Workers Solidarity Movement

A battle is brewing between IMPACT cabin crew members and the management of Aer Lingus.  The cabin crew began a work-to-rule action yesterday against changes to rosters by the management which they see as going beyond what the “Greenfield” cost-saving plan had proposed. The IMPACT members will work on the old rosters, will not work on rest days, and will take all breaks and meals due to them. They will also decline to work the Washington/Madrid route. This route is voluntarily undertaken by cabin crew based in Ireland under Irish working conditions.

A couple of hundred people took part in the 1% Network's tour of the Golden Circle in Dublin 2 and 4 on Saturday. The tour visited the townhouses of Dermot Desmond, Johnny Ronan & Tony O'Reilly as well as the HQ of IBEC, the new Anglo Irish Bank HQ, the HQ of Treasury Holdings and some of the the private banks and clubs in the area.

Video from the tour is also online

On three occasions in the last 6 weeks, over 3 million have marched against the government’s pension reforms in France, which are opposed by 70% of the population. The government, however, is determined to impose the changes. If we are to defeat the government and the architects behind these reforms, we will have to engage in real strike action. As the law is about to be passed in the Senate, renewed industrial action must be considered in all professional sectors. The renewal of the strike after October 12 is on the agenda in many areas: the railways, urban transport, chemical industries, ports, EDF, local authorities, education, culture and many more.

Leo Varadkar TD an influential Fine Gael politician has called for the implementation of the entire McCarthy report in the coming budget, the introduction of a water tax and the expanding the tax net to take money from low paid workers.

“There is a huge political choice facing every one of us…The wealth division in Ireland is obscene.  It must be brought to an end.” – Gregor Kerr, WSM spokesperson Anarchist organisation Workers Solidarity Movement (WSM) will participate in the 1% Network Walking Tour taking place on Saturday (9^th October), leaving St. Stephens Green at 1p.m.

The 1% Network has announced final details of the “Political Walking Tour through the Heartland of the Golden Circle” and has invited “anyone who cares about finding a just solution to the economic crisis” to “come and see how the 1% live.” The tour will set off from the Wolfe Tone monument, St. Stephens Green on Saturday next, 9^th October, at 1p.m. and will take a route through Dublin 2 and 4 which, according to the 1% Network “are littered with the landmarks of power and wealth of the 1%”.

The 1% Network has released a video promoting Saturdays tour of the mansions, private banks and clubs of the wealthy 1% in Dublin 2 and 4.

Anglo Irish Bank Boss, Alan Dukes, called for the immediate imposition of a Water Tax on every household in the country, in an RTE interview at the weekend. Dukes enjoys a TDs pension of €45,500, a ministerial pension of €55,000 on top of his undisclosed salary of over €100,000 as bank boss. When asked recently would he give up these pensions in the countrys' interest as he has a extremely well paid job, he answered no.

Yesterday morning when news of the cement truck blocking the Dail gates broke politicians and possibly Gardai spun the story to make it sound as if this one man protest was a lot more dangerous then the reality. We were told Gardai had to jump out of the way of the truck and that it crashed into the gates. Now mobile phone footage showing the entire incident reveals that the truth was not being told about this one man protest by a minor developer.

Last night in Dublin former US president Bill Clinton told an invited gathering of 575 of the richest 1% of Ireland's population that they were the greatest problem facing the world. They paid over 2500 a head to hear this as they chomped down on "Atlantic salmon, Connemara lamb and lemon posset, washed down with Chablis Domaine de la Mandeliere 2007 and Chateau Les Roches Gaby 2001."