December 2008

People Power! Pensioners show the way

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What we were witnessing was a clear demonstration of people power in action. The government was in a panic and was drastically hurtling to reverse the medical card decision. And when this meeting was followed up 24 hours later with a demonstration of 15,000 organised by the Senior Citizens Parliament and another 15,000-strong student demonstration against the re-introduction of 3rd level fees it was obvious that politics in Ireland had changed drastically.

Students say “Feck Fees”

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On October 22nd, in the biggest show of student strength in many years, over 15,000 third level students marched through the streets of Dublin. They were united in their opposition to the Budget’s 67% College Registration Fee increase and Minister for Education, Batt O’Keefe’s threat to bring back full college fees by September 2009. Last month, he announced that the return of fees would raise €530 million in revenue at a family income threshold of €120,000. To his embarrassment, he later had to admit that these figures were wrong and that in fact the maximum revenue would be only €130 million.

‘Partnership’ as we enter recesssion – A farce and a con

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What a farce! As the economy officially goes into recession, as electricity bills go up by 17.5%, as food bills are officially 6.4% higher than this time last year, the leaders of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions negotiate through the night and emerge bleary-eyed from the ‘social partnership’ talks with 1) a pay pause and 2) pay increases, when we eventually get them, lower than the rate of inflation. And then they have the cheek to tell us that this is “the best deal available in the current economic climate” (1). Lucky for them they’re not on performance-related pay if that’s the best they can do for their members.

Northern Ireland's District Policing Partnerships

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Despite its retention of a heavy arsenal of lethal weapons including Tasers, and a litany of repressive anti-terror legislation including Diplock Courts, Hugh Orde, current Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland often refers to the force as the ‘most democratic, accountable police service in the world’. This from the same Chief Constable who has recently unsuccessfully attempted to block the release of vital documents to the Pearse Jordon Inquest. Pearse, an unarmed IRA volunteer, was gunned down by the RUC on the Falls Road in 1992.

Stormont continues to crumble under its own contradictions!

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The Stormont administration is at a critical juncture, with the Executive not having met in several months. It seems an eternity since Paisley and McGuinness chuckled their way through meetings and joint events.

NI Women sold out by Labour on equal access to abortion

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The hopes of women living in Northern Ireland for the extension of the 1967 Abortion Act were dashed when an amendment to extend the act brought before Westminster on 22nd October was not debated because of a procedural motion put by Harriet Harman, leader of the House of Commons and the Minister for Women and supported by many New Labour ‘feminist’ MPs.

Capitalism is not collapsing

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The financial markets have taken a hammering. Speculators (that’s a rich person’s word for ‘gambler’) lost incredible sums of borrowed cash in bets on everything from mortgage values to the possible price of wheat in 2011. Banks who lent out far more money than they actually had needed governments to step in with billions to bail them out. In some countries the state took them over.

Crisis, What Crisis? - Pyramids not houses

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The official story is that the origins of the current crisis lie in the collapse of the US subprime mortgage market - i.e. poor people not paying their mortgages. Although this may have been the trigger event, it is not the real cause. The real cause lies in pyramids not houses. Specifically the enormous debt pyramid built up by the Western countries, particularly those following the Anglo-saxon economic model - which, unfortunately for us, includes Ireland.

What’s happening in Bolivia?

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Big Business doesn’t like what’s happening in South America. The election of reforming governments in Peru and Ecuador might have been a bearable irritant but that Chavez guy in Venezuela has really got up their noses. In Bolivia sections of the local ruling class got so riled up that they tried to overthrow President Morales in September. The US ruling class, in collusion with local bosses, is trying to destabilise political and economic reforms. As they see it, too much is going to workers and peasants, and not enough into their own coffers.

That's capitalism WS 106

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Recession is just another word when you are rich. Google bosses, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, have just spent €17.6 million on a 60-seater Boeing jet for their “personal use”. Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen splashed out €140 million to buy the world’s eighth largest yacht. It comes with two helicopters, two submarines, eight smaller boats, a basketball court, swimming pool, a crew of 60 and running costs of about €15 million a year.

Workers Solidarity 106

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Northern Issue
Southern Issue

Click on one of the thumbnails for a a PDF version of the northern or southern edition of Workers Solidarity 106 which can be printed out on eight A4 pages.

Queer Spraoi Meeting, Dublin

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Queer Spraoi Meeting:
Wed 10th Dec 7.30pm
Seomra Spraoi

The Politics Of Social Centers, Dublin

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Following on from recent open political discussion events, Seomra Spraoi is holding an evening of debate and discussion looking at the role(s) self managed social and political resource centers can/have on wider activity for radical and critical anti capitalist activity in the cities where they exist.

The murderous state of Greece

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Statement from Greek anarchists on the shooting of the 16-year-old boy, Alexandros Grigoropoulos,  in Athens

Why the WSM is picketing the Greek Embassy

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The Workers Solidarity Movement, an Irish anarchist organisation, have organized a picket of the Greek Embassy in Dublin this Tuesday 9th December 2008, meeting at Stephen’s Green at 5pm. The picket is in response to the killing of Alexandros Grigoropoulos, a 15 year old, who was shot and killed by Greek police in Athens on Saturday night. WSM spokesperson, Gavin Gleeson, says that “As fellow anarchists, we want to show our solidarity and support for the Greeks in opposing police brutality.”

Solidarity is Strength- Reinstate Natalia Szymanska Now!

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Pickets escalate against the sacking of Subway migrant worker Natalia Szymanska in Belfast.

Pickets against a Subway franchise have been continuing for several weeks, despite intimidating and threatening behaviour by Subway bosses. Attempting to impose a court injunction against pickets outside its premises on Great Victoria Street and Lisburn Road.

Dublin: Greek Embassy Picket

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Meet at 5pm at the top of Grafton Street. March to the Greek Embassy on Upper Pembroke Street.

60k protest in Dublin over Education cuts - video

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Somewhere over 50,000 people took part in the INTO organised march through Dublin this afternoon in protest at the education cuts, The was the culmination of a series of regional marches called by the INTO.

Fascist attack on Patras demonstration in Greece

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"Toward the end of the demo however the riot police launched a major attack, forcing it to retreat toward the city’s historical university building (the so-called parartima). Soon thereafter, the most incredible attack began: Tens of fascists (that seem to had gathered in Patras from across the country, in a pre-planned joint operation with the police) attacked the demonstration with knives and stones."

Greek general strike shuts down transport

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The BBC website is reporting that the general strike in Greece today has cancelled flights out of the airport and that public transport is badly disrupted