Workers Solidarity Movement

A crowd of about 100 people gathered in the local GAA club in Cabra last Wednesday night (1^st Feb) and the message was simple and clear, we’re not registering, we are not paying.

The meeting was chaired by Aidan Perry and addressed by councilor Cíaran Perry. He clearly stated that this unjust tax would be defeated by the people themselves, not by politicians or councilors.  It would take each person talking to the other people on their streets, to their neighbors and friends and standing together on this issue.  Cabra has stood together on similar issues, like the bin tax.  But essentially Cíaran was telling people that this was an opportunity to put a halt to this government’s gallop of making us pay for the insolvent banks, and the disastrous decisions of the casino capitalists.

Alan Mac Simoin, a Stoneybatter resident and organiser there, addressed the crowd and informed them of how people power had defeated the Water tax when they tried to implement that back in the mid 1990’s.   The same result is possible here and huge numbers are in attendance up and down the country on this issue.  The Government themselves admit that only 3% of households have registered thus far.

Joyce Carroll a resident from Boombridge was the last person to address the meeting before there was questions and suggestions from the floor.  Joyce said that Cabra had stood strong on the bin tax, and it would do the same this time.  The people that she’d been talking to on the doorsteps were determined to fight this and were not going to register or pay.

Aidan Perry then fielded some questions and comments from the floor.  Everyone was against the tax.  There were some suggestions as to some tactics that we could employ.  The meeting closed with the next steps which entailed people taking window posters and signing up memberships to the campaign.  This meeting is indicative that areas are getting themselves organised for a real fight with the government on this issue.  This fight is most definitely on and Phil Hogan and his shower know it.