Workers Solidarity Movement

This week as it was revealed in the Irish Times that 20 months after entering into a legal agreement with local fishermen Shell has still not submitted an application as required to the Environmental Protection Agency to review the emissions licence for the experimental gas pipeline it is imposing on the people of Erris. Yet this week 27 Shell to Sea campaigners are being prosecuted on behalf of Shell in the local courts and today one of them received three five month sentences.
Pic: Many of the 27 at a previous court appearance, in the front row Niall is far right, Pat is in the middle and Maura is on the far left

It was announced today that the NAMA board members received a huge pay hike with the board's chair receiving a 70% pay increase. This is in stark contract to the two successive wage cuts of between 14% - 18% of income for all public sector workers.We've consistently heard the idea that we "all need to pull together" to get out of this recession, and that painful cuts are necessary. This however has shown itself to be little more than a slogan.

More than 150,000 people took to the streets of Athens against the austerity measures in a mass protest marches that have led to extended battles in the greek capital.

The ruling class strategy of making working people pay for the crisis has seen public and private sector pay cuts, job losses, welfare reductions and slashing of important services like special needs assistants for children with physical and mental problems. Coming soon, if Cowan and Gormley have their way, is the return of a domestic water tax.

An Inquiry by the Garda Ombudsman's office into the death of Terence Wheelock in September 2005 has cleared the Gardai of wrongdoing. Terence Wheelock was taken to hospital from a cell in Store Street Garda barracks in June of 2005 he never regained conciousness and died on September 16th 2005.

Over the weekend of February 5th the Workers Solidarity Movement sent delegates to Paris for a conference of European groups involved in Anarkismo.net. This multi-lingual news and analysis website is supported by 31 organisations around the world.

Tullow Oil chief executive, Aidan Heavey, took home a total pay package of €25,962,983 last year.

Cork has a tradition of being open to alternative ideas, a tradition reflected in our name as 'the rebels' and in the history of Barracka Books and other radical bookshops which have popped up in the city over the years. Solidarity Books, though, is the first of its kind to be set up and organised by Cork anarchists.

The week before last Erris fisherman Pat O'Donnell was jailed for seven months for his part in the communities ongoing resistance to Shell's attempt to impose an experimental gas pipeline on them. Across the country local Shell to Sea groups have been holding solidarity protests and other events for Pat. In Dublin this has included two protests and a public meeting in UCD. Meanwhile Shell have been forced to admit a temporary defeat in the face of local opposition and call off the construction they have planned for Glengad this year.

Over 50 Shell to Sea campaigners gathered at the Shell head quarters in Leeson street Dublin Tuesday evening to protest at the jailing of 52 year old Erris fisherman Pat O'Donnell for resisting Shell's experimental gas pipeline. Pat received a seven month sentence which has the added benefit for Shell of taking his boat off of Broadhaven Bay for the period they need to carry out major underwater construction work and repairs. Pat has twice previously been arrested and held without charge when Shell has needed to carry out work in the bay.