Workers Solidarity Movement

Various shorts on life under capitalism

NEUTRAL MY ARSE

From January to March of this year 116,450 US troops have passed through Shannon Airport. In 2004 the figure was 121,943, by the end of 2005 the numbers more than doubled to 330,000. This year we may see just under half million troops go through the airport. Yet the government continues to proclaim Ireland’s ‘neutrality’!

WHOEVER PAYS THE PIPER…?

Trinity College Dublin is getting €1,000,000 from Coca-Cola to establish two full time posts in “international economics and competition policy”. The same college’s Computer Science department also received “research funding” from the US Air Force.

LAND OF THE FREE (ENTERPRISE)

While the US government proclaims its love for democracy and freedom in Iraq, at home the President of Local 100 of the Transport Workers Union in New York was sentenced to 10 days in jail for leading a strike last December. Other union officials were fined.

THE RICH GET RICHER

A rising tide may lift all boats, but some get a lot more of a rise than others. In the years 1995-2003 wages & pensions in the 26 counties went up 126% but profits and self-employed income grew by 189%. And that’s without knowing how much extra profit is hidden in offshore bank accounts.

THE LESS HE DOES, THE MORE HE GETS

Bank of Ireland finance director Gary Kennedy got a whopping €3.5 million in salary, bonus and pension top-up after he resigned (or as they put it, “stepped down” from his job). Maybe the Irish Bank Officials Association should lodge a claim for similar money for the staff who do actual work!

This article is from Workers Solidarity 92, published June/July 2006 You can download the PDF file of WS92