Workers Solidarity Movement

Teachers from Dublin DEIS schools have welcomed the publication by the Department of Education & Skills and the Educational Research Centre of a report which shows that “…the DEIS programme is having a positive effect on tackling educational disadvantage…” and that “…improvement is taking place in the learning achievements of pupils in DEIS primary schools…”

Press Statement from Dublin INTO Districts

Quinn ‘Review’ not enough – Complete Reversal of DEIS Cuts Needed

Thousands of parents and teachers from disadvantaged schools to protest at Department of Education and Skills against staffing cuts

Campaigners against staffing cuts to DEIS schools have said that the Review ordered by Minister Quinn is a move in the right direction but not enough and that the cuts must be completely reversed.  Teachers and parents from Dublin DEIS schools have announced that they are to continue with their plans for a major protest outside the Department of Education and Skills, Marlborough St., Dublin1 on Thursday 19^th January from 3:30p.m.

Over Christmas I found myself at home babysitting my niece while my "better half B" had to go to work. Around 3.00 o'clock B rang me in pain that was so intense I could not make out what she was trying to tell me. After a few attempts it turned out that she had pain in her lower belly and she was on her way to the GP. 
 

Singer songwriter Christy Moore dropped into Occupy Dame Street in Dublin last night to sing and send grettings to all the Occupy camps in the major cities of Ireland,  at Cork, Limerick, Belfast, Waterford, Kerry, Athlone, Galway and the over 2000 Occupy camps world wide.  In the video Christy refers to being in the 'Yellow Submarine,' thats the wooden structure built to serve as a kitchen for a camp that is waterproofed with heavy yellow plastic.  Christy then sings 'Ride On' before heading off into the night to the applause of the assembled campers.  

(Pic: a still from Dave's video of
Christy Moore at Occupy Dame Street)

Saturday saw the 2nd Spectacle of Defiance & Hope take place in Dublin, just ahead of the budget cuts that are expected to further devastate community organisations & services. The Spectacle describes itself as a "broadly based alliance of community organisations from Dublin and beyond" and also represents an attempt to break from the standard pattern of demonstrations in Dublin to create something more fun, participatory & engaging.

The Spectacle of Defiance and Hope is a broadly based alliance of Community Organisations from Dublin and beyond which is organising a pre-budget protest at Castle Street (off Dame street) from 2pm on Saturday.  They say "Please join us as we take to the streets on the 3rd of December @ 2pm to draw attention to the savage economic injustices that are happening in Ireland. Bring your books of Grievances and Hopes which will state clearly the kind of Ireland we all aspire to live in, this is an Ireland of true equality in the conditions of peoples lives."

There will be a RAG open meeting on Monday, 7.30pm, 5th December. This facilitated discussion will look at the issue of sexism in the workplace. This event will take place in Sin É, on Ormond Quay, in the basement room.

In the region of 2,500 people took part in Saturday's Dublin Council of Trade Unions demonstration in Dublin. Although this made it the biggest anti-austerity demonstration in the city since the massive ICTU demonstration of last year the small number attending was a wake up call for anyone on the left or in the unions who is optimistic about significant resistance to the crisis emerging in the short term.

The WSM will be taking part in the Dublin Councils of Trade Unions Budget demonstration Saturday 26th November.  We plan to meet at 11.30 before the march just south of the Parnell monument for a bloc expressing discontent with the union leadership AND the lack of attempts to build real grassroots organisation and democracy in the unions.  We need a General Stike but we won't get there by demanding ICTU call one, we need to build organisation at the base of every union.  We think it is essential that as many anarchists as possible participate on the day and would also urge other anti-authoritatian organisations & individuals from union, environmental, community & Occupy movements to meet up with us there.  

The call from the DCTU follows.

Join us for the 4th of our conversations about anarchism. Twice a month we are going to have an open discussion about anarchism in the form of a conversation around a set of questions. The idea is to create a space where people interested in finding out about anarchism can have a relaxed conversation with each other. In this session, inspired in part by discussions at Occupy Dame street, we will be looking at what anarchists think about various forms of decison making, everything from electoralism to consensus.