Workers Solidarity Movement

Thirty or so anarchists marched with the WSM and/or Organise! at the Belfast May day march this year. Initially the rally was addressed by trade unionists including John Maguire, Visteon union convenor.

Alan from the WSM described it as "A lovely sunny day with a good anarchist turnout." and reported that "several people I spoke to afterwards thought a minimum of 2,000 people were on the march, the majority of these from the unions with maybe 20% from different left groups"

The recent G20 summit in London brought into sharp focus the level of police violence and intimidation in our society.

“Don’t wait for politicians and people high up in the unions- just do it yourself”, says Unite shop steward John McGuire.

Protests spread, as workers continue to occupy Visteon/Ford plant in West Belfast.

In the latest round of attacks on ordinary workers in order to force us to pay for the crisis in capitalism the government had "declared a moratorium on Recruitment and Promotions in the Public Service with effect from 27th March". This is both yet another direct attack on public sector workers and an indirect attack on all workers as it means our access to health, education and other essential services will be further reduced.

"We are angry that rich people, like him, are paying themselves a huge amount of money, and living in luxury, while ordinary people are made unemployed, destitute and homeless. This is a crime. Bank bosses should be jailed. This is just the beginning."

(Statement released by the anonymous group behind the attack.)

Last evening after the news of the 30 day sentence imposed on 55 year old Shell to Sea protester Maura Harrington filtered through supporters converged on the gates of Mountjoy prison. By the time the van carrying Maura came into view over 30 supporters were waiting at the prison gates, matched by a similar number of Gardai.

if ICTU are unwilling to take the action we should remember that the trade unions are our organisations and we should be ready to take the initiative ourselves in our own unions and in our own workplaces.

These are a selection from the many shots I took on a day when our class re-discovered a little something of its old combative spirit, and the numbers marching are more comfort to ordinary working folk than to those who would misinterpret this monster attendance as endorsement of their strategy of appeasement towards IBEC and the government. I saw David Begg walk up Parnell Sq. East towards the Garden of Remembrance a half-hour or more before the march started. He was alone and he looked downcast - surrounded by thousands of his fellow trade unionists, none of whom seemed to notice or even care about his presence among them. Nobody greeted him or was willing to share his company on this day of days. It couldn't have happened out of ignorance on the people's part, for Mr. Begg's face, voice and message assails us from all state and private media organs. It couldn’t have occurred from unfamiliarity either, for surely it couldn’t be true that our leaders generally disdain our company?

From late morning yesterday (Sat. 21st February) it was clear that the Irish Congress of Trade Unions’ National Demonstration was going to be huge. It was also clear that those marching were from all over the country and from all types of employment – both public and private sector.

As the recession continues to bite strikes and mass demonstrations break out from the streets of Paris to oil and power plants across the UK.