Workers Solidarity Movement

As the economic crisis continues, the WSM has been busy in a variety of campaigns against measures attempting to impose the costs of the crisis on workers and the poor. WSM members in the public sector trade unions have been active in organising against cuts and pressing for a no vote in ballots on the “Croke Park” agreement. We have also been involved in getting the anti-water charges campaigns up and running in both Dublin and Cork and attended a protest organised by these campaigns at the Green Party annual conference in Waterford.

Elsewhere, our Cork branch was instrumental in organising a very successful celebration of International Women’s Day (see article). We also attended a solidarity protest in Castlerea in support of jailed Mayo fisherman, Pat O’Donnell (see article). There was also a WSM presence on a march seeking justice for Toyosi Shitta-Bey, the 15-year-old schoolboy who died following a racist attack in Dublin 15.

We have been making a number of efforts to further awareness of anarchism. In Dublin, we have been running a series of educationals for those interested in anarchist ideas, covering anarchist thought, capitalism and the Russian Revolution. Our outreach group commenced the “Rethinking Revolution Discussion Series” in the Seomra Spraoi social centre in Dublin 1, which, according to their Facebook group, will aim to cover “the core ideas those of us who want revolutionary change think we have in common and so too often neglect to discuss. The discussions will be kicked off by an opinionated presentation of one or more approaches on these questions with the purpose of drawing all present into a discussion that we hope will continue long after the meeting.”

We have republished two pamphlets (see article), the first in a series of planned reprints of popular anarchist pamphlets. The “Rebel Worker” news sheet has hit the streets in Cork again recently, produced by our branch in the city, while we continue our planning for the 2010 Anarchist Bookfair in Dublin to be held on May 29th (see article). Finally, the second edition of our show, “Radio Solidarity”, was broadcast recently on Near FM and is available to hear at http://www.nearpodcast.org/podcast/audio/podcast-2010-03-26-58991.mp3. It covers NAMA, the economy, the Irish Glass Bottle Factory fiasco and the Shell to Sea campaign. If you like what you read or hear and want to learn more about the WSM, then we would be delighted to hear from you.