Workers Solidarity Movement

Dear Sir,

In the … brazenly condescending column ‘That’s Capitalism’ (WS114) I read a very short but very puzzling piece on Aidan Heavey (Founder and CEO of Tullow Oil). You feel it newsworthy to mention that his total remuneration for the year amounted to €25,962,983. By the general theme of your paper and this column in particular I can derive a clear negative slant on any business issues you report on.

The WSM now has its own monthly radio show on Dublin’s Near FM. Radio Solidarity is broadcast on the first Tuesday of every month on at 15.30hrs and is also available online. We caught up with one of the show’s producers, Dermot Sreenan.

WS: How did Radio Solidarity Come About?

Does the system we live under, capitalism, offer enough scope for achieving lasting solutions to all the problems it causes?  Of course, some improvements are made and some problems are alleviated.  Yet new kinds of problem also arise in a society which is changing rapidly, constantly seeking new ways to make a profit.

In Greece there are more people with a class consciousness that in other parts of Europe. But still is not that significant a percentage of the population in order to have a massive change. The trade unions, the majority of them, are affiliated to the big parties, Conservative and Socialist, except for PAME that is affiliated to the Communist Party. The problem with them is that even though they hold 10% of the electorate they do not bring fresh ideas. The anarchists marched only in detached blocks, there was a bit of vanguardism, but now they are starting to march with their unions and with their social organisations what is a positive development.

If you want to see a full chronological list of articles the WSM published use the All Articles view.  Not everything made it online, in particualr from the pre-internet period but we did get even a lot of that content onto this site.

If you are looking for articles on specific topics the Categories listing to the left will be useful.  For articles from particular Regions use the Regions listing just below this.

We also have a  very comprehensive listing of articles by Subject but unfortuantly not every article on that subject will apppear there as its dependent on the correct tags having being added.

Around a thousand people marched through Dublin tonight to protest against the bail out of the banks. When the march reached the gates of the Dail a group went through the gates where they were attacked by Gardai with batons.

 The failure of Obama to live up to expectations can be disempowering to many on the Left, even those who understand the limitations of the current political system and how it truly serves only a wealthy elite. We must fight against this tendency with all of our might. Now more than ever, those who are committed to a just society must put forth a viable alternative to the present system, both through words and deeds.Obama’s charisma and oratory was all too achingly reminiscent of fallen civil rights leaders, playing on people’s longing for a time free of today’s suffocating cynicism, when change seemed not only possible, but tangible.

• In 2009, “11% of employers visited by welfare officials were not compliant with their PRSI commitments”, according to the Department of Social and Family Affairs.  In plain English this means that they never paid PRSI to the government, as they are obliged to do. When workers steal, it’s ‘theft’, when bosses do the same, it’s ‘non-compliance’.


This show is produced by the Workers Solidarity Movement.   The Aim of this show is to cover a range of issues and struggles that don’t get covered in the media.

We do not pretend to be unbiased.  We actively engage in politics and struggles to bring about change in society.  We hope to cover some of the issues which we think are live at the moment in Irish society.  We engage in those struggles and talk to others who are actively attempting to bring about change.