federal basis so that

Fighter for genuine socialism Leon Trotsky was the outstanding co-leader of the Russian Revolution, where working people for the first time in history on a national scale took power and wealth from the hands of the super-rich minority and established a society based on democratic control of wealth and resources. He went on to fight implacably against the rise of Stalinism, which represented the defeat of workers’ democracy and the establishment of a bureaucratic dictatorship in Russia. For this, he was exiled and ultimately assassinated on the orders of the Stalinist regime. The ideas of Trotskyism are in reality the ideas of workers’ democracy and socialism. As more and more people are looking for an alternative to capitalist austerity, those ideas are more relevant than ever and will be investigated by increasing numbers of those who are looking for a way forward in taking on the Blairites and the Tories. This is what the right-wing and the capitalist press are really afraid of.

the media and the state machine, these progressive measures will come under attack – as was seen in Greece with the Syriza government. What will be needed is a decisive break with the system of capitalism and the implementation of bold socialist policies that take the key sectors of the economy out of the hands of the 1%. On only on this basis can a decent standard of living be provided for the majority of society. A decisive victory for Corbyn on Sept 24 is an important first step along the road to such a reality.

Who were Militant? militant were the forerunners of the Socialist Party, both in ireland and in britain. Within the labour Party, they stood for a socialist programme that meant a decisive break with capitalism and a fighting approach that meant the mobilisation of working class power against the thatcher regime. their stance resulted in a witch-hunt by the rightwing and the expulsion of militant’s supporters. Militant in Britain won huge support for its ideas. From 1983 to 1987 the Liverpool Labour City Council- led by Militant supporters- refused to implement austerity, successfully took on Thatcher and created thousands of jobs and homes in Liverpool. They achieved this by mobilising tens of thousands of working class people and succeeded in increasing the Labour vote where elsewhere the Tories were winning. Militant also led the mass nonpayment movement against the hated poll tax which brought down both the tax and ultimately Thatcher herself. Militant’s successes against the Tories hold important lessons for Corbyn and the Left today.

September 2016

THE SOCIALIST

Turkey’s invasion of Syria…

By Emma Quinn

oT SATISFIed with brutal steps to tighten his grasp of gaining absolute power following the failed coup attempt by a faction of the Turkish military in July, president erdogan has flexed his muscles further by launching an offensive against Syria. In the weeks following the coup attempt where Erdogan and the AKP government called for a respect of “democracy”, they have attempted to force through legislation which would redefine his role as President concentrating power and enforcing a dictatorial agenda. There have been consistent attacks on social and democratic rights including repression and imprisonment of journalists, mass arrests, moves to reintroduce the death penalty and using the army to crush Kurdish struggles within Turkey. Assault on Rojava On Saturday 24th of August, Turkish tanks rolled across the border and headed for the town of Jarabulus. Initially using the pretext of driving out ISIS they rapidly turned their attention to putting a

Kurdish city of Cizre, southeastern Turkey, destroyed by Turkish armed forces

halt to the advance of the Syrian Kurdish YPG; who in Erdogan’s eyes are the bigger threat to his increasingly ruthless regime. The Turkish establishment fear the advancement of YPG forces will embolden the struggle for Kurdish rights at home. The YPG (Peoples Protection Units) have established a Kurdish enclave in Rojava, Northern Syria after a series of heroic victories against ISIS. Their calls to build a

society based on solidarity and gender equality have inspired many young people internationally amidst the horror and brutality of the war torn region. The success of the YPG has not gone unnoticed by the main imperialist powers that have opportunistically jumped on the bandwagon, including the US who have been backing them with arms and heavy air support. Erdogan has repeatedly stated that Turkey’s

allies should not make a distinction between the utterly barbaric ISIS and the YPG as both “pose a threat to Turkey”. No trust in imperialism Turkey’s entry into the war zone that has engulfed Syria is the latest example of a rapidly shifting series of alliances by imperialist powers and a stark reminder that a solution to the daily terror being inflicted on the Syrian people will not be

The PiCTURe of a woman surrounded by four male armed police officers being forced to remove her clothing on a French beach in August caused a wave of revulsion and outrage internationally. on the same day a 34 year old Mother with her two young children was fined, to applause from a crowded beach further along the French coast, for “not wearing an outfit respecting good morals and secularism”. She was wearing a tunic, leggings and a scarf. This is a result of the ban on the wearing of the Burkini introduced by the Mayors of 30 local towns in the south of France on the grounds of ‘inciting terrorism, threatening public safety and concerns about public hygiene’. While the ban has since been deemed “unconstitutional” by the French Supreme Court local politicians are standing over the ban. Stirring up prejudices In the last decade and a half, successive French governments have introduced bans on the wearing of various Islamic clothing such as the Hijab and the Burka. They have spuriously claimed that this is motivated by a desire to promote secularism,

women’s rights and the separation of Church and State. In reality it constitutes a cynical attempt to stir up Islamophobic prejudices against France’s largely poor and oppressed Muslim minority. The Socialist Party stands for a secular society with the complete separation of the Church from the state while also defending the right of individuals to practice or express their religious beliefs in whatever manner they see fit. We are opposed to laws that dictate what an individual can or cannot wear, particularly when these laws are brought in against an oppressed grouping within society. At the same time we are opposed to anyone being forced or pressurised into wearing certain clothing by their families. We also oppose women being forced by the state to wear the Islamic dress in countries such as Iran and Saudi Arabia. oppose all divisions Muslim women wear the Burkini, Hijab or the Burka for a multitude of reasons. Many wear it as a sign of cultural identity or as a form of protest against the discrimination and prejudices they face. Some young Muslim women of course are forced to wear the items of clothing by their families. A ban

found while imperialist powers are each fighting to maintain their own interests – namely their profit, power and prestige The YPG have courted US support in their battle against ISIS and it is this military arrangement that has angered Russia, who in turn now appear to have backed Erdogan’s incursion despite months of tension between the two after a Russian plane was shot down by Turkish forces. This new “Great Game” in the region will bring the same bitter results for the masses as it has always done. “The Kurds were born to be betrayed,” said Robert Fisk, they have been betrayed by the great powers on countless occasions and this will continue. A mass movement of working class and poor people across the region against the stranglehold of imperialism and the sectarian, dictatorial capitalist regimes such as those of Assad and Erdogan, is critical to ensuring that the rights of Kurds and other minorities are fulfilled and upheld. A socialist Middle East based on the rule of the masses would ensure its wealth is productively used for the benefit of all.

Cost of allergy drug rises by 400%

France: Burkini ban fuels Islamophobia By Fiona O’Loughlin

international

Erdogan’s war against the Kurds escalates

By Connor Cruikshanks

Image of armed police surrounding muslim woman on beach in France

by the state will not be of assistance to these women. In France, the people who are proposing this ban have no interest in women’s rights. They are consciously trying to divide working class people and stir up division within society and divert attention away from the economic and social problems they have created. This is taking place against the backdrop of a mounting struggle by French

workers against their programme of austerity. Ultimately stirring up divisions such as Islamophobia will only play into the hands of the far-right Front National. Banning clothing will not lead to women’s emancipation. A united struggle of the working class to end racism, Islamophobia and sexism is what is needed.

hArmACeuTICAl CompAny “mylan” recently increased the price of their epipen drug by 400%, rising from $56 to $317. one out of every twelve children in the uS are dependent on the device for a sudden injection of epinephrine in the case of an allergic reaction to foods, such as nuts. The lifesaving medicine could now cost American workers a considerable part of their salary. Patients will die from a completely curable illness due to Mylan’s greed for increased profit, as working class and poorer families will not be able to afford the necessary medicine. Meanwhile the CEO of the company, Heather Bresch has increased her annual salary from $2.4 million to $18.9 million. Mylan and big Pharma generally profit massively from healthcare. This system is based on profit gaining at the expense of people’s basic needs. The privatisation and profiteering of healthcare should be opposed and recognised as the exploitation by capitalism of the very necessities of survival.

September 2016

THE SOCIALIST

Bloody Sunday investigation

north

Search for justice continues T

By Kevin Henry

he evenTS of Bloody Sunday in January 1972, when British paratroopers shot dead 14 unarmed Catholics taking part in a 10,000-strong civil rights march against internment without trial, was one of the most horrific events in the Troubles. It was also one of its defining moments, as this brutal act of state repression had the effect of pushing thousands of young people into the dead end of the paramilitarism of the provisional IrA. For decades the families of those victims were not only denied justice but also the truth as they face a whitewash from the British government and a concerted effort to claim those killed were IRA members. Eventually, in 2010, the Bloody Sunday Inquiry, commonly known as the Saville report was published, 38 years after Bloody Sunday saw David Cameron being forced to apologise for the actions of British government and army. Role of the army tops Now police officers have finished interviewing former soldiers as part of their investigation into

Bloody Sunday. Many of the victim’s families are eager to see prosecution of those soldiers that have been interviewed. This may provide some degree of justice to these families but the truth is that it wasn’t simply soldiers on the ground that where responsible for the killing on the street of Derry but also the higher echelons of the army who sanctioned it. One of the soldiers who gave evidence to Saville, has written in his memoirs that as a 19 year-old soldier in Derry, on the night before Bloody Sunday, a lieutenant told his platoon: "We want some kills tomorrow" and it is well recorded that Major General Robert Ford, who was the commander of the land forces in Northern Ireland is on record several weeks before hand of saying he supported the “shooting of selected ringleaders of rioters”. Legacy of the past These investigations and the campaigns of the Bloody Sunday families raise the broader question of dealing with the legacy of the past. The Socialist Party supports the right of all victims of the troubles and their families to win truth and justice. However the proposals or lack of proposals in the Fresh Start

Bloody Sunday 1972: Body of John 'Jackie' Duddy being carried after shooting

Stormont House Agreement illustrate the reality that the sectarian parties seek to examine the past through the prism of today, seeking to confirm their analysis and reinforce their positions. Similarly, today there is unwillingness by British state to expose their record to scrutiny and allow victims of state violence receive justice. Countless example of collusion and police informants being protectedsuch as

Loughinisland massacre when UVF gunmen opened fire on a bar killing six Catholics as they watched a World Cup match in June 1994. However this has been dismissed by the former secretary of state as a “pernicious counter narrative.” Likewise the families of the 11 civilians in the Ballymurphy massacre by the same regiment that killed in Derry several months later have denied truth by the state 45 years on.

A genuine examination of the past would expose the role of the state, which employed vicious repressive methods for decades. It would also expose the role played by sectarian parties, paramilitary groups and individuals and set out the record of all the contending forces. This can play an important role in bring out the real lessons of the Troubles and ensuring that we do not return down the road of sectarian conflict again.

NAMA scandal becomes a sectarian football orously investigated. But it should be done in an open and honest way. The fact that Sinn Féin representatives felt the need to coach Jamie Bryson – a sectarian, racist, homophobic bigot with connections to the far-right – smacks of a desire to score cheap points against the DUP in the run-up to the recent Assembly elections. Fresh start agreement Yet, while they engage in a war of

By Daniel Waldron

T hAS emerged that loyalist Jamie Bryson was ‘coached’ by Sinn Féin’s daithí mckay – then Stormont Finance Committee Chair – before he gave testimony to the Committee in September last year, alleging that then First minister peter robinson was to benefit financially from the sale of nAmA’s property portfolio in the north. Bryson was given advice via private messages on Twitter on what issues to focus on, which to avoid and what questions he could expect. McKay scapegoated Following this revelation, McKay resigned as an Assembly member, taking full responsibility and say-

ing it was a “solo run”. Some doubt that he acted alone, however, given the top-down, command structure of Sinn Féin. Eighteen activists from McKay’s constituency, including a local councillor, have since resigned from the party, alleging that he was being used as a scapegoat and that knowledge of this connection with Bryson went higher in the party’s ranks. There have been calls for Sinn Féin Finance Minister Mairtín Ó Muilleoir – who led the questioning of Bryson – to step aside while an investigation takes place. The idea that senior Stormont politicians, particularly in the DUP, would have a cosy relationship with property developers will shock no one. Allegations of corruption around the NAMA deal must be rig-

words on sectarian issues, Sinn Féin and the DUP are united when it comes to austerity. In the Fresh Start Agreement, they signed up to slashing thousands of public sector jobs. After months of grandstanding on the issue, Sinn Féin handed the Tories the power the directly implement huge cuts to benefits which will hit the poorest and most vulnerable. Both parties reaffirmed their commitment to cut corporation tax

to 12.5%, at a cost of hundreds of millions to public services. Mairtín Ó Muilleoir has said they may drop it even lower in response to George Osborne’s plan to cut corporation tax in Britain! Workers and young people from both communities in the North need a left alternative to austerity, corruption, inequality and the dead-end politics of Orange and Green division.

DanGerOus iDeas a weekend of anti-capitalist debate

14-15 Oct, Gresham Hotel, Dublin Dangerous Ideas - A Weekend of Anti-capitalist Debate

hosted by the socilaist Party

September 2016

THE SOCIALIST

After years of wage restraint:

By Michael O’Brien

he STrIke action by dublin Bus workers is about achieving a decade of pay justice and should be supported by all workers. Having experienced a pay freeze over eight years and endured two cost cutting programmes it is now pay back time. The claim lodged by the two biggest unions involved, the NBRU and SIPTU, totals 21% and contained within in it is 6% that was promised then reneged upon by the employers during the course of the crisis and a pay increase of 15% phased in over three years. A profitable company Dublin Bus returned to profitability in 2014 despite having 27% of its state subsidy cut since 2008. We defend the idea of public transport subsidies and do not accept that as a public service with a universal obligation to the whole community should be profit driven. The true value of a properly funded and run public transport system cannot be measured by its balance sheet but the service it

workplace news

Dublin Bus workers move into action renders to society in terms of easing traffic, mitigating damage to the environment and minimising the isolation experience by many older people. The predictable media flak which routinely involves seeking out unhappy commuters must be opposed. Any inconvenience caused by strike action is nothing really compared to the sacrifices that have to be made when your pay and quality of conditions are on the line. Luas workers shows the way The success of the Luas workers in conducting their struggle earlier this year in the face of a media onslaught has clearly fed the confidence of bus workers that they can achieve a rise of a similar size. An important lesson from the Luas strike which could have direct relevance to the Bus workers struggle was that the struggle to a large degree was directed by the rank and file and led by the local shop stewards whose determination not to settle for a bad deal exceeded that of the national officials, hence their rejection in the middle of the dispute of an 18%

Dublin Bus workers voted to take industrial action for pay increases

offer (despite the recommendation of the SIPTU official) that had massive strings attached in particular for new entrant drivers whose lower start pay was meant to fund

that offer. The government’s claim of recovery over the last couple of years is coming back to bite them. Working people can see that this is

primarily a recovery for the top 1% in society and that austerity does not just automatically unwind but that the onus is on working people to fight for their recovery.

on behalf of themselves but on behalf of all workers - an attack on one is an attack on all. ASTI members have worked for free doing supervision and substitution work – everyone should be paid for work – the government cannot expect people to work for free to cover up for austerity-cuts they have made to public services.

two-tier pay, femPi legislation…

asTi members strike back By Dave Murphy

femPi attacks & unpaid work: The second ballot will be in response to the attacks contained in the FEMPI legislation outlined above and will see teachers withdraw from unpaid supervision and substitution work. The government has launched these attacks and it is imperative that there is a response by the teachers not just

IThouT A hint of irony, education minister richard Bruton lamented that it was regrettable that members of ASTI ‘seem determined to pursue a route of confrontation rather than dialogue’ when it was announced that they would ballot for strike action. His reaction will be hard to swallow for teachers across the country. It was the government after all that chose the nuclear option by launching a ferocious attack on ASTI members by using draconian Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (FEMPI) legislation without debate or consultation. The ASTI will ballot its members on two issues - industrial action including strike over the scandalous two tier pay scale for new teachers and to withdraw their labour from unpaid supervision and substitution work. This would likely force schools to close. Government attacks This FEMPI legislation is renewed in the Dail each year without a vote, the government must simply announce its renewal. It would have gone through without even a debate had members of the opposition, AAA TDs being chief among them, not kicked up over it. The legislation is supposedly in the “public interest”. What perverse definition of public interest

Savoy workers – profitable firm goes on the attack supports reducing teachers’ pay but not getting €13 billion from Apple? In reality, is a weapon by which the government can hammer public sector workers and it attempts to remove their ability to effectively organise for their rights. Why Teachers must be supported:

femPi legislation: It was used against ASTI teachers because they had refused to sign up to the Lansdowne Road Agreement - the successor agreement to Croke Park and Haddington Road. Richard ‘dialogue’ Bruton’s response through FEMPI was to refuse to pay money due for supervision and substitution work and freeze pay incre-

ments. Scandalously, they also removed access to permanent contracts for newly qualified teachers who are on temporary precarious contracts.

equal pay: The previous government hammered new teachers’ pay, creating a two-tier workforce. Two teachers doing the same work can earn vastly different sums based purely on age - this is unfair and must end. It is part of lowering wages across the economy by driving down pay for ‘new entrants’ – it was a tactic used by bosses in the recent Luas strike. A new teacher, if these conditions remain will earn up to €250,000 less in their working life than an older teacher and have more difficulty getting a permanent contract.

By Robert Cosgrave WorkerS at the Savoy cinema in Dublin staged a protest on august 24 in opposition to the decision of its owners imc (who made almost €8 million in profits last year) to cut cover pay for ushers’ duties available to staff there from the agreed €12 an hour to €9 an hour. they are also planning to introduce privately contracted security to take up some of this work, leaving the future of many workers at the Savoy in doubt. This is part of the race to the bottom that is taking place with the economy and must be opposed by all workers.

PaPer of the SocialiSt Party

iSSue 102

SePtember 2016

no more delays – a referendum is a citizen’s assembly no compromising on women’s health & rights

repeal the 8 & legislate for th

a woman’s right to choose! JOIN THE SOCIALIST PARTY!

Text ‘JOIN’ to 087 3141986