The Socialist, Summer 2018 by Socialist Party

thesocialist

PAPER OF THE SOCIALIST PARTY

ISSUE 116

Repealed: We made History

SUMMER 2018

INSIDE

One year of Varadkar’s spin & neo-liberalism

Palestine: Israeli state terror continues

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NEWS THE SOCIALIST

“The Masters of the Universe” 2,754 billionaires on the planet

Cartoon by Conor Burke

spectively – and these are the world’s “most equal” countries! Within the narrow confines of capitalism, that’s as good as it gets.

Billionaires now own $9.2 trillion between them – that’s 12% of global GDP. There are 2,754 billionaires in the world – the same number of people who live in the small town of Kinsale, Co Cork; a number just a little higher than the workforce of Medtronic Ireland, or the number of UL students who live on campus. Imagine if the Medtronic workers or the residents of Kinsale owned over one-tenth of the world’s wealth! That’s not a crazy idea – it mirrors the reality we’re living under.

Crashing the economy So how do I become one of these 2,754 billionaires? Hard work and good ideas, maybe? The largest contingent of billionaires – 413 – made their fortunes in finance, banking and investment, where through sheer hard work and bright ideas they managed to crash the world economy in 2008.

Exploitation at heart of system

Obscenely rich get obscenely richer The number of billionaires has grown by 15% in a year and their wealth has grown by 24%. The tired old idea is that if the rich get richer, the wealth “trickles down.” There’s just one tiny problem with this theory; we can see the wealth of the rich growing to levels that are simply hard to wrap our heads around. Meanwhile pollution, crisis, debt, poverty and all kinds of oppression and violence seem to be getting worse every day.

Who are the “High networth individuals”? But let’s not just single out the billionaires. “High net-worth individuals” (people with over $1 million)

By Manus Lenihan

own 46% of global wealth. On the other end of the scale, 91% of humanity owns under 15% of the wealth. Is it any wonder there are so many problems in the world?

Welfare for the 1% The reality is most glaring in the United States. Trump’s tax plan has added quite a few billionaires to the list, but it poses such a huge threat to the working class that the United Nations have warned about the humanitarian consequences! Fve million people in the US al-

ready live in absolute deprivation – and 40 million are poor.

“Equality” under capitalism But even if you look at less obvious examples, the depravity of capitalism is striking. How could you justify the richest owning 10% or even 5% of the wealth? But such numbers are not even on the cards, anywhere. In Japan, New Zealand and Norway, the percentage of wealth that is in the hands of dollar millionaires is 23%, 26% and 27% re-

If finance isn’t your thing, you might like to become a billionaire through retail – like Stefan Persson of H&M, whose net worth is $15 billion. But the human reality behind such astronomical wealth was made painfully clear recently. 540 workers at South Asian factories on the supply chains of Gap and H&M spoke out this month about threats, abuse and genderbased violence from supervisors (Guardian, 6 June

2018). The best way to make a billion is through super-exploitation of working-class people in all corners of the globe. This is the dark side of the fabulous wealth of the capitalist class.

Paying the price Maybe you wonder why your pay is low, your public services are overcrowded and understaffed, and your rent is crazy. You don’t have to delve into conspiracy theories to find the answer – it’s right in front of our eyes, openly admitted and defended by the capitalist class. They control most of the wealth, they decide what gets invested where, and they do it all for the bottom line, not for my good or yours or anyone else’s. This has led to the absurd levels of inequality that we see today.

Government spin machine fiddles homeless figures T

whom are reaping huge profits from the current housing crisis and who are doing everything in their power to ensure that it continues.

Government indifference Behind this spin lies the fact that the government (one third of whom are landlords) has no interest in tackling the housing crisis. Each new policy is just another public relations effort to create the false impression that something is being done.

Struggling to survive The latest Threshold survey also clearly supports the argument that the establishment are intent on a policy of ending home ownership by forcing people into rental accommodation permanently. In the survey over 70% felt forced into renting. Ninety-six percent found it difficult to find a place to rent. Incredibly, nearly 14% paid over half their income in rent, a figure that will rise and rise. All of this means huge profits for the landlord class who, not coincidentally, are over represented on the Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael benches in the Dáil. If this housing crisis is to be solved, we need policies that are based on peoples’ needs not profit. But capitalism is indifferent to the human cost of homelessness so long as juicy profits are there to be made by squeezing tenants. Ultimately, we cannot address the underlying causes of homelessness without breaking with this system.

By Ciaran McKenna he prospecT of homelessness figures crossing the 10,000 threshold has clearly worried the government in the last number of months. In response, they have clearly sought to fiddle the figures to ensure that this barrier was not crossed, illustrating the regime of spin that lies at the heart of the Varadkar government. The massaging of these figures was illustrated by the comments of Dublin City Council Assistant Chief Executive Brendan Kenny on Morning Ireland (31 May, 2018). He let the proverbial cat out of the bag by saying that the 252 people that had been taken off the housing list were still homeless. Over 10,000 people are now homeless in this “recovering” economy

The truth is that regardless of the party in government or the individual minister holding the housing portfolio, in a capitalist society the interests of capital trump all other considerations. Governments,

government ministers and establishment parties like Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil and Labour are not permitted into office to serve the interests of ordinary people who are struggling for affordable

housing or who are facing homelessness. Instead, the establishment parties single-mindedly serve the interests of landlords, banks, vulture funds and the property professions, all of

NEWS

THE SOCIALIST

Cervical cancer scandal

The battle for justice continues By Dave Murphy

he cerVIcal cancer scandal which has resulted in at least 209 women being misdiagnosed with the disease, left 18 dead and others terminally ill has rocked the confidence of women in the health service. Emma Mhic Mhathúna, one of those affected, summed up the tragic effects of the scandal in a Morning Ireland interview saying “I’m dying and I didn’t need to die.” Emma, and the 208 other women who we know have been affected by this scandal have been failed by the state. Now we have learned that the Scally Inquiry, set up to investigate the scandal, will be delayed in reporting back because state bodies like the HSE, the Department of Health and the State Claims Agency have been slow in handing over documents requested by the inquiry team. Disrespect This is the latest form of disrespect shown to these women. For the last number of weeks in the courts, women have been forced to wage legal battles against the state and private laboratory companies to gain access to their own medical files. It is only because of the bravery of

women like Vicky Phelan and Emma Mhic Mhathúna that we know about this scandal at all. When Phelan sued one of the private labs over the misreading of her tests, she refused to be gagged as part of the settlement of the case and spoke out publically. Web of Silence It was revealed through memos of meetings between officials from CervicalCheck, the HSE and the Department of Health that they had been aware of the 209 ‘false negatives’ for at least seven months, from late 2015 to mid-2016, before women’s doctors were informed. In that period, realising this would be a major scandal, they began to put in place a media strategy to deal with the fall-out. The private companies conducting the tests were equally as worried, fearing lawsuits. Both the current Health Minister, Simon Harris, and former Health Minister, Leo Varadkar, claim that they knew nothing about the scandal. It is hard to believe that they weren’t informed considering that the HSE and Department of Health had gone as far as preparing a media strategy to deal with the fallout. Outsourcing and privatisation In 2008, it was a Fianna Fáil government that decided to outsource the

Vicky Phelan has courageously spoken out against state negligence over the cervical cancer scandal

reading of the scans to private laboratories. It was then the Fine Gael/Labour government who maintained the contracts with the companies at the centre of the scandal. At the time of the outsourcing, Socialist Party TD Joe Higgins clearly warned that the pursuit of profit by these private labs would enable the companies to cut corners and put

more pressure on lab workers to work quicker. This was emphasised by Vicky Phelan at an Oireachtas Committee when she described getting her original scan back – she said how it was ‘littered’ with cancerous cells but these were missed by the lab, it led her to question how long it had been looked at for or whether it had been looked at at all!

A public National Health Service People have become all-too accustomed to scandals in the health service. The cervical cancer scandal needs to be the event that causes people to demand change – no more outsoucing, no more privatisation. We need to mobilise a movement to fight for a fully funded, national health service run for people, not profit.

Fighting low pay & precariousness

End Direct Provision:

Solidarity with Lloyd’s Pharmacy workers

Right to work for refugees must be granted

LLOYD’S PHARMACY workers have begun an escalating campaign of industrial action against precarious working conditions and to win trade union recognition. This is an important battle for retail staff across the country. Lloyd’s Pharmacy is owned by the McKesson Corporation, which also owns Irish based UDG Healthcare. It is the largest pharmaceutical company in the world with revenues of €197.5 billion in 2017. By Fiona Ryan Workers get organised The workers in Lloyds are low paid and work on zero and low-hour contracts. This means that they don’t know from one week to the next their income or hours. In opposition to these conditions, 200 workers across 50 stores have joined Mandate Trade Union. The company has refused to recognise the workers’ union despite a Labour Court recommendation that they should. If industrial action is to be stepped up, it is critical that the union seek to organise all workers in the company to prevent attempts at strike breaking by management. Rather than recognise Mandate, the company went as far as creating an alternative ‘staff committee’ – or bosses’ union – to try to undermine Mandate. They pumped €10,000 into it to cut across Mandate and held talks with it

Lloyd’s Pharmacy staff began their industrial action campaign on 14 June

on a measly pay increase which was branded as ‘insulting’. Industrial action In response, trade unionists in the company held a ballot for a campaign of industrial action which was passed by 97%. The demands of the strike are to end zero hour contracts, for better pay and an incremental pay scale, for a sick pay scheme, better premium rates of

pay and for trade union recognition. As employers across the economy turn to ever increasing precarious forms of employment to maximise their profits and lower workers’ rights, strikes, like this one take on more significance. If a victory is won in this strike it will embolden other workers to take similar action and become organised in the battle against precarious employment.

he rIghT to Work campaign is centred around the need for asylum seekers to be able to access the workforce, free of discrimination and against the insurmountable barriers the Irish state has laid down in opposition. The campaign, led by asylum seekers themselves and those most affected by the state-sanctioned racism that the Direct Provision (DP) system represents, was launched in June at a rally in Liberty Hall. The initial focus of the group will be to apply political pressure on the government to provide open access to the labour market for asylum seekers prior to the publication of the government’s terms of reference towards the “EU Directive On Reception Conditions” due shortly.

Role of trade unions The group has pledged that if the conditions are unacceptable, the campaign will continue to build with the ultimate aim of ending the brutal DP system. An end to DP and the fight for a living wage and proper working conditions for all workers, regardless of their residency status, is a fight that the trade union movement have a crucial role to play in. With many people taking aim at the general backwardness and social inequality which dominates the political system, this campaign reflects a part of a growing section young people, LGBTQ+, women and migrant people who have found a sense of strength in grassroots activism and the power of social movements to deliver real change.

ANALYSIS THE SOCIALIST

One year of Varadkar's spin & neo-liberalism The consequence is an unprecedented housing crisis. The government's response? Varadkar's chief ally, Eoghan Murphy, Minister for Housing, has simply pressurised Councils to remove people from the housing list, despite the fact that they are still homeless!

By Paul Murphy TD

year in office as Taoiseach, leo Varadkar has intensified the neoliberal direction of the Irish economy and society, while also attempting to cover up the resulting worsening inequality and social crises with spin. The method by which he won the Fine Gael contest contained all the evidence one needed to predict how he would rule. His publicly funded crackdown on “welfare cheats” was based on entirely false statistics! It was followed by blatant dog-whistles appealing to those who “get up early in the morning”, revealing his agenda for rhetorically and economically attacking working-class people. Papering over cracks His first act as Taoiseach was establishing the Strategic Communications Unit. Starting as he meant to go on, €5 million of public money was spent to push Fine Gael's message. It was only after the controversy of Project Ireland 2040, with ads appearing as news in regional newspapers, that he was forced to abandon it. However, this consistent spin remains a feature of the Varadkar regime. The other key fea-

Varadkar: Right-wing opportunist, with well resourced spin machine

ture is the vicious neo-liberalism the spin is designed to prettify. The clearest example of these two sides of his rule is seen in relation to housing. Scheme after scheme has been announced to fanfare. How-

ever, the building of public housing remains at an historic low, and at the centre of each of these schemes are failed mechanisms to incentivise the private landlords and developers to deliver housing.

Dealing with crises Prior to his elevation to Taoiseach, much was made of Varadkar's supposed “straight-talking”. In reality, his commentary on issues like the chronic crises in our health service are only designed to distance himself from responsibility. Meanwhile he continues with a policy of drastic underfunding of the public health service, pushing people towards private insurance. When faced with political crises, his responses have been a continuation of the traditional 'circle the wagon' approach. This was seen when it emerged that Frances Fitzgerald was informed about the Garda Commissioner's attempt to undermine whistleblower Maurice McCabe at the Tribunal. Varadkar attempted to protect her and defend her position as Tanaiste at all costs. Only the threat of an imminent election forced her resignation.

Storm clouds ahead It's possible that Varadkar will see a boost in popularity on the basis of the abortion referendum. Some may be tempted to give him credit for holding the referendum. However, they should be reminded that the Taoiseach, like the majority of TDs, did not undergo some Damascene conversion on abortion. Instead, they were dragged on the 'journeys' they spoke about – by a movement of women and young people in particular, protesting and engaging in civil disobedience like the distribution of abortion pills. This attempt to dress up vicious right-wing capitalism in a socially progressive veneer has become a favoured method for capitalist classes internationally seeking to re-establish political equilibrium. French President Emmanuel Macron has become the symbol of this approach, which Varadkar is partly trying to emulate. However, the major strikes and protests against Macron's neo-liberal reforms should give Varadkar pause for thought as he enters into his second year as Taoiseach. His remains a fundamentally weak government and working class people, having experienced victories on water charges, marriage equality and the abortion referendum, should feel confident to take him on.

Sinn Féin dispenses with radical veneer By Conor Payne

“I

WanT to lead the party into government. I want to do that from the strongest possible position. I want us to discuss, debate, agree with others a programme for government”. This statement from Mary lou McDonald on June 5 2018 was covered widely in the media as representing a clear statement of intent as regards entering coalition with either Fianna Fáil and Fine gael. McDonald’s comments are another staging post in Sinn Féin’s ongoing shift to the right. In 2016, Sinn Féin campaigned for on the vague demand of a “progessive government”, while in reality leaving the door open to coalition with the traditional parties of the right if they were the largest party in the coalition. At their November 2017 Ard Fheis, they dropped this stipulation, voting to open the door to coalition with Fianna Fáil or Fine Gael as a junior partner. McDonald stated that any coalition Sinn Féin join would be ‘’different and [would look] at the red line issues around the health system, people’s standard of living, peo-

ple’s capacity to have just some disposable income at the end of the week or the end of the month”. Accepting capitalism In reality, any government involving Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael or Labour will be completely committed to the capitalist market, and incapable of taking the measures needed to deal with key problems like the housing crisis, the continued austerity regime in public services and the rise of casualisation and low pay for workers. In recent years, Sinn Féin’s own policies have moved closer and closer to the same neo-liberal approach. Their programme by itself, which is based on accepting the capitalist market, is incapable of delivering on the “red line” issues that McDonald talks about above. In their Budget 2018 proposals, they suggested funding to build 10,000 social houses- while 100,000 on the waiting lists and many more are in need. In reality, Sinn Féin’s growing enthusiasm for coalition is a reflection of the fact that they are increasingly willing accept the capitalist market and its rules. Their political distance from the main establishment parties has shrunk considerably.

Abortion rights The sensational result of the 8th amendment referendum has led to immediate pressure for abortion rights in the North. Sinn Féin and Mary Lou McDonald were prominent in the ‘Yes’ campaign in the South and are now seeking to position themselves as being pro-choice. McDonald and Sinn Féin leader in the North Michelle O’Neill posed in Dublin Castle with a handmade sign which read ‘The North is Next’. Yet Sinn Féin’s record on abortion rights is horrendous. They have not yet changed their policy to support the legislation for abortion on request up to 12 weeks. They will likely do so at their special Ard Fheis on 1516 June. They, along with the other Assembly parties, have acted for years as a block on abortion rights in the North. As late as September 2016, Caitriona Ruane restated their opposition to the extension of the British 1967 Abortion Act to the North. They also voted on multiple occasions in the Dáil against Repeal and other prochoice legislation. One of the most prominent spokespeople on the antichoice side was Sinn Féin TD Peadar Tóibín – with no public rebuttal

McDonald is determined to make Sinn Féin more palatable to the establishment

from the party’s leadership. Their about turn on this issue is a product of the movement of women and young people which has taken place. Women, young people and working-class people voting for Sinn Féin in the hope of a government of equality and radical change will be

disappointed by the reality of a “business as usual” coalition with one or other of the establishment parties and a commitment to adhere to profit driven logic of capitalism. This makes building an anti-capitalist and socialist alternative such an urgent necessity.

ANALYSIS

THE SOCIALIST

Clamouring demand grows to…

Separate Church & State By Cillian Gillespie

Control of social services While its influence has decisively declined, the power of the Church in terms of its control over health and education is still prevalent- something successive governments have done nothing to challenge. Hospitals that are controlled by the Church deny women the contraceptive pill given that it contradicts the ethos of these Catholic-run institutions. It has recently come to light that the company that own St.Vincent’s Hospital Campus, where the new National Maternity Hospital will be based, have been told that they must uphold the values, of the soon to be beatified, Mary Aikenhead, founder of the Religious Sisters of Charity. If this is implemented it will mean the denial of access to abortion rights and contraception.

he eIghTh amendment, passed in september 1983, symbolised everything that is insidious and rotten in the historic tie that has bound the catholic church and the southern Irish state together since its foundation in 1922. It’s passing ensured that right wing, misogynistic catholic doctrine would be written into law, equating as it did, the life of a foetus with that of a woman. On 7 September 1982, almost one year prior to the introduction of the eighth amendment, a 31-year old LGBT man, Declan Flynn, was murdered in Fairview Park in Dublin in a homophobic killing. His killers were charged with manslaughter and when found guilty, their sentences were suspended, a disgraceful, but nonetheless unsurprising decision, given that “homosexual acts” were deemed to be a crime by the State and the Church. Like the eighth amendment, this event proved how pernicious the ties connecting the two were. Change from below With Ireland becoming a more urbanised society and changing social attitudes, the iron grip of the Church and its teachings came to be challenged, particularly in the period of the late 1990s and throughout the 2000s. The main parties of Irish capitalism, who are the architects of the close connection be-

The Catholic Church has opposed all social progress since the foundation of the state — its privileged position in the state is untenable

tween Church and State as means of maintaining social control, felt this pressure. They were also keen in this context to present themselves as representing a modern, urban and progressive capitalist systemone supposedly mirroring that of its European and US counterparts and consequently promoted a more secular image. However, this was thoroughly superficial and their response to the aspiration amongst working class and young people for social change was characterised by conservatism,

hypocrisy and cowardice. The introduction of reform was piecemeal and slow. In 1979, when contraception was partially legalised, it could only be procured with a prescription from a doctor and was largely unattainable for those that were not married. Homosexuality was only decriminalised in 1993, a decade after Declan Flynn’s murder and after much campaigning by the LGBT community. When divorce was legalised in 1995, it could only be obtained after a married couple were separated for four years.

Their reaction to the tragic death Savita Hallapanavar was to introduce the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Act in 2013, resulting in a potential 14-year prison sentence being given to those who illegally procured abortions. Since 1983, they were willing to turn a blind eye as 170,000 women and pregnant people were forced to leave the state to get abortions elsewhere. It was only the mass movement for repeal that forced them to shift their position.

Build a socialist left There is now a clamouring demand for the separation of Church and State, which has been given a massive impetus after May’s historic referendum. However, history has shown, that at best we can only hope for is incremental change from the capitalist establishment and decisive change will only come when they are faced with an explosive pressure from below. They have proven themselves incapable and unwilling to break the ties between their state and the Church. This is why building a powerful socialist left that is willing to break with their system is critical to achieve the real change that we need.

Out-of-touch media & politicians got it wrong on repeal By Aislinn O’Keefe SINCE 2012, the unapologetic prochoice stance of the Socialist Party and ROSA was met with opposition at every turn. The mainstream media proclaimed that the public were “not ready” to see pro-choice legislation enacted. They claimed that a referendum to repeal the eighth amendment would not be successful. This, despite the fact that over 20,000 people protested in Dublin alone after Savita's death. Tone policing In 2016, the Anti-Austerity Alliance (forerunner of the Solidarity to which the Socialist Party is a component part of ) introduced a bill to the Dail to repeal the 8th amendment. This was met with tone policing from the “liberal” media who appealed for “moderate voices” throughout the debate and framed the debate as a battle between Solidarity-PBP TDs introduce Repeal Bill in 2016 two opposing extremes. This is clearly reflected in the following headlines at itorial, 3 October 2016), “Has one when politicians were faced with an the time: tyranny been replaced with another?” outcome that they found un“Repeal activists would lose referen- (Irish Times, 1 Nov 2016) favourable. Katherine Zappone, a supdum” (Examiner, 8 October 2016), This narrative also emerged among posedly pro-choice TD, said: “the “Moderate voices needed in the abor- establishment politicians, even after people will not be in favour of a libertion debate” (Sunday Business Post ed- the findings of the Citizens’ Assembly alisation of the abortion legislation to

the extent that the Citizens’ Assembly put forward”. Citizens’ Assembly The Irish public were told that this group of people brought together as a representative segment of the Irish public did not, in fact, represent the Irish public. When it became clear, particularly after the Joint Oireachtas Committee, that there was support for more progressive legislation many establishment politicians went on a 'journey'. In other words, many conducted a complete backflip when they realised they would now be on the losing side of history. These 'journeys' were well documented in the mainstream press, giving a disproportionate voice, platform and credit to those who opposed the pro-choice movement for decades at the expense of those who campaigned tirelessly including Solidarity TD Ruth Coppinger. In the weeks leading up to the referendum grassroots activists and socialist TD's were neither seen or heard in media debates. Instead, air time was again given over to politicians who reluctantly came on board with repeal when it became politically expedient to do so.

Understating mood for change Following a phenomenal repeal victory, with a two-thirds majority, on 26 May the establishment were proven to be far behind the electorate. Exit polls showed that 75% of voters had not changed their mind on abortion in the previous five years, vindicating the Socialist Party's demand for a referendum in the wake of Savita's death. Politicians and media outlets blindsided by this decisive victory began to brand this shift in public thinking as a 'quiet revolution' in the words of Leo Varadkar, blatantly ignoring actions such as the annual March for Choice, Strike for Repeal, the proliferation of Repeal jumpers, ROSA’s actions around the abortion pill and other pro-choice art worn as symbols of solidarity and dissent, and the many other actions that mushroomed throughout the country, that achieved it. Not only that, but activists were tone policed and told that it was inappropriate and distasteful to celebrate the result. All of these actions reflect establishment anxiety surrounding this grassroots victory and are attempts to quell any further movements for change.

6 SPECIAL FEATURE WE PublIsH here an abridged version of a statement written in the aftermath of the historic referendum on 25 May. The full statement can be found at www.socialistparty.ie

he reFerenDuM to scrap the ban on abortion was easily passed by 66.4% to 33.6% with a turnout of over 64%, the highest ever for a referendum in Ireland. The result was nearly an exact reversal of the 1983 vote which imposed the ban, except nearly a million more voted this time. as the government, in line with proposals from the citizen’s assembly, had said that they intended to legislate for abortion up to 12 weeks on request if yes won, this can only be interpreted as a very strong pro-choice vote. Establishment politicians and the media are desperately trying to rewrite the real history of the radical struggle that brought about this change. This is because they fear that people will take confidence from this victory and realise they can organise powerful mass struggles on all the key issues and and against the capitalist system itself, which is founded on the principle of inequality. Socialist Party member and Solidarity TD Ruth Coppinger, a key leading force in this struggle, was consciously excluded from the national media during the campaign itself. Young women – the beating heart 65% of men and 70% of women who voted, voted Yes. Overall, 87% of under 25-year-olds and 90% of young women who voted, voted Yes. Young women have been the driving force behind this movement over the last years and particularly in the culmination of the referendum campaign itself. The number of young women who voted in the referendum compared to the last general election in 2016 increased by a massive 94%. Trans young people and school students were also to the forefront, GCN estimated that 91% of the LGBTQ community who voted, voted Yes. This change has been building over years and the formal campaign itself was spread over two months, starting in late March when the Government formally signed the order establishing the details of the referendum. The start of the campaign was signalled with disgusting misogynistic posters from the No campaign with pictures of foetuses and headlines that screamed, “Licence to kill? Vote No”, “Don’t Choose Death – Vote No”, “In England 1 in 5 babies are aborted – Vote No”, “If Killing an Unborn Baby at Six Months Bothers You, then Vote No”. However, by 25 May people had decisively rejected the extremely wellfunded No campaign (which included resources and ads linked to the religious right in the US), in a vote that has sent ripples around the world. Savita – turning point 1 The death of Savita Halappanavar in October 2012 in Galway University Hospital was an extremely important

THE SOC

HOW THE 8TH WAS REPEALED

Elated scenes from Dublin Castle as the official results come through showing that 66.4% had voted Yes

turning point. Savita, in huge pain and aware she was miscarrying, requested an abortion, but was refused. The ruling in the X Case specifically sated that abortion could be only allowed where there was “a real and substantial risk” to the life of a woman. Apart from saying that a woman’s health doesn’t matter, this legal position meant that in the time taken to judge or decide that there is a “real and substantial risk” to life, a condition could become terminal and therefore it could be too late. The bottom line was that the ruling of the X Case offered no guarantee to women, and Savita would only have been saved if she had been given an abortion when she asked for one. There was huge anger at Savita’s death and tens of thousands of young people, particularly young women, mobilised to demand change. The general position of many longstanding and prominent campaigners in the pro-choice and abortion rights movement at the time was to demand that the ruling in the X Case should be legislated for, to help formalise and clarify what was permitted within the 8th Amendment. The Socialist Party, particularly through (then) Councillor Ruth Coppinger, took a different position saying that immediate repeal of the 8th Amendment was necessary to be quickly followed by legislation that provided for abortion rights. These ideas got a very strong response from the young women mobilised into action by Savita’s death. Leading activists in the Socialist Party and others established ROSA as a socialist feminist platform in the developing movement, of course with a

particular focus on repeal and abortion rights. Maximising political pressure By 2014 it was becoming accepted in the broad movement that the 8th Amendment needed to be immediately repealed. The impetus for this was boosted significantly when Ruth Coppinger won the By-Election in Dublin West in May after being elected by as a Socialist Party TD and entered the Dáil. Ruth, on behalf of the AntiAusterity Alliance (the forerunner of Solidarity) and TDs Mick Barry and Paul Murphy, put forward bills regarding abortion, repeal and on cases of fatal foetal abnormalities. This put new pressure on the government. Their response was the proposal to establish a Citizens’ Assembly that would be tasked with coming up with proposals regarding abortion. The government hoped that this Assembly would come up with proposals for abortion in only limited circumstances. They could then place huge emphasis on the fact that this came from a hundred ordinary people and therefore would represent the extent of the change that would be accepted more broadly in society. However, reflecting the change that had already occurred in Irish society, the Citizens’ Assembly actually came up with a series of pro-choice recommendations, including that there should be abortion on request up to 12 weeks and for socio-economic reasons up to 22 weeks. No sell-out of the Citizens’ Assembly Knowing it was going to be a battleground where, as one journalist put it, the job of the committee “is essentially

to water down these proposals to the point that they’re not politically toxic”. As a member of the Oireachtas Committee, Ruth Coppinger, representing Solidarity, focused on maximising pressure for the acceptance of the 12 weeks on request proposal. If the Committee could be pressurised into accepting this, that would cater for 92% of crisis pregnancies affecting people in the south. The Committee met last Autumn and issued its final report just before Christmas. In a major victory for the relentless pressure emanating from the movement of young women, which had been given particular focus by Ruth Coppinger, the committee backed up the abortion on request up to 12 weeks proposal from the Citizens’ Assembly. In turn, the government said that it would publish the outline of legislation for 12 weeks in advance of a referendum to repeal the ban, so there wouldn’t be any confusion as to what would be implemented in the event of repeal. Abortion pills – turning point 2 The political establishment was in a dilemma. It was clear that the status quo had to change, but they were very hesitant to do this. The 8th Amendment kept creating gross injustices and sometimes political crises that threatened govern-

ments and the base of the parties, and they needed to free themselves from this instability. Since 2014 ROSA, the socialist feminist movement, has engaged in a series of extremely high-profile actions that created awareness of abortion pills, which are illegal in Ireland but entirely safe and can be self-administered. These included an abortion pill train and buses travelling the country. By the time the Oireachtas Committee was deliberating the latest figures showed that 10 people from Ireland were travelling abroad for abortions each day and 5 were taking abortion pills in Ireland. This meant that, more so than ever before, abortion was a reality in Ireland, with the likelihood that use of abortion pills would increase further. The evidence shows that ROSA’s actions were essential to the increased usage of abortion pills and raising awareness that abortion was a reality in Ireland.

SPECIAL FEATURE 7

CIALIST

The North & abortion rights: “We won’t be left behind” By Eleanor Crossey Malone

Web, which are used every day in Northern Ireland. The medicines are ten times safer than viagra, and BPAS has confirmed that they are safe for home use. We can’t tolerate laws that stigmatise women and pregnant people and stop them going to doctors, for fear of being reported to the police. Labour MP Stella Creasy has proposed repealing the UK-wide 1861 legislation that originally outlawed abortion, which would decriminalise abortion up to 24 weeks in Northern Ireland. This is positive as there would be no law banning abortion in Northern Ireland, and abortion should not be a criminal matter. But decriminalisation alone offers no historical precedent or guarantee of the right to choose.

FOR OVER a year, Northern Ireland has had no devolved government. The local Stormont Assembly collapsed under the sectarian tensions inflamed by its power-sharing parties, particularly the DUP and Sinn Féin. At the same time, the DUP is part of a confidence-and-supply deal keeping the Tories in power, potentially giving the DUP a deciding vote on all proposed legislation. This arrangement is uncomfortable for some Tory backbenchers and confounds the support in British society for abortion rights, which have existed there for 50 years, and for marriage equality, which has been vetoed five times by the DUP in Stormont. The lack of a local assembly and instability of the Tory government means a window of opportunity has been opened after repeal, wherein it is possible to pressurise politicians to act immediately and grant abortion rights in Northern Ireland. After repeal On the day of the referendum result, Sinn Féin leaders Mary-Lou McDonald and Michelle O’Neill were photographed holding a sign that said “The North is Next”. While the DUP have been staunch opponents of the right to choose, as of writing Sinn Féin still lacks a pro-choice position. They may change their position at their next Ard Fheis to catch up with the powerful grassroots movement that won the referendum,

Countless conversations The amount of anecdotes heard of young women arguing and fighting for Yes votes with friends and family in the last week of the campaign are now legion. It was clear that an unstoppable momentum for Yes was unfolding, driven by young women. The No campaign did raise doubts among some layers, but it couldn’t overturn the changed attitudes and consciousness that had developed over years on these issues. At the same time their antics and abusive and misogynist message created a wave of reaction that in the end drowned them on polling day. ROSA – making a huge impact ROSA’s campaign started with the brilliant 500-strong national rally in Liberty Hall, Dublin on 14 April and included daily actions, as well as sponsored walks to the airports in Cork and Dublin attended by 350. These walks were retracing the steps of the thousands and thousands who have been forced abroad for abortions over the last 35 years. The working class, women, and young women in particular have been driving change in Ireland from the water charges to Marriage Equality and now this historic breakthrough. A generation often dismissed by some as “snowflakes” drove a movement that forced a very reluctant political establishment to act and overturned the will of the Catholic Church. It raises the question as to when, not if, they will move on all the other issues, which will put them on a collision course with capitalism itself.

ROSA activists protesting with abortion pills outside Laganside Courts

but it is clear that they cannot be leaders of this movement or champions of choice in the North. The repeal victory threw a spotlight on Northern Ireland’s abortion laws. When ROSA activists, working with Women on Web doctors, took safe abortion pills outside Belfast’s Laganside Courts, the international media was watching. They were the same courts that have sentenced women for

having abortions, and acquitted Paddy Jackson and Stuart Olding of all charges in the Belfast rape trial. ROSA’s #Bus4Choice Activists travelled on the #Bus4Choice to a pro-choice rally in Derry, and stopped to protest outside DUP and Sinn Féin offices along the way. The action highlighted the safety and availability of abortion pills from Women on

Decriminalising abortion Decriminalising abortion in N.I., with its virtual blanket ban on abortion, is a different prospect to decriminalisation in England, where abortion has been allowed by the 1967 Abortion Act for a half century - legislation that was never extended to N.I. It has been suggested that decriminalisation “respects the process of devolution”, but this cannot be allowed to mean that we will only have real abortion access if Stormont legislates for it in the indeterminate future. We demand free, safe and legal access to abortion, here and now, on the National Health Service (NHS), and only a fighting movement can guarantee this, whatever the legal avenue.

“If there is no struggle . . . - Frederick Douglass . . . there is no progress” Argentina: Mass protests put bodily autonomy on the agenda By Sadie Heffernan

Ver The past couple of months young people and women in argentina have taken to the streets to demonstrate and protest, demanding an end to femicide and access to safe, free and legal abortions. The hashtag #MiUnaMenosXAbortoClandestin (Not one more, No clandestine abortions) has been used online, it was started by a grassroots feminist movement in Argentina that campaigns against gender based violence. At the beginning of June, thousands marched on the streets with force against femicides and for legislation that would allow free, safe legal abortions up to 14 weeks on request. Mass protests This was Argentina’s fourth mass march against gender violence and for bodily autonomy this year. On International Women’s Day, protesters wore green scarves to represent the nationwide campaign for free, safe and legal abortions. The strict abortion laws in Argentina

mean that such a struggle is necessary. Abortion is only permitted in order to save the life of the pregnant person or if the pregnancy is a result of rape. Someone can face up to four years in jail if they choose to illegally have an abortion. However, women and pregnant people have had enough. Forcing change Historically, like in Ireland, Argentina’s ruling capitalist class has been linked with the Catholic Church, which has left misogynistic laws in place that deny pregnant people their rights and bodily autonomy. As a result of mass protests the Argentinian lower house voted in favour of a bill legislating for 14 weeks on request. As we go to press this still has to be voted on in the upper house, the Senate, however this shows the power of a movement from below. This was the first time this issue was debated in the parliament. Mass protests have opened peoples eyes and forced this issue onto the agenda and has given them real potential to win a victory. The historic victory won in Ireland on the 25 May was a huge boost to

“Ni Una Menos”, anti-femicide and pro-choice, activists in Buenos Aires

the global struggle of bodily autonomy and equality. The protests and struggle in Argentina must be seen in

that light and we must stand in solidarity with them to ensure their battle is won.

INTERNATIONAL THE SOCIALIST

Palestine: Israeli state terror continues ordinary working-class people within Israel to a struggle against this militarised state. In Israel, the Palestinian population suffers the highest levels of poverty. Israel is also a class-ridden society were a small number of ‘tycoon’ families at the top control the economy, while 20% of Israeli Jewish children live in poverty. While many Israelis currently believe the reactionary propaganda of the regime, it is possible to win Israeli workers to sympathise with the plight of the Palestinians as the history of anti-war protests in Israel has shown.

By Kevin Henry

n 1 June, an Israeli sniper fatally shot 21 year-old paramedic razan al-najjar inside gaza near the separation fence. she was shot despite being clearly identifiable as a medical volunteer and aiding injured demonstrators. The killing of protesters on the border of gaza is the latest ongoing massacre inflicted by the brutal Israeli regime on the palestinian masses. It is state sanctioned murder, with the Israeli prime Minister Benjamin netanyahu authorising soldiers to shoot to kill. Role of US Imperialism On 14 May, over 60 protesters were killed in response to the provocative move by Trump to open the US embassy in Jerusalem. This was a signal by the Trump administration of its support for the Israeli state and a rebuff to the Palestinians’ demand for their own state with East Jerusalem as its capital. Trump has further escalated tensions in the region by scraping the US-Iran nuclear deal and cutting US funding to the UN agency that assists Palestinian refugees. This has worsened the already dire conditions in the Gaza strip. The blockade of Gaza means shortages of electricity, tap water and basic goods. It has also resulted in a 50% unemployment rate. History of dispossession The protest also coincided with the 70th anniversary of the foundation of the Israeli state. For Palestinians

Brutal massacre in Gaza: Over 60 peaceful protesters killed by Israeli state

it is marked as the ‘Nakba’, the Arabic word for catastrophe, when over 750,000 were ethnically cleansed from their towns and villages to become impoverished refugees. A further 300,000 Palestinians were forced from their homes in the 1967 Six-Day War. Since then, Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza have lived under an increasingly unbearable and brutal Israeli occupation. Palestinians face land confiscations, house demolitions and regular incursions by Israeli soldiers during which, killings and the harming of Palestinians are normal. Detention in harsh conditions is a tool of the occupation – over 6,000 Palestinians are in prison. This Includes 17-

year-old Ahed Tamimi, whose case spread rapidly in internationally media after she was jailed for slapping and kicking an Israeli soldier after her cousin had been shot in the face by the Israeli military. The role of mass struggle The protests near Gaza’s border have taken the form of mass mobilisations, under particularly repressive conditions. The tactic of mass struggle is the only tactic that has been effective, including the first Intifada (uprising) in 1987 which was successful in winning some rights for the Palestinian people. Recently, mass sit-down protests forced the Israeli government to lift new restric-

tive measures at checkpoints at Jerusalem’s Al Aqsa mosque compound. Socialists advocate mass action on the part of the Palestinian masses. While supporting Palestinian’s right to defend themselves we oppose the tactics of individual terrorism used in the past which targeted Israeli civilians and have been counterproductive; aiding the propaganda and agenda of the Israeli state. As well as forging links with working class and oppressed working people in other Arab countries and countries such as Iran and Turkey in the Middle East, it is also strategically necessary for a Palestinian liberation movement to win over

Break with repressive regimes A movement of the Palestinian masses and Israeli workers can provide a democratic, lasting solution for the people of the Middle East. This cannot be achieved on the basis of capitalism, which means a squabble for resources. For Palestinians it has meant a history of their aspirations being sold out by the corrupt Arab elite in the region, the United Nations and their own ‘leaders’ be it the corrupt Fatah or reactionary Hamas. It requires a struggle for a different society – a socialist one in which the massive wealth in the region can be brought under the democratic control of the masses in the region. A society where workers could come together to map a solution, including: the formation of an independent socialist Palestine and a socialist Israel with the right to return for Palestinian refugees, the sharing of resources, including a joint capital in Jerusalem and full protection for all minorities.

WORLD UPDATES by Carah Daniel Jordan rocked by general strike and mass protests At the beginning of June, Jordan was rocked by an unprecedented general strike and huge demonstrations against a massive rise in the cost of living and government corruption. The trigger for this wave of protests was a new law, in response to the IMF having given Jordan a loan, that would see a tax targeting the most impoverished sections of the working class. 200,000 on the streets At their peak on 2 June these protests had an estimated 200,000+ people attending and they have succeeded in cancelling some austerity measures, as well as the King being forced to remove the Prime Minister in the hopes of satisfying the masses. Ultimately however, a continuation

of neo-liberal policies as well as the continued exploitation of Jordanian workers is not going to satisfy this growing movement of working people. What is needed will be to build a movement against austerity, inequality and government corruption that challenges the capitalist system as well as representing the real interests of the working class, poor and young people in Jordan. These protests are indicative of the potential of working class and poor people to challenge the rule of the rotten and repressive regimes in the Middle East.

Trump’s clampdown on migrants The Trump administration has announced that they are starting to transfer as many as 1,600 undocumented migrants to federal prisons, and wil be

ents being taken to jail, while they will remain in state care.

France: Macron facing mass opposition

Huge protests in Jordan against cost of living and government corruption

continuing its massive clamp down on immigrants with the ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement). The crackdown has included incidents like a raid at a gardening company in Ohio that

lead to the arrest of 114 workers , leaving many of their children stranded. This sickening move has also led to families being separated at the border, with children forced to watch their par-

In France, thousands of people have taken to the streets in protest marking one year since president Emmanuel Macron’s election. The protests were against economic reforms the president has implemented, including a change in labour laws that makes it easier for companies to fire their employees. Macron has been called the “President of the rich”, and protesters have said that his policies benefit the capitalist ruling class, and are making things worse for ordinary people. Among the protesters was Jean- Luc Melanchon, who stood in last year’s presidential election as a left-wing working-class voice.

LGBTQ

Interview: Parental equality denied to lGbTQ couples socialist Party member sandRa Fay speaks to married couple, lEannE byRnE & nIlE O’ HaGan, about the struggle they, and many other lGbTQ+ parents are having, in seeking parental equality three years on from the Marriage Equality Referendum. You created a petition on Change.org asking Simon Harris to commence parts 2 and 3 of the Children and Family Relationships Act 2015, why? Leanne: This legislation was passed in 2015 supposedly allowing equality for all parents, yet here we are in 2018 and the parts of the act which would allow equality, which would allow our family to be legally recognised the same as any other, have been ignored. How is this affecting your family? Leanne: My daughter, who my wife gave birth to, does not have my name on her birth certificate. In the eyes of the law in this country I have no connection to our daughter. Should we ever be in a position where medical consent is needed for our daughter, I would not be able to give it. Should something happen to my wife, I would not legally be entitled to retain custody of our daughter. Even something as simple as collecting our daughter from school - I would not be able to do it without my wife’s permission. We created our daughter together, we are both her parents. We fought so long for marriage equality and even though our marriage is legally recognised in the state, our family is still being discriminated against by the lack of commencement to this legislation. So the Act was passed in 2015 but has yet to be commenced in its entirety. Has the Minister given an explanation for that? Leanne: Despite numerous emails from my wife and I, our family and friends, and many other parents in our situation we have yet to receive any meaningful response. Assurances that the bill would be enacted within a few months have been given, but those deadlines have repeatedly passed with no advancement on the issue. Three years later, we are no closer to equality for parents.

THE SOCIALIST

Trans liberation & the struggle for anti-capitalist change By Ollie Bell

FTer WInnIng repeal, the battle for equality is far from over. Trans rights are one of the many campaigns on people’s minds. although binary trans people have a right to self determination in Ireland, transgender healthcare is still underfunded and the waiting list for loughlinstown is now at 20 months. Twenty million euro has been spent on the Pope’s visit while there are only two gender clinics in Ireland. Transgender healthcare is almost non-existent in Ireland, it is based on a highly medicalised model of treatment.

Health of trans people This system has a negative impact on transgender people’s mental health and wellbeing. Being transgender is not a mental illness but this model of healthcare interrogates trans people with offensive and personal questions to see if they are really transgender. Such questions include asking if wearing clothes assigned to the opposite gender turns them on and what kind of toys they would have played with when they were younger. Professor Donal O’Shea, one of the two GPs qualified to prescribe Hormone Replacement Therapy, says that this is to protect the small minority of people who will be at risk from unrestricted access. The oppressive trans healthcare system should come as no surprise when the Catholic Church is still controlling our hospitals. We need a separation of church and state in order to achieve free, inclusive trans healthcare based on the informed consent model.

Much more needs to be done in the struggle for trans rights

Education system The Church’s control of our secondary schools adds to the growing number of transgender people experiencing mental health problems. Sex education is being taught by religious groups like Accord where young people aren’t getting the information they need and it isn’t inclusive to LGBTQ+ students. Sex segregated schools can be a hostile environment for young trans people, who aren’t getting the support they need during their adolescence. Gendered school uniforms and bathrooms based on assigned gender are reinforced in Catholic run schools and thus, transgender students aren’t allowed to fully ex-

press who they are. The separation of church and state would be a huge win for trans rights. Discrimination Discrimination comes in many forms for trans people. Homelessness is a queer issue with many trans people being forced into services that don’t align with their gender identity and an increased risk of violence on the streets. Currently, the absence of hate crime legislation can prevent trans people from reporting crimes committed against them. Conservative politicians are way behind the opinion of ordinary people, as there has been a huge boost in support and acceptance for LGBTQ+ people since

the Marriage Equality referendum. Now that we've repealed the eighth, there is no turning back. Trans people should be confident that we can win even more. This historic win can give people the confidence that civil disobedience and radical struggle works. Capitalism breeds a system of discrimination that reinforces rigid gender roles and the gender binary. Young people are increasingly open to the idea that capitalism is the root of discrimination and oppression. The queer community are ready to fight for their rights with an anti-capitalist outlook. To achieve true trans liberation, we need an anti-capitalist, socialist struggle.

The global fight for LGBTQ+ rights as a lesson for us all to learn on a global scale.

By Thomas White

nTernaTIonally lgBTIQ+ people are under attack with crackdowns on the queer community going hand in hand with a general rising trend of repression against protest movements. prominent attempted roll backs of queer rights in the us have been a feature of the Trump regime’s racist, sexist, pro-billionaire agenda. The attempted ban issued by official Twitter decree on Transgender people serving in the US military, while unsuccessful, is a clear indication of the direction that the US ruling class would like to go. The more recent ‘cake decision’, when the US Supreme Court ruled in favour of a Colorado baker who refused to design a wedding cake for a same-sex couple, is a partial roll back of Federal anti-discrimination policy. It should sound as a warning shot to the queer community in the US and

The struggle for LGBTQ+ equality is a global one

Struggle wins All of the rights, protections and freedoms that we have for LGBTIQ+ people have been fought for and won through struggle, through a grassroots movement of queer people standing up, speaking out and demanding our rights. It should not be forgotten, that only 25 years ago homosexuality was still a criminal offence in Ireland. What we have won, we can lose and the recent spate of attacks on LGBTIQA+ rights in the US show that queer people need to be ready to take to the streets once again. By working with a broad coalition of progressive movements and the labour movement we won’t just defend the gains that we have won, but we will fight for more. To fight, not just to limit bigotry and prejudice and to become tolerated, but to crush it and become liberated from all that oppresses and divides us.

NEWS

THE SOCIALIST

Adoption scandal:

Exposing a rotten history By Mick Barry TD

he Illegal adoption scandal shines light on the rotten history of the entwinement of church and state in Irish society, a history based on the Magdalene laundries, Industrial schools and the oppression of women, working class and young people. The Child and Family Agency Tusla announced at the end of May that 126 people were incorrectly registered at birth between 1946 and 1969 by the former adoption society St Patrick’s Guild. This was devastating news for many adopted people especially given the fact that St Patrick’s Guild is extremely unlikely to have been alone in this type of practice. Mind blowing Apart from anything else, the implications for the family health records of thousands of people are simply mind-blowing. However, the Adoption Association of Ireland (AII) had told the Department of Children and Youth Affairs officials as far back as 2013 of hundreds of likely illegal birth regis-

trations and the authorities had never seen fit to investigate further by ordering a full audit of the State’s adoption files or even to include St Patrick’s Guild in the Mother and Baby Homes investigation. In reality, the State has known for more than 60 years about illegal adoptions on a wide scale. In 1954 the US Embassy notified Irish authorities of an unexplained rise in the number of American women travelling to Ireland, claiming to have given birth in Dublin and seeking to have the babies entered on their passports. Hypocrisy of establishment It was only 10 years later that the owner of a private nursing home in Ranelagh, a Mrs Keating, was brought before the courts on charges of running an illegal adoption racket from the home. She was found guilty but given a minimal sentence (the Probation Act). A priest who petitioned then Taoiseach Seán Lemass asking that she be allowed to keep the nursing home license, told journalist Mike Milotte years later that when he told Charlie Haughey the story, Haughey said “sure half the children in St

taken so long for the State to face up to the truth?”.

Nuns running “mother and baby homes” also ran an illegal adoption racket

Rita’s were fathered by members of the Dail”. Milotte himself added perceptively: “A gross exaggeration, no doubt, but a timely reminder that for every crisis pregnancy there was a putative father in the wings, often

Ireland’s capitalist model

Tax haven for the 1% By Darragh O’Dwyer

recent economic study revealed Ireland as likely being the largest tax haven in the world. Jointly carried out by academics in Berkeley university and the university of copenhagen “The Missing profits of nations” estimated that €90 billion of corporate profits were channeled through Ireland in 2015, more than all of the islands of the caribbean combined – the countries that usually spring to mind when we think of tax havens... This is part of a global trend that saw an astonishing 40% of the €1.45 trillion in multinational corporations’ profits being stored in tax havens across the globe, guarding the profits of an increasingly parasitic capitalist class. Staggering inequalities Such figures are a telling insight into the nature of capitalism today and the staggering inequalities it continues to breed. The report showed how, in Ireland, for every £1 foreign corporations spend on wages they declare £8 in profit, a shocking 800% profitability ratio and 16 times above the average for non-tax haven countries. Just like the Panama and subsequent Paradise Papers, the study confirms what young people and the

Globally

€1.45 TRIllIOn

working class experience on a daily basis; that capitalism is a deeply unjust system incapable of meeting their most basic needs while at the same time, generating absurd wealth for an elite 1%. Important to remember is that the majority of this tax avoidance is not illegal but is actively encouraged by the policies of FF/FG and countless other neoliberal governments and institutions. A stark reminder of whose interests this system is built to serve. The Department of Finance were quick to respond, rejecting the findings and particularly taking issue with the labelling of Ireland as a tax haven for it allegedly “does not meet any of the international standards for being considered such.” But these are standards set by the OECD and other think tanks of the global capitalist class. Whether a country has a zero tax rate or pathetically small one makes little difference - the figures speak for themselves, and the fact that Apple were granted a sweetheart deal in which they illegally avoided paying €13 billion in taxes should make Ireland’s status as a tax haven unequivocally clear.

should come as no surprise seeing as it c o m pletely undermines Fine Gael’s narrative of economic recovery incessantly pushed over the last number of years. With little of the wealth created in Ireland actually being reinvested here, the frequently quoted rise in GDP is an inaccurate reflection of the economy’s health. Any sense of a return to stability for certain sections of society is built on shaky foundations. Of course, the claim from the Irish capitalist establishment is that such mollycoddling of multinational corporations is the only viable economic model, one we will all benefit from if we just wait. In reality it is this very model that has engendered the social decay we are currently witnessing: a housing crisis that sees 10, 000 people homeless, a healthcare crisis that in the month of May, left 9,000 waiting for hospital beds on trolleys and 70,000 more children living below the poverty line than in 2008. This is the true face of Varadkar’s ‘Republic of Opportunity’ and makes the need for an anti-capitalist and socialist alternative such an urgent necessity.

is hoarded by multinationals in tax havens

Cooking the books This rejection of the report’s findings

men in positions of authority, employers, respectable members of society, other women’s husbands, priests even, and, yes, politicians - all of them equally protected from disclosure by the practice of falsifying birth records. Is it any wonder it has

Abdicating responsibility The Church was central to this scandal. St Patrick’s Guild, for example, linked up with the Sisters of Charity to become an adoption society at the command of infamous Dublin Archbishop John Charles McQuaid. The State abdicated its responsibilities to women with crisis pregnancies and covered up the scandal for decades. The recent Repeal referendum exposed the misogyny of the anti-choice forces and the Catholic Church who they were intimately connected with. This scandal shows their hypocrisy too. Rather than “loving both”, when they wielded power, they actually “loved neither”. Minister Katherine Zappone’s plan to sanction a sample audit of adoption files falls short of what is necessary here, which is a full audit backed up by the cash and personnel to see it through. What is also drastically needed is full separation of Church and State and pressure to stop the State acting against the interests of women, children and the majority in society.

James Connolly @ 150

This year marks the 150th anniversary of the birth of the revolutionary socialist thinker and workers' leader, James Connolly. In a world of grotesque inequality and injustice his words have never been more relevant:

"The day has passed for patching up the capitalist system; it must go!" Join the socialists today!

WORKPLACE & REVIEW

THE SOCIALIST

A generation condemned to precariousness

Hotel workers get organised

By Gary McDonald

recarIaT Is a word coined to describe a generation of young people that have been subject to the new norm of horrendous precarious working conditions and equally precarious living conditions. These precarious working conditions come in the form of zero-hour contracts – where workers are given their work hours with very little notice, often only knowing just days in advance of their upcoming work schedule. They are contractually obliged to work ambiguous hours which often leads to workers being coerced into performing unpaid overtime in order no maximize profit for the business. Low pay with no rights These contracts are generally low paid and involve horrendous working conditions. It leaves workers without the ability to plan for holidays or to begin to plan purchasing their own home. One in four workers are in part time employment, 30% of workers are low paid and 8% of workers have hours that change from week to week, or month to month. These statistics illustrate the nature of this precarity and it is undoubtedly a huge contributing factor to the mental health epidemic in Ireland. Liam Murray a worker who was subject to one of these contracts with corporate food chain Boojum described his working environment as “toxic” and “repugnant” at the launch of the Solidarity campaign ‘Generation Precarious’, stating that “during

WORKPLACE CONDITIONS in certain industries have intensified (longer hours, no paid breaks, speed up) over the last three decades. This has delivered massive profits to the bosses, but it’s also leading workers to organise for their rights in their workplace. The Socialist spoke to a hotel worker in Dublin who is organising her workplace to fight back against these conditions. What is your work like? Extremely physical, you’re moving all the time, walking as fast as you can, dragging supply trolleys, which can weigh more than 50 kilos. After a 7hour shift you’re completely exhausted, too tired to do anything else - cook, clean, read a book. Precarious working conditions are now the norm for young people and migrants

more than a few shifts I actually considered suicide … as a viable instantaneous alternative no the conditions I was faced with working there”. Campaign launched Solidarity has launched this campaign as a means of exposing and fighting back against these ruthless employers and is seeking to assist workers who want to get organised in their workplace. The recent victory of McDonalds’ workers in

Britain who bravely went out on strike against poor pay and working conditions exemplifies how taking collective, organized action can and will win changes. The McDonalds workers won the largest pay increase in Britain in ten years. Global Capitalism is engaged in a race to the bottom in workers’ pay and living conditions. It is only by workers organising collectively and fighting back that change can be achieved.

What made you decide to join a union? Three months ago we got a new manager who started cutting hours from our pay if we didn’t finish the rooms on time. I knew if we got organised into a union, that could help us fight back against this manager, so I began to discuss with other workers and we arranged to meet with SIPTU. What were some of the obstacles you found in trying to organise

your workplace? Learning to trust each other. We’re basically split in three groups - Polish, Brazilian, and Irish - and we weren’t used to talking to each other. I had to convince them that we ultimately have the same goals and can only win if we stick together. In the end, ten of us joined the union, which is actually a majority. What’s happening now? The union sent the management two letters before the HR manager finally responded saying they had dealt with all the issues and didn’t need the union to get involved. Did they deal with the issues? Yes and no. They stopped stealing our wages, they fired the manager and gave everyone who had been there for 6+ months a small raise. But, we have other demands like getting our rosters at least one week in advance (instead of only three days). What do you think it will take? It’s obvious that us joining the union scared them. But, I also feel that if we got all that from just joining and the union sending a letter, what else could we win. What more could we win if we forced them to sit down with our union to negotiate a contract?

Childish Gambino’s “This is America” Reviewed Monika Janas

ccoMpanIeD By cheery music with warm gospel voices a black man picks up a guitar from a chair, sits down and starts strumming as the camera moves onto a solitary figure in a warehouse. The latter turns to you and begins dancing, moving to the buoyant music. he takes out a gun, strikes a pose, and executes the man sitting in the chair, now with a bag over his head. “This is America” raps Childish Gambino (AKA Donald Glover), as he dances away from the collapsed man with bound hands. The sharp contrast between the happy tones of the afro-folk inspired choir and the harsh trap sound shocks the audience into attention. “Don’t catch you slippin’ now,” he continues, almost to say, “don’t forget your place. Comply or be exiled.” The gun is gingerly collected by a boy and wrapped in red cloth, like something treasured, as if it hasn’t just taken a life.

Racist system Soon he’s joined by a jovial group of school kids following his lead in dancing amidst the developing turmoil. Resolutely, Gambino looks into the camera, almost daring you to look away from the hypnotic show he and the kids are putting on, to see beyond the entertainment and witness the reality. This is a commentary on the attempt to cover up the brutality of the racist system of capitalism in USA through entertainment and the image of a wealthy rapper. A satire of what black men are meant to aspire to be, wealthy and self-assured having climbed to the top, compared to the reality on the streets of violence and death. There’s a jarring juxtaposition when we hear a man rapping and bragging about his possessions, wealth and looks as riots explode in the background. “I’m so fitted/ I’m on Gucci/ I’m so pretty.” Going viral The music video received 12.9 million views in 24 hours and has over 250 million views, clearly tapping into something online.

Childish Gambino’s new track, This Is America, has become a viral sensation

The second chorus offers a brief respite from the chaos as ten choir singers move along to the once again merry choral music, only to be massacred by the singer with an assault rifle. There is no hiding from the brutal reality. Many have compared this moment to the Charleston Church Shooting, in which nine African Americans were murdered by a white supremacist. In the context of a wave of opposition to police brutality in recent years showcased by protests in reaction to the brutal murders of people of colour, particularly black men, often teens like Treyvon Martin, Michael Brown, the music video offers insights into the issues of race and discrimination in the US. It goes beyond gun violence and into the very heart of what it means to be black in the belly of the capitalist beast. The hype of recognition at viral dancing trends featured such as the shoot is guilt-ridden as one questions their relevance to the political commentary on race, wealth and America playing out on the screen, making the viewer complicit in the cover-up.

thesocialist

PAPER OF THE SOCIALIST PARTY

ISSUE 116

SUMMER 2018

LgbTQ+ liberation

Not rainbow capitalism

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