Workers Solidarity Movement

The Workers Solidarity Movement(WSM) has called for a No vote in the Lisbon referendum, referring to it as “a treaty for the rich”, and claiming that “people in Ireland can do a lot better than a choice between the clowns in the Dáil or those in Brussels”. Spokesperson for the anarchist organisation, Gregor Kerr said “We oppose the EU's policies of privatisation, militarisation and attacks on workers' conditions but don’t insult people’s intelligence by saying that our current society in Ireland with its severe recession, diabolical public services and corruption is anything better. The major lack of democracy in our lives is not between us and the EU but between the Irish government and us.”

“The upcoming Lisbon vote is one of the rare occasions that the people get a direct say,” said Kerr. “But it’s only a very limited say. We get to choose between either a gombeen republic or an embryonic European state, neither of which makes for an exciting prospect.

Whichever way the vote goes, there is no indication that either a yes or a no vote will substantially alter the exclusion of the public from major public decisions. That requires a rethinking of the kind of society we want.”

The Workers Solidarity Movement has produced a special edition of its regular paper ‘Workers Solidarity’ which will be distributed door-to-door in Dublin, Cork, Limerick and other cities and towns. The paper contains a number of articles on the Lisbon vote
‘No to Lisbon – a treaty for the rich’: http://www.wsm.ie/news_viewer/5937
‘Lisbon and democracy – do we really have a say?’: http://www.wsm.ie/news_viewer/5938
‘Lisbon referendum – some truth and plenty of lies’: http://www.wsm.ie/news_viewer/5939
(A PDF of the paper can be accessed and downloaded from)
http://www.wsm.ie/story/5978
and further WSM comment on the Lisbon treaty can be found at http://www.wsm.ie/lisbon

“The problem is not the treaty alone but the EU as an institution,” concluded Kerr. “We call on people to Vote No to Lisbon but also to organise to take more control of our lives and to build real democracy in our communities and our workplaces.”

Statement Ends
More information from WSM Lisbon spokesperson, Gregor Kerr on 086 1501151

Note to editor:
Workers Solidarity Movement (WSM) is an Irish anarchist organisation with branches in Dublin, Cork and Belfast and members in several other places around the country. WSM members are involved in many trade union and community campaigns.