October 2009 edition of the Socialist by the socialist

PAPER OF THE SOCIALIST PARTY

ISSUE 48

OCTOBER 2009

Fight cuts in pay, jobs & public services INSIDE

R U O H 4 2 FOR A

E K I R T S L GENERA

Afghanistan: Obama’s unwinnable war p6&7

The Joe Higgins Column p3

By Stephen Boyd HERE CAN be no doubting that Ireland is a country of Them and Us. For them: NAMA’s €54 billion, €1 million for ex-FAS boss, €216,000 expenses for John O’Donoghue. For us: pay cuts, social welfare cuts, child benefit cuts, health cuts, education cuts, new taxes. €4 billion worth of cuts this December to hit the quality of life of every working class man, woman and child! The 6 November ICTU day of protests is an opportunity for working class people to show their opposition to the government’s attacks. On 21 February 120,000 marched and ICTU followed this up with their plan for a general strike on 30 March only to call it off for nothing more than getting into new “social partnership” talks. This “sell out” by the union leaders angered and demoralised many. Workers should question the motives of the Congress leaders for calling the protests on 6 November (see article page 5). The prospect of new "social partnership" talks has been mooted once again. Statements from ICTU general secretary David Begg and

president Jack O’Connor indicate that their horizons are as low as gaining leverage for these talks in order to mitigate the worst aspects of the cuts. Some public sector union leaders are prepared to concede cuts in services, working conditions and even extending the working week as long as there are no pay or job cuts. The Socialist Party completely rejects this approach. The starting point for any movement against cuts in public services and threats to public sector workers pay, jobs and pensions should be how to defeat the government’s plans. The 6 November protests should be upgraded to a 24 hour general strike. There are 650,000 trade union members in the South. A call by the trade union movement for a one-day general strike to defeat the government’s budget plans would receive the overwhelming support of all workers as well as the unemployed. The Fianna Fail/Green coalition is weak. If ICTU was to really take “the gloves off”, they could bring the government down and stop the cuts dead. The media will soon be filled with the “cries” of government ministers, big business leaders and the bought

and paid for charlatan economists who will be collectively condemning the unions for threatening the “nations” recovery and international reputation. They should be ignored! The country has been brought to the brink of bankruptcy by Fianna Fail and those who slavishly support the capitalist market in whose name 450,000 have been condemned to the dole. Give them their answer by coming out on the 6 November in your hundreds of thousands, the unemployed,

the communities faced with cuts in vital services, health and education workers, private and public sector workers united in a common struggle to defend jobs, wages and conditions. Fundamental political change is needed. The capitalist market that caused the crisis should be rejected. We need a mass working class party committed to establishing a socialist society in which the needs of the majority come first. Join the Socialist Party today.

“I would urge all working class people, the unemployed and those who fear Minister Lenihans’ savage cuts to join the protests on the 6 November. Let us make this a day that Fianna Fail and the Greens will never forget. Let’s make this the start of a real movement to defeat the cuts” Joe Higgins MEP (Socialist Party)

CONTACT THE SOCIALIST PARTY - (01) 6772592, PO Box 3434, Dublin 8

info@socialistparty.net

One billion cuts plan for health service p4

Dublin’s defiant dockers battle on p11

www.socialistparty.net

October 2009

2 THE SOCIALIST

Government not strengthened by Yes vote

news

Lisbon Treaty

By Kevin McLoughlin SIGNIFICANT 2:1 majority, on a higher turnout, passed the Lisbon Treaty overturning the decision of June 2008. It is clear that the economic crisis served to shift opinion across the board to a yes vote because many people felt that passing the Treaty might boost Ireland’s prospects for economic recovery. Last year, Lisbon was rejected because people feared the consequences of the changes it would bring to the EU and because of a distrust of the political establishment. For a majority this time around the actual Treaty and its contents were secondary to the economic crisis. In a well-prepared and financed campaign, the political and business establishment left no stone unturned. There was the carrot, “Yes to Jobs”, “Yes for Recovery”, but then also the stick with threats that a rejection of the Lisbon Treaty for a second time would

lead to economic disaster. As Joe Higgins commented, fear was at the heart of the Yes campaign. The idea was spread that the chief executives of the hugely profitable multinationals were at Dublin airport with their suitcases packed ready to flee in the event of a no vote. In company after company, bosses intervened with their workforces, by email and directly, pressuring for a yes vote. Any pretence of balance in the media was ended and in the last week of the campaign - 65% of articles on Lisbon argued for a yes vote with only 15% supporting the no side. With a week to go polls indicated that of those who had made up their minds, 60% were yes and 40% were no. However, it seems those who made up their minds in the last week went overwhelmingly to the yes side on the basis of the crisis in the economy. The yes campaign played up the idea that a rejection of Lisbon for a second time would sideline Ireland in the EU. The idea that a No vote

Strike action can defeat community sector cuts By Ashling Golden N 30 September 12,000 community sector workers took to the streets of Dublin to march against the proposed cuts in the McCarthy report. This march which was organised by trade unions and the group Communities Against Cuts. Many different groups were represented from all over the country: community development groups, youth services, addiction projects, as well as Job Initiate Workers and Community Employment workers. The community sector was out to protest against the proposed savage cuts to their jobs and services. If the government implements the proposed McCarthy cuts, this year alone 6,500 workers of the 60,000 workforce could lose their jobs immediately and more will follow in the coming years. Services are also being savagely attacked with community development programmes and partnerships losing €44 million, drugs projects losing €2.6 million, youth projects and voluntary supports losing €10million and the complete axing

of Job Initiative Schemes and Community Employment schemes which are vital to keeping community programmes running. These proposed cuts will hit hardest the most marginalised and disadvantaged areas in the country, the areas that need these services and supports the most. The government are happy to bail out the banks and the developers but will stand by and watch the basic services fought for and gained by communities over the last few years go down the plug-hole. The government are happy to give out golden hand-shakes to their cronies to the value of running a large community development project for up to eight years, yet they claim these are tough actions that need to be taken. With this march the community sector has said no way to such hypocrisy and no to the disgraceful treatment of their sector. This is only the beginning, campaigns to unionise this sector are underway. Strike action is being discussed and word is spreading on the streets of local communities, now is time to stand up and fight to save our jobs and services. We cannot do not let the government go ahead with their plans to destroy the community sector.

would mean a two track EU with Ireland on the outside was pushed by government ministers. Given that more than 70% of people believe that Ireland is economically better off in the EU, plus their fears that the economic crisis would worsen, it is understandable that a majority decided to vote yes. It is ironic that at this point the people who caused the economic crisis, big business and the capitalist political establishment in Ireland and the EU, where actually able to use the crisis to get Lisbon passed. There are some parallels with the vote in the 2007 general election. Then, a significant portion of people voted for Fianna Fail - in the absence of any real alternative - in the hope that voting for the same government may help maintain economic growth. Since then, Fianna Fail’s support has fallen to historic lows, and now in a complete reversal of that election, more than 80% disapprove of this hated government. Likewise the basis of this yes vote will disappear.

This will turn out to be a pyrrhic victory. Lisbon won’t aid any economic recovery in Ireland or Europe. In fact it will be used to make ordinary people pay a very heavy price for the crisis in the years ahead. The lie about economic recovery combined with the bullying methods of the yes campaign will come back to haunt the establishment and will deepen the anger in society. That one third of voters rejected the Treaty for a second time is significant, given the huge campaign that the establishment ran with the support of Labour and a majority of trade union leaders. It is clear from the figures that in middle class and more wealthy areas, support for Lisbon was 90% plus. In contrast, amongst working class people the vote was more evenly split but in many areas large majorities, once again, rejected Lisbon. Working class people who voted yes did so with little enthusiasm and without in any way diminishing their opposition to the government.

The biggest single issue in the campaign was probably workers’ rights. This reflected the opposition to attacks on jobs, pay and conditions but also is a compliment to the role of the Socialist Party and in particular our MEP, Joe Higgins. Joe was the clearest and most effective leader of the no campaign. The Socialist Party fought a very strong no campaign with thousands of posters and over half a million leaflets, on the issues of workers’ rights, democratic rights, defence of public services, and opposition to militarism. Whatever effect that the Lisbon result has in strengthening the hand of big business can be overcome by mobilising the power of the working class against the attacks on jobs, pay and public services. Out of the inevitable struggles in the months ahead, the need for a real alternative to the crisis and capitalism will become much clearer to many people and will create huge opportunities to build support for a socialist alternative.

No NAMA for working people!

By Councillor Mick Barry AOISEACH BRIAN Cowen has claimed, incredibly, that NAMA does not represent a bailout of the banks! Not only does it represent a bailout, it is, per head of population, one of the largest bank bailouts ever seen anywhere in the world. Fianna Fail and the Green Party are proposing that €54 billion be used to buy the banks’ toxic developer debts. This is at least €7 billion more than the estimated market value of these debts. UCD Professor of Economics, Morgan Kelly, has predicted that the proposed NAMA gamble will end up costing the taxpayer €30 billion. The government argue that it is necessary to take the toxic developer loans off the banks’ loan books to give the banks the wherewithal to start lending again to cit-

izens and businesses. There is nothing, however, to stop the banks using the bulk of the NAMA money for other purposes such as paying off debts, building up reserves, etc. However, even if you were to accept this logic it cannot explain the €36 billion worth of debt purchased from Anglo Irish Bank and the Irish Nationwide Building Society. A mere 11% of Anglo’s loans were to businesses not involved in the property sector and just 22% of Irish Nationwide’s loan book involved residential properties. Is the government telling us that they are bailing out these banks to get them to provide a useful social function that they never fulfilled in the first place? The same government that is bailing out the banks is planning to make €3,000 million worth of Budget cutbacks. Health Minister Harney plans to make more than a

billion euro worth of cuts. Social and Family Affairs Minister Hanafin plans to either cut, tax or means test children’s allowance. Taoiseach Brian Cowen is dropping dark hints about more cuts in public sector pay. There is to be no bailout for the health service and no NAMA for working people. Fianna Fail’s support has plummeted from the 40s to the 30s to the 20s and one recent poll even put their support in the teens! They can go even lower with a Budget that includes these cuts in the aftermath of a massive bank bailout. But working class people cannot wait for the next general election. We need to stop the cuts now. That’s why we are calling for a national 24-hour general strike as the first step in a real campaign to fight the cuts and to make the rich pay.

October 2009

n o t u All o mber! e v o N 6 Bring down the government THE SOCIALIST

By Stephen Boyd HEN ICTU’s general secretary David Begg spoke about the government’s plan to cut public spending by €4 billion he said “What they are trying to do is too brutal, too soon and will militate against the possibility of any short-term transition to a new environment”. David Begg and many other ICTU leaders are not actually opposed to what the government are trying to do – they only differ on the scale of the cuts and the timeframe over which they should be implemented. David Begg has made it clear that he opposes the governments’ plans to implement major cuts in public expenditure in order to reduce borrowing by 2013 to within the 3% range set by the European Central Bank. Begg says they should go more slowly and make the cuts over a longer period with the target date of 2017. He still supports the cuts, just spread out over a longer period of time! These cuts will decimate the health service, damage our children’s education, impoverish people dependent on social welfare and put thousands of workers on the breadline. ICTU’s decision to stage a day of protest on 6 November was arrived at after much “wailing and gnashing of teeth” at the Congress exec-

utive. Trade union leaders are divided over which is the best way to deal with the crisis facing their members. The union leaders are divided not over how to fight and stop the government’s attacks and the employers’ race to the bottom but over the terms of entering new “social partnership” talks! Most of the trade union leaders are out of touch with reality. Not surprising when many of them earn over €100,000 a year and haven’t a clue about the lives of ordinary workers. But more than this – a majority of the union leaders support the capitalist market system that caused the economic crisis and they believe there is no alternative to the government or the opposition’s plans for major cuts. Working class people are enraged by the impact of the economic crisis on their lives. For them it is not about doing deals with Fianna Fail and the bosses but about trying to survive. The anger of trade union members has pushed the union leaders further than they wanted to go. IMPACT is balloting for strike action in the event of a threat to their members’ jobs or pay despite the fact that some of its leaders are opposed to organising the 6 November protests! SIPTU has lodged a 3.5% pay claim for its 34,000 members in the HSE. Yet SIPTU and ICTU president Jack O’Connor has said he would engage with the government in

fresh talks if it had a proposition worthy of consideration! Important and powerful forces are now aligned against working class people. The government has been joined by the media, IBEC, ISME, the ESRI and Fine Gael in a concerted campaign to get social welfare payments cut, the minimum wage reduced and to slash public sector workers’ pay. Twenty thousand public sector jobs are under threat. This will mean that thousands of teachers, nurses, doctors and others will lose their jobs.

The response of the ICTU leaders is not enough. The Socialist Party believes that the 6 November protests should be turned into a one day general strike that could stop all of the cuts by bringing down the government. The union leaders have it in their power to mobilise all 650,000 of their members and their families in the biggest day of strikes and protests this country has ever witnessed. Brian Cowen’s weak government would crumble at the feet of such a movement.

Unfortunately, unless the union leaders have a “road to Damascus” experience a general strike will not be called. The majority of the union leaders are a liability and should be removed. Get active in your union. Get organised. Let’s build a major opposition based on the idea of returning the trade unions to the control of the members, to use their power and resources to fight for jobs, oppose all cuts and create a society that puts the needs of working class people first.

Defend jobs, pay, pensions and services For a one-day public sector strike to stop the cuts By Terry Kelleher, CPSU Trustee (personal capacity) CCORDING TO Brian Cowen, Enda Kenny, Michael O’Leary and the ESRI, the public sector is overpaid, overstaffed and inefficient and the best way to end the economic crisis is to sack thousands of public sector workers and cut the pay and pensions of the rest! The ESRI published out of date and completely inaccurate statistics claiming that public sector workers were paid much more than private sector workers. The main grade in the civil service is clerical officer. The starting pay for a clerical officer is €400 a week and after having worked for 16 years that increases to the grand sum of €700 a week. The

majority of CPSU members are low paid and struggling to make ends meet after the imposition of the pension levy and the other budget tax increases. Public sector workers are angry. They are sick of being vilified by politicians and media pundits like Eddie Hobbs who recently said that “we” had a choice of either social welfare cuts that will hurt the most

vulnerable in society, or cuts in public sector workers’ pay and job losses. Well Eddie, you can stuff your choice because public sector workers are not prepared to be scapegoated for a crisis caused by your mates in Fianna Fail, the bankers and the greedy speculators. Public sector workers are starting to fight back. Thousands of nurses, firefighters, gardai and sol-

diers have been meeting to discuss how they can stop the government’s attacks. IMPACT are balloting their 55,000 members for strike action in the event of the government trying to impose pay cuts and job losses. But public sector workers be warned - leading officials in some public sector unions are prepared to “oppose” pay cuts and job losses by supporting the extension of your working week without extra pay! There should be no deals with the government. The starting position must be - what we have we hold – we will not accept any cuts in pay, pensions or jobs. We need a united and co-ordinated campaign that links all 300,000 public sector workers. Public sector spending cuts will hurt the economy and cause more job losses in the private sector. The

last two austerity budgets have already taken the equivalent of 5% of GDP out of the economy. Cuts in education and health and in all other areas of the public sector will impact on the quality of life of our children and all working class people no matter where you work! Workers must resist the divide and rule tactics of the right wing parties and their lackeys in the media. Private sector and public sector workers will be united on the 6 November in the major demonstrations against the government. That unity must be built upon. A one-day public sector strike would bring the government to its knees. Public sector workers should get motions passed calling on their unions to organise for a one-day public sector strike. Let’s build up the pressure and take the fight to the government.

Support strikers at Manor Park Nursing Home By Paul Murphy ORTY-THREE workers at the Manor Park Nursing Home in Edgeworthstown, Co. Longford are facing into their twentieth week of strike action. This nursing home was sold by the Sisters of Mercy to a new owner, John McGibney. He has refused to engage with their SIPTU representatives and demanded that the workers accept a series of

extremely harsh new conditions including: 50% reduction in basic pay; end of overtime and Sunday premiums; end of the sick pay scheme; end of their occupational pension; end of the check off system for SIPTU subs – which would amount to derecognition of their union. In response to this vicious attack, the workers have conducted a solid strike for 19 weeks. In response, McGibney has brought in migrant workers to scab on the strike. The strikers have received a very positive response from the

residents and the families. However, the Sisters of Mercy have assisted the new employer. Although this is a private nursing home, some of the residents have their residence subsidised by the HSE. This means the race to the bottom is being supported by a state agency. These workers must be supported in their struggle against this attack on their basic rights and conditions. If McGibney is successful, it would open the way for a more widespread race to the bottom in the nursing home sector.

news

Stop the cuts

October 2009

news

THE SOCIALIST

One billion cuts plan for health service

McCarthy’s menu of cutbacks

By Michael Murphy EALTH CUTS hurt the old, the sick and the handicapped” was the cynical slogan used by Fianna Fáil in the 1980s to get re-elected. On doing so in 1987 they went on a rampage of devastation in the health service. They are now prepared to do it again this time with the complicit support of the Green Party. On foot of the McCarthy report, the next budget is likely to contain a series of cuts that will impact on ordinary people in a multitude of ways. However with €1.2 billion in health cuts likely, the budget will have a devastating effect on the health service. It will be thrown right back to the dark days of the 1980’s when successive governments involving the main establishment parties slashed and burned the service, cutting 3,000 beds across the country resulting in massive ward closures. Despite the Celtic Tiger boom which resulted in a certain increase in health funding albeit from extremely low levels, the health service has never recovered from the cuts of the 1980s and many of the problems currently facing hospitals stem from that time. The recent figures released showed that over 144,000 bed days were lost in the first half of 2009 graphically illustrate this point. A

“H

lack of beds is part of the problem, but so is the absence of step-down facilities for patients, mainly the elderly who are well enough to leave hospital but have no place to go and so remain in hospital unnecessarily taking up beds that could be used for other patients. This is one indictment of the lack of investment and progress over decades. Minister for Health Mary Harney having stood over this shambles for

the last seven years, recently asked the HSE to cut €800 million from their budget and has now asked for an additional cut of €400 million. The decision of ICTU to call a mass protest on 6 November is a significant and important step for workers and their families in fighting back against this anti worker government. The massive turnout at the frontline workers’ meetings of 1,000 in Cork and 1,500 in Sligo illustrates the mas-

sive anger among health staff and other “frontline” workers at the government attacks on their wages and conditions. This anger must be built upon and linked to a mass campaign to stop this government’s attacks on workers’ jobs and conditions and kick them from office. All those who have been victim of the government’s health cuts should organise and build to participate in this demonstration.

● 6,000 health care staff stand to lose their jobs and pay, overtime and other allowances will be among the cuts for those left behind. ● €50 million in cutbacks for the voluntary groups which provide disability and mental health services, as well as the suspension of recruitment to psychological services for children ● Revising medical card eligibility thresholds downwards will hit the most vulnerable in society. Those in poverty, or at risk of it, can’t afford private care and are more likely to fall ill. ● Drugs Payment Scheme threshold likely to be revised upwards ● Income eligibility for medical cards to be lowered ● A €60 million reduction to the funding of special needs assistants. ● Increased hospital charges ● A prescription charge on medical card so in essence the loss of the entitlement to free medication on a medical card – there is speculation that the initial charge will be €5, but of course that’s only where it will start.

Green Party’s carbon tax fraud By Liam Cullinane AMON RYAN, Green Party minister, has announced that there will definitely be a carbon tax in December’s budget. The introduction of a carbon tax would affect everything from the price of petrol to basic necessities such as coal and home-heating oil, putting a further strain on the already depleted incomes of ordinary people who are facing levies, pay cuts and mass unemployment. Additionally, the tax would have a disproportionate impact on lowerincome families. According to the ERSI, the tax would cost the poorest households in the state as much as €3.50 per week, or €168 a year, as well as driving up prices in general. The Green Party claim the tax is a victory for the environment, but this is blatantly false. Ordinary working

people are forced to use fossil fuels because they have little choice in the matter. People commuting to work often lack the alternative of a cheap, reliable public transport system and instead find themselves taking the car out of necessity. If the Greens are genuinely concerned about the environment then

why do they continue to support the cutbacks in Dublin Bus and Bus Eireann? Surely, a party genuinely concerned with the environment would not be playing a leading role in cutting bus routes across the country? If they were truly committed to saving the environment, would they not instead be defend-

ing these services? In fact, would they not be investing in new routes, new technologies, better vehicles and a rural transport network for those travelling to work in towns and cities? There is nothing green about the carbon tax. It is simply another attack on working people and a new tax being introduced under the guise of protecting the environment. It is not ordinary people who are responsible for the environmental disaster faced by the planet. The biggest causes of climate change are the capitalist multinationals that produce enormous carbon emissions each year for the sake of short-term profit. According to the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, “We have less than 10 years to avoid the worst-case scenario . . . The Arctic will be nearly ice-free by late 2030”. If this scenario is to be avoided, these corporations have

to be challenged on an international scale. The Green Party has no intention of doing this. The hypocrisy of the Greens, decimating public transport while cynically dressing up anti-worker taxes as green and pro-enviroment, is a joke that will not fool workers and those genuinely concerned about climate change. With the climate crisis set to affect millions of people worldwide, what is needed instead is huge investment in cheap, efficient public transport to get people out of their cars and onto buses and trains, as well as massive funding for environmentally sustainable green technology. Not only would these measures benefit the planet but they could also provide employment for tens of thousands of unemployed workers. Only through such initiatives can the threat of environmental disaster be averted.

next offices to be centralised at the beginning of October (following the Rathdown Road office) are also Dublin-based. After Dublin, the HSE South is mooted to move. This "divide and conquer" tactic will move the battle to Cork, Kerry, Waterford, Wexford, and Kilkenny/Carlow. Nationally these workers have already been balloted and were prepared to take official strike action until IMPACT over-turned

the ballot decision. The urgency to fight is greater now and those workers will need to organise quickly to fight this. Centralisation will move the service away from the public when it is needed most needed. The Socialist Party is supporting the workers who are trying to protect the service for the public and to their jobs, and is calling on IMPACT to support their members and uphold the ballot.

Medical card staff fight HSE closures By Anthony Hetherington SE STAFF working in the medical cards section throughout the state have vowed to fight plans to close local medical cards offices. As reported in The Socialist last month, the HSE plans to close local offices and centralise the service to a back office in Dublin. The union representing the workers, IMPACT, did an about-

turn and over-ruled a national ballot overwhelmingly in favour of industrial action against the HSE’s move. IMPACT cited the changed economic conditions and government threats to introduce pay cuts and attack workers’ pensions and job security as reasons it shouldn’t fight this battle! Understandably, workers were extremely unhappy with the union officials’ decision and some members have challenged it. Union

members from around the state met in Dublin to discuss the way forward in this battle. To begin with, a campaign action group of workers is to be established to fight centralisation of medical cards. This will be expanded to fight on other issues. A leaflet will be produced explaining the events of the last few months and proposing a way to fight on. Lunch time protests are expected to be organised in Dublin as the

october 2009

THE SOCIALIST

JOE

HColumn IGGINS ALL DAY hundreds of taxi drivers occupied O’ Connell St in the heart of Dublin City. The Garda were forced to close the street to all traffic. The protest continued throughout the night and into the morning of 2 October when Ireland was voting on the Lisbon Treaty. The depth of the anger of the taxi drivers was evident to anybody who listened to their story. They have been the victims of extreme deregulation which is a policy pushed in Ireland and in the European Union for decades now. Previously there was an acute shortage of taxis in Dublin and in other parts of Ireland. But instead of having a reasonable approach and dis-

cussions with both drivers and taxi users, the Fianna Fail/Progressive Democrats government went for the ultimate "solution" of the capitalist market. They allowed the cities to be flooded with taxis. Now breadwinners who are taxi drivers can work more than sixty hours a week and still come home with a paltry wage. This is putting enormous pressure on drivers and on their families. Tragically in recent times this kind of pressure has resulted in a number of taxi drivers taking their own lives. Taxi drivers have been at the sharpest edge of the neoliberal model of capitalism. Their plight shows the raw effects of

progress in the past by challenging and breaking laws that were deployed against them.” the "deregulation" and "liberalisation" so beloved of the European Union establishment. Now other groups of workers are being similarly treated. Workers at Coca Cola, and at Manor Park Nursing Home in Longford, together with Mr. Binman workers in Tipperary as well as MTL dockers in Dublin, are all on strike in response to savage attacks on their wages and conditions. These strikes and the protest of the taxi drivers put the whole debate that took place around the Lisbon Treaty in perspective. The fact is that according to Irish and EU law, it is quite legal to put workers under this disgusting pressure in the interest of profits. There is absolutely nothing in the Charter of Fundamental Rights that would change anything in that regard.

What this means is that workers have to rely on their own strength to carve out their rights. That will become more and more essential as the pressure increases to push wages downwards and worsen working conditions. Leadership is now critically needed from the trade unions. It is simply incredible that while the groups of workers mentioned here are on strike, work is carrying on in their workplaces by strike-breakers. It is also incredible that products handled by strikebreakers such as Coca Cola, are being delivered to, and sold in shops, including shops where the workers are organised in trade unions. Many trade union leaders are terrified of challenging the repressive injunctions given by the High Court against many of the

striking groups. But the workers’ movement only made progress in the past by challenging and breaking laws that were deployed against them. In the immediate period ahead there will be more and more workers feeling the rough edge of neoliberalism. Inevitably there will be movements of resistance in the form of mass mobilisations to defend rights. The need for this should be raised and discussed as a matter of urgency. Even now all those groups of workers who are fighting their individual battles should put massive pressure on their trade union SIPTU and on the Congress of Trade Unions to coordinate a joint fight and effective solidarity action to bring their greed-driven employers to heel.

Residents organise to stop the rip-off By Councillor Clare Daly ESIDENTS IN Brackenwood in Balbriggan and Chapel Farm in Lusk will appear in court on 15 October to defend themselves against court action taken against them by their management companies for the "crime" of non-payment of management fees. All over Dublin and beyond, those who bought their properties during the boom, many of which are in serious negative equity, are precisely the same victims of the management company scam. This system exploded at the same time as mixed developments of houses, apartments and duplexes, where instead of the common areas being maintained by the developer and then handed over to the local authority, to be maintained as a public service, they were to be “managed” by a management company in return for a hefty charge!! A double, if not a treble taxation! Little if any service is provided in most of these communities. From the beginning those hit with these fees in standard housing objected to the fact that they were

being hit for fees for services which are provided as a public service in established communities. Owners of duplexes and apartments, where some services such as insurance and a sinking fund must be provided collectively, objected to the lack of transparency of these companies and the inability of the residents to have a say. The result- huge levels of nonpayment and a ticking time bomb in these communities, where virtually no maintenance is provided and residents find themselves being threatened, intimidated and pursued for arrears. With so many people experiencing cuts in their pay and conditions, and many more losing their jobs, it is now not just a case of “Won’t Pay!”, but also “Can’t Pay!” Government promises to deal with the rip-off have been as hollow as all their other promises and hard-pressed residents are left to pick up the pieces. Across Balbriggan from Martello, Chieftains Way, Barons’ Hall, Bremore Pastures and Brackenwood, not a day goes by without residents having to deal with this issue. More and more are deciding that enough is enough and

they are not going to be bullied any longer. We are encouraging residents to go along to the court and support their neighbours on 15 October. These companies are relying on threats to frighten in the money. This is disgraceful. There is absolutely nothing they can do against non-payers without first bringing you to court and establishing the debt against you. This is not automatic. In many instances the cases have been struck out because the management company didn’t show, in others the bills have been reduced because the resident showed that work which was charged for wasn’t being done. Not only are residents defending court cases, they are also conducting surveys among their neighbours to establish whether people want to request the Council to take in charge the common areas as part of a battle to get rid of these companies for standard housing and to have a more fair and equitable system for the apartments. Only by organising together can residents get results on this issue. Local Socialist Party Councillors will give any advice and assistance that is needed.

Cold welcome for Lenihan If Minister for Finance, Brian Lenihan, thinks we’ll forget all about his multi-billion euro bailout for Fianna Fail’s financial backers, he is very much mistaken. 25 Socialist Party members and residents turned up to “greet” him as he arrived at the Crown Plaza hotel in Blanchardstown to speak at a public meeting. We gave him a message to take back to his banker friends: “Bank of Ireland, AIB, you’ll not get anymore from me!”

residents pledge to fight phone mast By Cllr. Matt Waine NAOMH PEREGRINE’S GAA club in Blakestown, Dublin 15 has decided to erect a mobile phone mast on its property 100 metres from the local secondary school and less than 200 metres from the primary school with no regard to the welfare of school children and the local community. The decision was slammed at an angry meeting of over 50 residents, organised by local Socialist Party councillors Ruth Coppinger and Matt Waine. Despite a number of meetings for members of the club, there had been no consultation with the wider community before the decision to proceed was taken at an Extraordinary General Meeting on 14 September. At that meeting, club officials delivered a one-sided presentation claiming there were absolutely no health hazards associated with phone masts. The reality is however, that it is too soon to be definitive about the long term effects of phone masts. Indeed many studies have show that children are more susceptible to radio-frequency radiation and some scientific evidence shows that radio-frequency (RF) radiation may affect biological function. The Stewart Report, commissioned by the British government, entitled Mobile phones and health, concluded: "It is not possible to say that exposure to RF radiation, even at levels below national guidelines, is totally without adverse health effects and the gaps in the knowledge are sufficient to justify a precautionary approach." A precautionary approach would avoid placing phone masts beside schools. The club have sought to justify their proposal by claiming that siting the mast on their property would mean an annual income of €10,000. This would also mean other masts could be located there in the future. However, notwithstanding the debts the club has, it has survived and flourished through difficult financial times in the past through the sacrifice and fundraising of the members and the community. We recognise the positive contribution the club has made over many years, however we believe the way forward now is not to compromise the health of the community in the future.

news

Management Companies Blakestown

opinion

The “... the workers’ movement only made

October 2009

: n a t s i n a h g f A

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PRAY!

OBA UNWINN

“The war in Afghanistan is worth the effort we are making and the sacrifice” - US vice president Joe Biden (BBC News 23/7/2009) “‘It was a scene from hell,’ said Mohammed Daud, a witness. ‘Hands, legs and body parts were scattered everywhere’” (John Pilger, New Statesman, 17/9/2009) HIS CHILLING description was of the result of a criminal air strike by NATO and US warplanes on the Kunduz River in Afghanistan that killed 90 people who were seeking to get fuel from two stalled tankers. Many of those killed were children carrying buckets and cooking pots. This is only one example of many of the brutal consequences of what Barack Obama has called a "good war" and the "war of necessity" that US and NATO are waging in Afghanistan. This war is supposed to stand in contrast to his predecessor's "bad war" and "war of choice" in Iraq. In reality this war and occupation was waged by then Bush administration eight years ago this month to bolster the power and prestige of US imperialism in the aftermath of events of 11 September. As it finds itself bogged down in a deeper quagmire the Obama administration is seeking to escalate the war in order to try and defeat a resurgent Taliban. He has appointed General Stanley McChrystal to command US forces in Afghanistan. This month he recommended that 45,000 extra troops be deployed bringing the total number of US forced in Afghanistan to over 100,000. This is on top of the 74,000 private military contractors based in the country. It is believed that McChrystal intends to increase the number of US and NATO forces in Afghanistan to over 500,000 in the coming years. Thousands of Afghan civilians have been killed as a result of the intensi-

fication of the war this year. This is particularly true given the increase in the blanket bombing of different parts of the country. Casualties are also mounting amongst NATO and US forces, July and August were the two highest months in terms of the number of soldiers killed since the war began. This year has seen a 108% rise in the number of roadside bombings. In the Kandahar province attacks on NATO are at on all time high. An indication of the weakness of imperialism is the fact that Canadian forces have retreated to simply defending Kandahar City from Taliban forces. Along with the horrific human cost of the intensification of the war it is estimated that €100 billion will have to be spent in order to deploy more troops and equipment. This comes at a time of increasing economic hardship for millions of US workers. With the rising death toll and chaos the Afghan war is becoming increasingly unpopular amongst the American public, in a recent poll over 54% said that they opposed it. A further 61% believe that the war is going badly and only 25% support more US troops being sent there. The Brown government in Britain is also coming under significant political pressure as a result of mounting casualties. Recent opinion polls have shown that the majority of the British population wants the immediate withdrawal of troops. The farce of the recent Presidential election illustrates the absence of any real democracy in Afghanistan with widespread vote rigging by the

THE SO

The brother of Afghan president Hamid Karzai (LEFT) is reported to be on eof the biggest drug trafficers in the country. Despite the vote, women in Afghanistan are masssively discriminated against. Over 2,000 US troops are now dead.

supporters of President Hamid Karzai. In the province of Kandahar, where Karzai is from, 350,000 votes were recorded despite the fact that only 25,000 people actually voted. His supporters also set up 800 fake polling stations and the boxes in another 800 stations were stuffed with fake ballot papers. It is estimated that 27% of the votes were suspect. Not surprisingly Karzai emerged as the "victor" and even less surprisingly was the glowing endorsement he received from the representatives of this colonial occupation in the aftermath of the election. The British Ambassador to Afghanistan described the result "as a bad day for the Taliban and a good day for democracy". Similarly Obama came out and gave his stamp of approval to this fraudulent "election". From the outset of the occupation Karzai has been the handpicked favourite of the US. Corruption and opium production have flourished under his reign and he and his supporters have little or no control or authority over the majority of the country. He has been contemptuously called "the Mayor of Kabul". Afghanistan now produces 90% of the

world's opium production; in fact Karzai's brother is the biggest dealer of opium in the country. While he and his supporters have lived a lavish lifestyle it has been a different story for the majority of the Afghan population. Fifty three percent of the population lives on less than €1 a day and 77% lack access to clean drinking water. The war, occupation and poverty in the country have only helped strengthen the hand of the Taliban insurgency. Little has also changed for women since the toppling of the Taliban regime eight years ago. The literacy rate stands at less than 13% while life expectancy remains at 44 years. In fact the number of women who are dying in childbirth has risen since 2001. The Karzai regime has enshrined Sharia Law into the constitution and has even gone as far as to try and legalise marital rape. The war in Afghanistan has recently called "Obama's Vietnam". Like the Vietnam War it is one that is spilling over into its neighbouring country, in this case Pakistan bringing the death, destruction and horror with it. In April the Pakistani government, at the behest of US imperialism,

launched a military offensive against Taliban forces based in the Swat Valley in the North West Frontier Province (NWFP). Thirteen thousand civilians have been killed in this impoverished region as a result of the fighting while 30,000 homes have been destroyed. Aid agencies such as the Red Cross have compared the situation to Bosnia and Rwanda. Two million refugees have been forced to flee their homes; this is the greatest displacement of people in this region since the bloody partition of the Indian sub continent in 1947. Obama has seen the situation in Afghanistan and Pakistan as a priority as his regime his fearful of the consequences of the Taliban coming to power in a country armed with nuclear weapons. Historically Pakistan has had enormous strategic importance for US imperialism; this is particularly with the growth of rivalry with China in recent in years. Like Afghanistan the Taliban has drawn its support and growth from the Pashtun population in the region. The war will undoubtedly add to the growing instability in the country and indeed may threaten its break-up as

October 2009

OCIALIST

differences between the various ethnic groups. This instability has been exacerbated by the downturn in the global economy with Pakistan being badly hit by the downturn. Inflation stands at 25% while its national currency has lost 21% of its value. With an escalating war more its resources will undoubtedly be directed towards its bloated military expenditure that accounts for 25% of GDP. Added to this is the complete lack of support of the regime of Asif Ali Sadari of the Pakistan People's Party. Like Karzai he is notoriously corrupt and a puppet of the United States. While is wife Benazir Bhutto was in power he amassed a personal fortune of $1 billion by dipping into the state revenues. This gave him the nickname "Mr. ten percent" as he stole 10% of the income of government. The scale of the corruption under his own Presidency has led to him being called "Mr. fifty percent". It is highly unlikely that a regime such as this will be able to militarily defeat the Taliban in the NWFP given its lack of base of support within Pakistani society. The war and destruction that has been visited on the people of

Afghanistan and Pakistan by the Obama administration stands in stark contrast to his promise to bring about "change we can believe in" in terms of US foreign policy. In reality he has simply shifted resources from the war in Iraq to this war with devastating consequences. Like Iraq it appears highly unlikely that the US will be able to defeat those that are resisting the occupation of Afghanistan. With the US economy deteriorating further military setbacks for imperialism will add to the pressure on his Presidency. The Socialist Party stands for the immediate withdrawal of all occupying forces. We believe that the coming to power of a reactionary Taliban regime in Afghanistan or Pakistan offers no solution to the war and occupation of the country. In the face of this horror without end there is an urgent need for a socialist movement internationally that will build solidarity with the poor and oppressed of this region, particularly with the Pakistani working class with its militant traditions. Such a movement can offer an alternative to a world of capitalist economic crisis, war and poverty. ■

By Laura Fitzgerald A RECENT report on the potential effects of climate change on the country of Vietnam describes the possible impact of sea levels rising by three feet – the worst case projection was that onethird of the Mekong Delta could be submerged, where 17 million people live and nearly half of Vietnam’s rice is grown. This horror story gives just a glimpse of the devastating impact that climate change will have on humanity, unless this ticking time bomb is dealt with. At September’s G20 Summit in Pittsburgh Obama called for fossil fuel subsidies to be phased out. Much has also been made in the media about President Hu Jintao of China’s remarks during his address to the UN the same week in which he stated that China "fully appreciates the importance and urgency of addressing climate change". In the run up to talks in Copenhagen this December which has a stated aim of a new legally binding international agreement on climate change as the first phase of the Kyoto Protocol comes to an end, how should we perceive these statements, what are the prospects for an international agreement, and crucially, how can the future of humanity and the preservation of the environment be secured?

The Kyoto fiasco International discussions concerning the environment began back in 1992. The pinnacle of these talks, the Kyoto protocol, was ignored by by the biggest polluter at the time, the US, under Bush. In fact, all attempts to deal with the crisis have come up against the limits imposed by the market system in which the drive for profit reigns supreme and rhetoric of "international co-operation" is meaningless as various nation states’ leaders serve the interests of their own country’s industries and corporations. The absurd system of carbon trading exemplifies this conundrum. Under carbon trading a country or company that reduces CO2 emissions to below a set level can then sell on credits to pollute, to those countries or companies who exceed their own emission targets. The "right" to pollute is a legitimate commodity apparently. Under carbon-trading, instances can arise where it’s more profitable for a company to buy more credits, than achieve emission targets. It is also not conducive to developing anything resembling a serious or coordinated plan to reduce emissions and fails to incentivise serious long-term investment in renewable energy. Obama’s clean energy plan has been backed by important elements of US big business. This is precisely because it’s based on carbon trading and in fact provides ample new opportunities to make profits. The Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) of emissions trading is nothing but a continuation of imperialist domination of the neo-colonial world, with a benign ‘green’ veneer. CDM money is made available to giant multi-nationals by the World Bank to build projects such as dam-building in Africa. A professor called Thayer Scudder studied 50 dams in Africa and discovered that food insecurity affected 79 % of those people who were displaced by the dams’ construction. Meanwhile, dams provide vital irrigation and electricity for large-scale multinational operations, mining and commercial farming. Some multinationals have received credits for planting a so-called 'carbon sink' in Africa - unfortunately for the local African farmers, the planting of non-native eucalyptus trees had the effect of soaking up water, drying up arable land. Arguments that this is merely poor policing of the system don't address the key issue that when profit is the primary consideration, it's inevitable that such instances will occur. The very fact that the Irish government favoured exceeding Kyoto targets and paying the resulting fines, (Ireland was given permission to increase emissions by 13% under Kyoto, but emissions increased by 28%) illustrates that companies, or the governments that represent them won't let concerns about climate change interfere with profit, in this case, the development of a hugely profitable construction boom and bubble. In Obama’s speech at the UN in September, he stressed the need for a "flexible and pragmatic approach" by world leaders in Copenhagen, and

warned them not to let "the perfect (to) become the enemy of progress". These wooly phrases are almost anticipating the fact that we’ll see more of the same in terms of, at best, an inadequate agreement. Take the "Green" stimulus package as an example of the Obama-era approach - it allocated $10 billion to public transport – sounds good? However this is less than a third as much money as it allocated to roads, and is in the context of savage cutbacks to public transport in states throughout the US.

No serious solution on offer The enormous battle that Obama has found himself embroiled in, merely by trying to carry out what’s really quite a limited reform of the US healthcare system, is indicative of the reasons why, although the Bush era of reactionary climate change denial has passed, there will not be an adequate response from the US. Just like the private healthcare lobby, the oil and fossil fuel industry is integral to US capitalism. Any Copenhagen agreements will not fundamentally challenge this. Exelon is the latest of a spate of major corporations to pull out of the US Chamber of Commerce over its backward position on climate change. Does this represent a change of heart on behalf of profit-hungry multinationals? Surprisingly not – Exelon is the largest operator of nuclear power plants in the US and therefore it’s climate change conscience is a thin veneer covering its prime positioning to profit from further development of the terrifyingly dangerous nuclear industry in the name of environmental sustainability. Draft legislation, "Clean Jobs and American Power Act", in anticipation of Copenhagen, is being rabidly opposed by the US Chamber of Commerce. Even if it manages to pass into law, it "falls far short of the minimum emissions reductions scientists say are necessary" according to Rolf Skar of Greenpeace. Meanwhile, China’s ruling elite are fully committed to surging ahead with their energy-guzzling and worker-exploiting pollution of the planet. Chinese imperialist adventures into Africa have served the purpose of gaining more fossil fuel resources. Obama’s own vague comments at the UN in September about the need to row back on fossil fuel subsidies was greeted with silence by the Chinese President . Chinese dam-building projects and other investment in renewable energy only serve the purpose of assisting the insatiable energy needs of their manufacturing industry and its profits. An eclectic approach that continues to have the burning of fossil fuels at its core will endure in the context of a vicious regime that has recently overtaken the US in terms of carbon emissions, intent on assisting its corporations’ profitmargins.

Socialist planning needed The need for socialist planning of the economy is clear when we assess these bleak prospects. To put it simply, under a system that has to put the shortterm drive for profit first and that has competition between corporations and countries at its heart, what’s necessary in terms of dealing with the unprecedented crisis of climate change will never be carried out. The fact that the economic crisis has resulted in a slowing of production and therefore emissions internationally, due to the shameful waste that is mass unemployment, is little consolation. The idea that in this recessionary dog-eat-dog period in history, that serious investment in renewable energy will occur is preposterous. We urgently need an economy under which its key aspects are democratically owned, controlled and managed by working people. Socialist planning of the economy internationally would mean an unprecedented public investment in research into renewable energy, as opposed to the best scientists competing on behalf of different corporations to develop new ways of making profits. It would mean a major plan to put people back to work to develop such renewable energy, public transport etc. The wealth and technology that exist in the world could be harnessed under socialist planning internationally, in order to provide for the needs of people and the environment, guarding the future of humanity in the process.

feature

AMA'S NABLE WAR

G20 leaders no solutions to climate crisis

October 2009

THE SOCIALIST

Get active today to stop fees in 2010 E

VERY FIRST year student in the country has now signed a disclaimer signalling that they’re liable for fees in September 2010. The government’s intention is clear – saddle students with up to €20,000 in debts from September next year. The gloves are off in the fight to stop fees. To push this rotten government back, we need to build a mass movement that links students, school students, education workers and workers generally to stop fees and demand public investment in education. In order to build such a

NAMA

movement, first year students in particular need to get active. With one year to fight fees, we urgently need to build strong anti-fees groups on campuses throughout the country that can organise such a movement. The FEE (Free Education for Everyone) anti-fees campaign is already actively recruiting new students in UCD, UCC, NUIM, NUIG, DIT and others. FEE has already begun anti-fees actions and protests.

By Conor Payne

Contact your local FEE group to get involved – your future is in your hands so get active to stop fees today!

Robbing young people of a future

By James McCabe, Dublin Socialist Youth

In a debate on TV3’s “Tonight with Vincent Browne”, former CEO of Bank of Ireland Mike Snoden, defended the NAMA project and argued in favour of cuts to child benefit, adding the despicable remark that “society should not have to carry the burden of lone parents…… who choose that lifestyle”. Young people and generations to

Rock Against Racism A FANTASTIC night was held at the Rock Against Racism gig at Auntie Annies on 30 September in Belfast. All proceeds went to Youth Against Racism.

Gordon Brown attacks teenage mothers

OUNG PEOPLE must fight the NAMA bailout for the bankers and property developers. Why should we take over toxic loans of the super rich? 89% of the loan book of Anglo Irish Bank - the biggest participant in NAMA- is related to the property and construction sectors. So the government’s argument that NAMA is necessary so that the banks can “get back” to lending to small businesses is a lie, pure and simple. The fact that we are now being told we need to pay €54 billion for these loans is mindboggling when you consider that the cervical cancer vaccination programme for young women was shelved last year in order to save a mere €10 million. Eighty women die every year from cervical cancer in Ireland. Young people will be paying for the gigantic NAMA bailout via countless billions’ worth of cutbacks, not only in the upcoming budget, but for their foreseeable future.

CWI members arrested for opposing veil ban

come should not have to carry the burden of the greed of the likes of Snoden, Sean Quinn and co! Join with Socialist Youth in building a campaign to resist a scheme which will create nothing for us but long-term unemployment and mass emigration, while protecting the interests of a tiny but obscenely rich elite.

RITAIN’S ECONOMIC crisis 2009 – nearly one million under 25s unemployed, bailouts for bankers, politicians’ expenses scandals – who should anger be directed towards? Teenage mothers apparently! In a pathetic and despicable attempt to shore up some support as workers, young people and the unemployed rightly direct their anger towards his rotten New Labour government, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown during a major public address launched an unprecedented attack on teenage mothers. “For it cannot be right for a girl of 16 to get pregnant, (to) be given the keys to a council flat and (to) be left on her own.” In the wake of an MPs expenses scandal in which one gem of an MP actually claimed back money he put in a basket during a church collection, young people know who the real scroungers are! Frighteningly, Brown actually argued that teenagers who get pregnant should be put in homes. There couldn’t be a better time for young people to unite and fight against this and all threats to their rights and future.

N EARLY September eight young people were arrested in Antwerp, Belgium for their involvement in a protest against a school’s introduction of a ban on the wearing of the Muslim veil. They included members of the LSP, the Belgian section of the CWI who were assisting the protesting students. Banning the veil will do nothing to help Muslim women and has nothing to do with promoting genuine secularism. Bans of this type are fundamentally repressive and anti-democratic and heighten ethnic and religious polarisation. While some women wear the veil voluntarily and as an expression of identity, attempts to force Muslim women to wear the veil must also be opposed. Legal bans will serve only to push Muslim women towards Islam and wearing the hijab in protest. All this takes place in a context where the far-right Vlaams Belang are scapegoating the Muslim community and immigrants generally for the problems of unemployment and lack of public services. This issue has already come up in Ireland with Labour Party TD Ruairi Quinn arguing that the wearing of the hijab in schools is not appropriate in a country that is “Christian and secular” - whatever that means! It is likely in the context of the economic crisis that more such divisive calls will be made. Socialists must oppose such authoritarian measures and respond with our alternative of a properly funded, public, secular education system where freedom of expression and a decent education for all are guaranteed. (The CWI is the Committee for a Workers’ International to which the Socialist Party is affiliated.)

Education cuts expose smart economy lie By Cian McCleod

CCORDING TO the government, Ireland’s economic future lies in a “smart-green economy” and the key to this is constructing a “smart” future. But the Cabinet’s actions have been contrary to this. A catalogue of savage cuts in education has been imposed upon Ireland’s second level students. These cuts have included the slashing of second level teaching posts and the sickening axing of Special Needs Assistants. At a recent ASTI meeting, 37% of schools represented were forced to drop at least one subject off their programme. The subjects worst affected were those deemed

fundamental to developing a “smart economy”, such as physics, chemistry, accounting, applied maths, etc. A staggering 10% of schools have dropped the Transition Year Programme, and essential school completion programmes. Across 28 OECD countries, only the Slovak Republic invests less of a proportion of GDP in education than does Ireland. With €746 million worth of cuts in education recommended in the Bord Snip Nua report, the situation is only going to get worse. With our future at stake, a campaign of mass action by school students, such as the recent school student strikes in Germany that forced the government back, is needed.

October 2009

THE SOCIALIST

By Stephen Rigney

The banner reads: No to the Surveillance state. For freedom and Socialism

this is largely due to the fact that the SPD has been in government for a longer period of time and because it is a nominally a social democratic party, it faced particular anger from German workers. Still, the CDU's combined vote with their Bavarian ally, the CSU has fallen by nearly 12% from 16,631,000 to 14,655,000, though as a result of the fall in turnout, that collapse is not entirely reflected in the seats lost by the CDU. The hammering that the government parties have taken is a clear response by workers that they are opposed to any attempts to make them pay for this crisis. While the government pumps billions into the banking system to bailout the speculators who fuelled this economic crash, unemployment sits at 7.5% and is on the rise though this doesn't reveal the true state of affairs. In a cynical attempt to save their own skins, the government reached a rotten deal with the employers’ groups to postpone mass redundancies until the elections were over. The coming months could see an explosion in unemployment and a corresponding response by the massive German working class. By postponing the

redundancies, the establishment have not alleviated any of the growing tension but have in fact, allowed it to fester underneath the surface. This will have huge consequences for the new coalition and open up huge potential for the redevelopment of a socialist alternative in society. Despite the fact that the CDU’s new coalition partner, the FDP made the most significant gains in the election, jumping from 9.8% to 14.6%, their support for free-market policies will soon begin to grate with working class people. By focusing on calls for cuts in income tax, they were able to win over a section of CDU voters who are obviously beginning to feel the pinch in their pockets as the recession takes its toll on jobs and pay levels. But as the coalition is

forced into making vicious cuts in public services in order to balance the books, the FDP, who are in complete support of neo-liberal policies such as the dismemberment of the welfare state and privatisation of services such as healthcare and education, will quickly see their gains undermined. After only standing in its second national election, the Left Party increased its share of the vote by over one third and now stand at 11.9%. This is an extremely significant development. The ability of t h e Left

USA - No change for the 25 million unemployed By Peter Kinsella

ment rate would be around 16%. Most shocking are the prospects facing a generation of young people, 1.6 million teenagers aged between 16 and 19 who are looking for work cannot find it. This is the

www.socialistworld.net

million workers who want and need full time work but can only get part time jobs. If the figures included part time workers and those who have become discouraged then the actual unemploy-

the Economic Policy Institute, amounts to all the jobs that were actually created during the boom. Not since the great depression has there been such a destruction of jobs. More and more analysts, while still playing up talk of some recovery, are admitting that any upturn will be relatively jobless. In 2008 tens of millions of workers, unemployed and young people voted for change as they believed the rhetoric of Obama. This promise of change is proving to be a myth as its day passes. While unemployment skyrockets and two million people are thrown out of their homes this year alone, the bankers are going about business as usual. Goldman Sachs handed out bonuses totaling $1 billion to 200 top executives. No change there.

cwi@worldsoc.co.uk

N ASTOUNDING 25 million people are currently unemployed in the United States. This news flies in the face of claims about recovery and green shoots. In the last four months alone 1,270,000 jobs were wiped out. Official figures put unemployment at 9.7% but this grossly understates this situation because it does not include those workers who have been looking for work but have become so demoralized with the prospects that they have given up looking. In July alone 400,000 people who had previously been seeking employment gave up hope and are therefore no longer included in official unemployment statistics. The figure also ignores the nine

highest figure recorded since the US government began taking official records in 1948. Up to one half of all graduates, who have pilled up massive debts to get through college, are now working in jobs that do not require a degree. The whole story is not told by unemployment figures alone. Bosses are finding other ways to squeeze more profits out of their workforce using the fear of unemployment to blackmail workers in to accepting cuts in wages and benefits as well as forcing them to work harder. In the 2nd quarter of this year productivity was up by 6.4% while labour costs were down by 5.9%. The recession has wreaked havoc across the United States now for over 20 months. In that time nearly seven million jobs have been wiped out which, according to

COMMITTEE FOR A WORKERS’ INTERNATIONAL

ESPITE CLAIMS by the media that Europe is shifting to the right, the success of the Left Party in Germany's recent general election is a clear sign that where a left alternative exists, outright swings to a right-wing alternative can be undermined. While the current right-wing government will be replaced by another right-wing coalition in the form of the Christian Democrats (CDU/CSU) and Free Democratic Party (FDP), emerging industrial and workplace battles make this an unstable coalition from the beginning. Overall, the election results are a reflection of the growing anger amongst German workers against the Christian Democrat / Social Democrat (SPD) “grand coalition” government and a sign of the increasing disillusionment with any of the establishment parties to offer an alternative to the current crisis. Turnout dropped to 70.8% down from 77.7% in 2005 which was formerly the lowest turnout in a national election since the end of the Second World War. The SPD suffered a significant drop in its support, now holding only 23% of the vote, down from over 34% after its re-election in 2005. For the first time in 11 years, the SPD will be out of government, seeing its voting share more than halve, from over 20 million to 9.9 million since 1998. This a significant development, considering that the SPD was formerly a mass workers' party but like many of its sister parties throughout Europe (like the Labour Party in Britain), it has introduced some of the most vicious neo-liberal attacks and cutbacks in Germany, as well as being an ongoing supporter of the brutal war in Afghanistan. Its coalition partner, the CDU did not suffer as much of a defeat but

Party to win over nearly 800,000 former SPD supporters is an example that even a relatively new party can win over layers of workers, despite its limited left programme. Nonetheless, over 1.5m SPD voters abstained this time and significant debate within the ranks of the Left Party is absolutely necessary to discuss how the Party can advance a socialist programme that can win over further layers of working class people who are rejecting the rightwing policies of the establishment parties. Despite running a much more focused campaign in this election, the Left Party is still somewhat tarnished by its involvement in regional governments responsible for cutbacks and privatisations. As the fourth largest group in the German parliament and one of the largest parties in some regions, there is a danger that the leadership of the party will attempt to cosy up to the now “oppositionist” SPD, either as an opposition group or by entering coalitions in regional governments. In recent times, they've already attempted to soften their position calling for the immediate withdrawal of troops from Aghanistan instead calling for discussions with its occupation “partners” over an eventual withdrawal. This is no different to the phraseology put forward by the SPD, or US imperialism for that matter! Genuine activists must fight for the party to maintain its programme and demand that the Left Party does not enter into coalition with any right-wing party and oppose any attempt to introduce cutbacks. By offering a clear, fighting programme, the Left Party has the potential to win over layers of workers and young people to the ideas of socialism and to offer a clear alternative to the chaos and brutality of capitalism.

international

Merkel re-elected as Left Party gains

October 2009

news north

THE SOCIALIST

NO to water charges Prepare for non-payment in 2012 By Pat Lawlor ater charges are set to be imposed on every household in 2012. It is estimated the charges will be in the region of £369 a year - another hit which working class and middle class families cannot afford to take. Throughout September, the Assembly politicians openly spoke of the need to impose water charges. Finance Minister Sammy Wilson has repeatedly warned that “hard decisions need to be made”, such as the introduction of water charges. Regional Development Minister Conor Murphy followed this, saying he could not rule out the introduction of water charges. The arguments the politicians have given for water charges have been cynical in the extreme. They are attempting to blackmail people by threatening that unless water charges are introduced, they will be forced to carry out cuts to public services such as closing schools and hospitals. This is economic nonsense. Water charging has nothing to do with the financing of schools and hospitals and other public services. We already pay for water through our rates, which are due to rise in the coming years. The reason for the financial black hole in the Executive’s budget is politicians’ incompetence. The cuts are taking place with or without water charges. The Executive has been forced to defer water charges until 2012. They hope that they can fudge the question of introducing water charges in the upcoming general election and the Assembly and

local elections in 2011. Their intention is to introduce water charges after these elections in the hope that they will avoid being punished in the ballot box. But people are not stupid. Most people can see that the Executive parties are preparing to introduce the tap tax. Even the UUP and SDLP, whose representatives have recently stated they are opposed to water charges, cannot escape the fact that they originally agreed the introduction of water charges in the first Assembly in 2002. They cannot be trusted. That is why it is important that the ground is prepared for people to resist water charges over the next two years. The We Won’t Pay Campaign needs to be built in every town and city across the North between now and April 2012. Socialist opposition needed There is no party in the Assembly which opposes water charges. There is a major vacuum in political representation for working class people. The Socialist Party has consistently opposed water charges and has been the only party to support and build the We Won’t Pay Campaign. The tactic of mass non-payment of water charges, which has won big support, has forced water charges to be deferred for seven years - saving every household thousands of pounds. This demonstrates the potential of a united cross community working class alternative to the right-wing sectarian parties carrying out cuts and water charges. A socialist opposition which stands up for working class people must be built to challenge the sectarian parties in the upcoming elections and represent a genuine opposition to water charges.

Kick the BNP out! Shut down BNP ‘call centre’ By Patrick Leathem-Flynn HE BNP is operating from a secret office in Dundonald in Belfast. Located at a business park this ‘call-centre’, as they describe it, is used to recruit people. They also use it to distribute their far-right propaganda and spout their racist rhetoric around the UK. The BNP has recently made an electoral breakthrough by winning two seats in the recent European elections in England. In recent years it has relied on far-right populism and has tried to disguise its fascist past. It would be a mistake to confuse the protest vote the BNP is receiving (as a result of the lack of a genuine mass socialist alternative) with a shift to support for fascism. But it would also be a mistake not to recognise that the BNP have been strengthened by these electoral victories.

A threat to workers At the BNP’s ‘Red, White and Blue’ festival in Codnor, Derbyshire during 14 – 16 August, they played 1930’s Nazi marching songs and gave Nazi salutes. Their presence

dangerously legitimises far-right lunatics like the Burnley 2 who met at BNP meetings and were convicted in 2007 of stockpiling bombmaking equipment to prepare for a ‘race war’. One half of the Burnley 2, Robert Cottage, stood three times as a BNP candidate. The BNP sometimes claims to be campaigning for the interests of the working class. This is a lie. Last year, they proposed over £1 million in job cuts in Kirklees council in Yorkshire. They also campaign for the introduction of ‘workfare not welfare’ which means forcing the unemployed (who are now increasing at an alarming rate) into dead-end jobs in order to receive benefits – in other words slave labour! As if it is not difficult enough to survive on what scarce benefits are available, the BNP wants the unemployed to feel like criminals too. In contrast to the BNP rhetoric against political corruption, six out of 12 of their councillors in Barking turned up to less than half of the meetings they were supposed to attend and still they claimed over £60,000 between them. Where the BNP grow, it also leads to an increase in racist attacks. They deliberately try to

whip up divisions between working class people. This only plays into the hands of the bosses and government. It is clear that the BNP should be opposed at every turn. They are anti-working class and despite their glossy ‘respectable’ veneer they are closely linked to neo-nazi thugs and fascists. This cannot be ignored.

Unions must act There is an onus on the trade union movement to campaign together with genuine community groups against the BNP using Belfast as a hub to organise their recruitment and distribute their racist propaganda. The BNP should be kicked out of Northern Ireland. The BNP must also be challenged politically. Because there is no mass fighting political opposition on offer in Westminster and the Assembly, the BNP can grow if there is no alternative. It is not enough to simply say “Don’t vote BNP”. The trade unions should stop propping up New Labour and the sectarian parties in the Assembly and support the formation of a new socialist working class party which can unite people to stop cuts and job losses.

Postal workers vote for strike action 20,000 postal workers throughout Britain and Northern Ireland have been balloted for strike action. Gabriel McCurry, Chair of the Communication Workers Union (CWU) NI Combined Branch spoke to GARY MULCAHY about the issues behind the ballot. “We have been forced to ballot for national strike action because Royal Mail management have breached an agreement reached in 2007 on pay and modernisation by imposing changes in shifts, driving up workloads, slashing jobs and refusing to negotiate any changes. “We have lost 40,000 jobs in the last two years due to voluntary redundancies and dismissals, but not a single one of these 40,000 jobs has been replaced. That’s meant postal workers have seen a huge increase in workload. “Management though say we are still not working hard enough. They’ve imposed a pay freeze, despite the latest financial results showing £321million annual profit. They’ve also told us we won’t receive any further benefits for further changes. The CWU rejects this Royal Mail managements vision of

future of an overworked, underpaid workforce, with no say on what goes on and an industrial strategy of managed decline “The CWU is calling for an immediate halt to the imposed changes without agreement. We are demanding real negotiations leading to a new comprehensive agreement covering all aspects of modernisation across our industry. “We are fighting for a shorter working week and an increase in our basic pay. Our members have worked hard to create Royal Mails profits and should receive a fair share of the company’s success. “The CWU believes a positive future can be agreed with Royal Mail in relation to modernisation and a successful company, but that can only be achieved by negotiation, mutual respect and agreement.”

October 2009

THE SOCIALIST

MICHAEL O’BRIEN spoke to Eric O’Neill, a steel fixer of 20 years experience who has suffered first-hand the race to the bottom in Limerick. The employer Coffey’s has been underpaying craft workers and let Eric going when he raised questions and objections.

By Eddie McCabe TRIKING DOCKERS at Marine Terminals Ltd (MTL) will mark their 100th day on strike this month. The defiant dockers have been in a fierce dispute with this ruthless company, whose drive for profits is matched only by its appetite for union-busting, over attempts to introduce forced redundancies and cuts in pay and working conditions. Deutsche Bank owns a 49% stake in the company. When Basil Geoghegan, MD of Deutsche Bank London was a guest at the Global Irish Economic Forum in September, he was stunned to be greeted by 50 chanting strikers and supporters with placards as he arrived to be wined and dined by the Tánaiste. Dunnes Stores in Stephens Green, which receives scab-handled goods, was also targeted by the strikers. The port workers intend to expose any company with links to MTL and highlight their connections with this anti-union

company. International solidarity has been given from around the world. Dockers from Belfast came to a demonstration in support of the strikers. Rotterdam port workers are working to rule and Australian and American dockers visited the picket line to support the MTL strikers. This tremendous support needs to be strengthened and used to put real pressure on MTL.

This creativity and determination in the face of vicious attacks by MTL, backed up by the state with court injunctions against effective picketing, puts the meagre efforts of SIPTU and ICTU to shame. After the recent failure of MTL to get an injunction against the strikers for calling the strike breakers scabs, the union and congress should escalate the dispute.

By mass picketing in defiance of injunctions and withdrawing union labour they have the power to shut the port down. All cargo that leaves the port should be blackened and solidarity action by other unionised workers at the port, particularly the pilots would increase the pressure further. Only by hitting MTL’s profits in this way can these spirited strikers win.

Boycott Coca Cola – kick out the scabs! By Fiona O’Loughlin ORKERS FROM Coca Cola HBC based at Dublin, Cork, Tipperary and Tuam are now on strike since the 27 August. The workers who are represented by SIPTU are defending 130 jobs in the distribution section. The company want to outsource their jobs at far inferior working conditions and a wage cut of up to 70%. The strikers are defending their jobs and conditions won over many years. Coca Cola is the most recognised brand name in the world, in Ireland it is the top selling brand in the country. It is making massive profits in spite of

the world recession. The only reason for Coca Cola is making these redundancies is corporate greed, in an effort to boost its profits even more at the expense of its workforce and their families. On Wednesday August in a disgraceful act by Coca Cola management, workers based in distribution were sacked. Their P45’s and cheques for statutory redundancies where hand delivered by Coca Cola to their homes. The majority of these workers have more than 30 years service to Coca Cola in Ireland and one man has 42 years service. On 21 August the Labour Court ruled that there should be negotiations on the jobs based at Ballycoolin in Dublin and that the redundancy deal that was in place previously should be adhered to. Coca Cola have refused to abide by the Labour Court ruling. SIPTU must move immediately to stop the distribution of Coca Cola products. Trade unionists should be called on by their unions

not to handle Coca Cola products in shops, pubs and clubs. Workers at wholesalers such as Musgraves and in big supermarkets chains like Tesco and Dunnes should be given assurances by SIPTU, MANDATE and ICTU that if they black Coca Cola products then they will receive the full backing of the trade union movement to protect them from any attempts by their employers to victimise them. SIPTU has gone through all of the industrial relations procedures and still the company has not budged. Mass solidarity pickets of hundreds of trade unionists should be organised to stop the three companies who are scabbing on this strike: Keily’s distribution, Liam Carroll and Brian Daly Transport. SIPTU and ICTU should put their full weight behind this battle which should include a major publicity campaign with adverts in the national press calling on working class people to boycott Coca Cola products.

NAMA for shareholders pay cuts for staff! By Oisín Kelly, IBOA member (personal capacity) FURTHER day of strike action in New Ireland/Bank of Ireland Life due on 30 September was deferred pending clarifications from the Labour Court. The dispute centres on BoI’s refusal to pay agreed incentive based pay. This has resulted in an effective 12% pay cut for workers in New Ireland and BoI Life. The majority are low paid and earns

less than €30,000 per year. BoI have paid workers in other parts of the BoI group but are determined not to pay workers in New Ireland/BoI Life as a message to others. Bank of Ireland is to receive €16 billion from the tax payers in return for the toxic debts they racked up over the Celtic Tiger years. After the NAMA announcement BoI shares rose a massive 18%! The government has already ploughed €3.5 billion into this bank to capitalise it. They have not ruled

out putting even more of our money into the banks in the next few months. Despite these generous bailouts, BoI and the other banks are determined to attack the pay and conditions of their workers. Across the financial sector senior managers are looking towards a post-NAMA future. After getting the tax payers to take their toxic debts, they will now turn the axe to their own staff. Workers face a potential jobs massacre in mergers and acquisitions by vulture capitalists

that see a NAMA as a golden opportunity to swoop. Already this year Ulster Bank announced 1,000 lay-offs and a serious assault on its pension plan. The New Ireland/BoI Life dispute is very important for all workers in finance. A victory will send out a message that making lowpaid workers pay for the economic disaster the senior bankers created will not be tolerated. The unions now need to fight to defend all jobs, pay and pensions in the finance sector.

“They employed me and 14 others on a job in Herbert’s pub, Limerick which by my reckoning would have taken 12 weeks to complete. “On day two of me being on site I was handed a contract of employment and as soon as I started reading it alarm bells started ringing. I was being on paper being downgraded to a general operative whereas the job is skilled “I spoke to other lads on site and found out the same regime covered most people. “I approached my foreman John O Donohue and told him I was an experienced steel fixer and had run half the jobs in town. His answer was everybody started on €14.95 an hour and he would have a look into it. Carpenters nearby laughed and told me they were getting the same story for the past nine weeks. “Not only were Coffey’s [the employer] fiddling rates they were also doing us for our overtime by paying flat time for all the hours we worked and changing the payslip to make it look like they were paying time and a half for overtime. “On the second week of my employment John O Donohue told us that we were to be laid off on Friday. He said Coffey’s were expecting a cheque for €10 million and all they got €3 million so they were laying off all workers. I worked out the rest of the week and on Friday about 11.30am I was handed a letter of cessation of employment. “I had big difficulties getting the payslips and a meeting with the union was organised at one point. “I drove down to the site to see if the job was still at a standstill. I got out of the jeep and took a few photos with my phone because Coffey’s denied there was any slowdown with work or any dispute over money or that men were being laid off except as for natural wastage with the job coming to a close. Why then was there six men taken on the week I was and eight the week before. John O Donohue pulled in behind me and asked what was I doing. A picture tells a thousand words I replied and that he should be ashamed with the goings on that job, his reply was no one forced ye in the gate, this tells us a lot about Coffey’s and their management team. “A National Employment Rights (NERA) case based on evidence from me is now pending.”

workplace news

Dublin’s defiant dockers battle on

Limerick construction boss uses recession to slash pay

WHAT WE STAND FOR Workers’ rights

PAPER OF THE SOCIALIST PARTY

ISSUE 48

OCTOBER 2009

g n u o y e v i f One in e l o d e h t n people o

n A guaranteed right to a job or training with decent wages and full workers’ rights. n For a minimum wage of €12 an hour tax free with no exemptions. n For a 35 hour week without loss of pay. n For a decent social welfare payment, linked to average earnings. n Free childcare for all.

Reclaim the trade unions n For democratic trade unions to fight in the interests of their members on pay, conditions and job security. n Full time union officials should be regularly elected and receive the average wage of those they represent. n Scrap the anti-union laws. An end to "social partnership".

Health n For a free public national health service. No to private health care.

Education n Free, quality education for all from primary to university, with a living grant.

Housing

FIGHT FOR JOBS! By Ann Katrin Orr HERE ARE currently nearly 450,000 people on the dole in Ireland. Young people are among those most exposed to this, the most brutal and harsh consequence of the recession. With 60% of all job losses over the past two years having hit under-25s, thousands of young people across Ireland are experiencing the reality of the failing capitalist system as they are forced to join evergrowing dole queues. Youth unemployment is now at a staggering 19.5%, some even say it is as high as 21%. This means that nearly every fifth person under 25 in Ireland is unable to get work and is facing longterm unemployment. One in three males under 25 is currently unemployed – a shocking statistic which also

illustrates the effect of the collapse in the construction industry. On top of that young people are burdened with mortgages and other loan repayments. These weigh heavy on the shoulders of many who were fed the lies about a “never-failing” property system, which has since come crashing down around us. But while the bankers get NAMA and people like Roddy Molloy, the chief executive of FAS, get a €1 million golden handshake, we get even more job losses, dole and public spending cuts. Particularly hard-hit are those young people facing long-term unemployment due to the collapse of the construction industry. Having left school early in many cases, they are now saddled with mortgages and other loan repayments, while having little prospect of finding a job, as well as the prospect of further government cutbacks and attacks on social welfare.

In addition the social issues related to unemployment have to be highlighted. Mental health problems, including depression, are commonly linked to unemployment. Drug usage is already on the increase and increased crime and violence rates linked to rising unemployment. In a disgraceful move in May, the government slashed dole for the under-20s by 50%, expecting young people to survive on €100 a week. Clearly the political establishment is now gearing up for another round of attacks and the dole is a likely target. Young people shouldn’t let them get away with this. The unemployed need to organise and fight these vicious attacks on their living standards. One by one, safety nets

are being pulled from beneth us as the government attacks social welfare and moves to cut off third level education for thousands of students through the re-introduction of fees. All of this, coupled with the rhetoric of employers lobbying for a cut to the minimum wage, is an indication of a broader agenda to make young people work for pitiful wages. We cannot settle for the future that the establishment is offering us. Their proposal is for us to carry the burden of bailing out the elite who caused this crisis, while sinking deeper into poverty ourselves. The only option young people have is to fight against these attacks and to demand decent jobs and decent wages.

n For a massive public house building programme, funded by central government to eliminate the housing waiting lists.

Privatisation n No to privatisation, public private partnerships and private finance initiatives. n All publicly owned services and companies to be run under democratic working class control.

Equality n An end to discrimination on the grounds of race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, disability and to all forms of prejudice. n For the right to asylum and the scrapping of racist anti-asylum and immigration laws. For the right to work, with full protection, for immigrant workers.

Local Taxation n Scrap the bin charges - no to double taxation in any form. Local authorities to receive proper funding from central government funds.

Waste management n For major investment into a publicly owned recycling service to combat the waste crisis. No to waste incinerators.

International n Oppose the big business dominated European Union. No to the militarisation of Europe and to a European Army. n For solidarity of the European working class. For a socialist Europe. n No to imperialist wars. End the occupation of Iraq. For a socialist Iraq.

Northern Ireland n Build a real peace process based on uniting the working class communities, not on bringing discredited sectarian politicians together. n Joint trade union and community action to counter all forms of sectarianism. n An end to all activity by all paramilitaries, loyalist and republican. Complete demilitarisation.

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Capitalism is the cause of poverty, inequality, environmental destruction and war. We need an international struggle against this system and its effects. The working class can build a socialist world in which the resources of the planet are used to satisfy the needs of the mass of the people not the thirst for profit of a tiny minority of super rich. n Take all major industry, banks and financial institutions into public ownership and place them under the democratic control and management of working class people. n For the working class to democratically plan the economy to provide for the needs of all, and to protect our environment. n For the building of a mass political party capable of uniting the working class in the struggle for socialism in Ireland. n For a socialist Ireland as part of a free and voluntary socialist federation of England and Wales, Scotland and Ireland.