Interview with Greg of the Australia Asia Worker Links group that highlights ongoing struggles and conflicts in Asia and seeks to build practical solidarity and support.

So this morning, a strike by Stockholm’s bus drivers union Kommunal began in protest against pay cuts and the lack of security in new contracts for workers. Seems like a legitimate grievance? Not according to the right wing Swedish students group, Fria Moderata Studentförbundet (FMSF), who have decided to attempt to break the strike. Or more accurately, to troll ordinary people trying to stand up for themselves and their families livelihoods by driving mini-buses on two of the routes.

Guest Writer: EM

On the 8th of May the WSM held a meeting in Dublin on the Croke Park No Vote.  A 3rd 'deal' has since been announced and we will be arguing for a No vote on that deal but we want to invite our readers to look at the notes below and to post comments on what they think is the way to defeat the attempts by the union leaders and government to impose these cuts in one way or the other.  The meeting was divided into discussion tables with the people attending moving between the discussions at these tables and a WSM member taking notes of the discussion, these are the notes below.

SIPTU members engaged in a second day of strike action at the Shanganagh Waste Water Treatment Plant, Co. Dublin, have expressed serious concern over the possible environmental impact of the dispute at the facility. The facility treats water for domestic and commercial purposes for 248,000 people living in Dublin and Wicklow. Workers believe that due to the current reduction in manning levels at the facility key processes, including the testing of water being discharged into Dublin Bay and the treatment of effluent stored in the plant, may become compromised.

Members of the Irish National Teachers Organisation (INTO) have voted by a massive 91% in favour of industrial action up to and including strike action if the government moves to cut their pay via legislation.  This huge vote is a clear statement by the union’s members that No means No, that their rejection of the so-called ‘Croke Park extension’ deal must be respected by both government and the union’s leadership and that they are ready and willing to take action to prevent the imposition of paycuts.

NBRU Bus drivers picketing the Bus Eireann depo in Cork city today told us that the picket had been 100% effective amongst their fellow workers, with SIPTU bus drivers and the mechanics all respecting the picket lines, just two people crossed the line both senior management.  SIPTU or currently balloting their members to join the action. The dispute seems destined to escalated as management refuse to negotiate are are pressing ahead with their plans despite strong worker resistance. The strike began today a Sunday, the real effects will be felt tomorrow Monday with widespread disruption of services.

Members of the 3 teacher unions – INTO, TUI and ASTI – have begun a ballot for industrial action which, if agreed, “will be triggered in the event of government proceeding unilaterally to impose salary cuts or to worsen working conditions.”     INTO members will vote at meetings to be held across the country this coming week while ASTI and TUI members are voting by postal ballot with a closing date of 20^th May.

Mayday in Dublin save a collection of historic trade union banners and the Fintan Lalor pipe band lead over 1,000 people from the Garden of Remembrance to Liberty Hall. The march is organised by the Dublin Council of Trade Unions (DCTU) and featured ten banners created for the ITGWU by the artist Jer O’Leary with images of militant syndicalist trade union leaders  Jim Larkin and James Connolly and scenes from the 1913 Lockout.

The massive vote by union members to reject the 'Croke Park Extension' proposals was a clear and unambiguous rejection of government attempts to impose yet another 1billion of austerity cuts on public service workers.  It was also a clear statement of opposition to the trade union leadership's decision to enter talks on the basis of these cuts in the first place.

Public service workers proved in the Croke Park vote that we are capable of getting organised to defeat the careful plans of the government to make us swallow yet another round of cuts.  This despite the fact that the leadership of the two biggest public sector unions were working with the government in trying to get us to accept that plan.  And now they are in a panic because the No vote to Croke Park represents a massive refusal of their claim that austerity is the solution to the crisis.  Almost 300,000 workers have declared that Enough is Enough, add in our immediate families and this is probably quarter of the population.

This doesn't mean the fight is over, the No vote is only the start of defeating austerity.  Public Service Workers are not alone, 400,000 households have not registered for the Property Tax.  Across society ordinary working people are saying Enough, that is one of strengths.  We think we can beat any attempt to unilaterally oppose pay cuts around the points that follow