PAPER OF THE SOCIALIST PARTY ISSUE 54 JUNE 2010

CONTACT THE SOCIALIST PARTY - (01) 6772592, PO Box 3434, Dublin 8 info@socialistparty.net www.socialistparty.net

By Ann Katrin Orr

THE GREENS are pushingahead with their plans to

implement water charges. Nodetails have been confirmedand statements are beingkept vague but it is easy tosee that this charge is noth-ing but another burden onordinary people.The Minister for the

Environment, John Gormley, hassaid he plans to raise €1.1 billion ayear from these charges, while atthe same time claiming that talk ofa cost per household of €400 iswide off the mark. Maths has neverbeen the government’s strong pointbut if they want to raise €1.1 billionfrom 1.1 million households thatmeans up to €1000 from eachhousehold!Environmental reasons have

been used for the reintroduction ofwater charges, mainly by theGreens. However, studies conduct-ed in the UK have shown that in thelong-term, water charges don’t leadto a reduction in the amount ofwater used. Huge costs areinvolved in treating water so that itis drinkable, but instead of placingthis burden on workers and theirfamilies, it should continue to bepaid for through central taxation.The whole infrastructure needs tobe upgraded as in some areas over50% of treated water is lost throughold, leaky pipes. This requiresmassive investment but instead ofaddressing this, the government istrying to make us pay for theirinaction.Desperately needed jobs would

also be created through this neces-sary upgrade. Other methodsincluding rainwater harvesting(which could substitute up to 50% ofmains water), the installation ofdual flush toilets combined with aneducation campaign are necessaryto reduce the amount of water andespecially high quality drinkingwater that is used. The Socialist Party believes that

water charges must be resisted.The example of bin charges, whichhave led to a steadily increasingfinancial burden on householdssince their introduction, as well asprivatisation of the sector, showthat the introduction of a charge isnot in the interest of ordinary peo-ple. The introduction of the chargemust be resisted from the earliestpossible point – the installation ofmeters. A mass campaign like inthe 1990s is necessary to force thegovernment to back down. TheSocialist Party has already beguncampaigning on this issue and wewill continue to prepare the groundfor a mass anti-water charges non-payment campaign.

Watercharges:Gormley’splan to raise€1 billion

By Stephen Boyd

ANGELA MERKEL and themajor EU governmentsare taking an interest in

making sure Irish workingclass people pay up for the eco-nomic crisis. They are going tocheck Brian Lenihan’s budgetsfrom now on, just to make surethey contain enough cuts. Andto pacify their “European part-ners”, Brian Cowen has orderedhis Ministers to come up with€3 billion in cuts by the end ofthe month. According to the economics profes-

sor Morgan Kelly, “It is no longer aquestion of whether Ireland will gobust, but when...by 2012 Ireland willhave a worse ratio of debt to nationalincome than the one that is sinkingGreece”, Irish Times, 22 May 2010. That means billions more in cuts in

social welfare and significant taxrises for working class people are onthe cards in order to pay for this debtcrisis. The health service is set to lose

another 3,500 beds at a time whenhundreds still lie suffering on trol-leys. Almost 2,000 nurses and mid-wives posts have been lost in the lasttwo years but another 6,000 jobs areto be lost in the health service. Eamon O Cuiv, Minister for Social

Protection [sic], has flagged up theprospect of cutting the old age pensionin December’s budget. “I am not rulinganything in or anything out in relationto social welfare changes...Pensionshave to be taken into account in themix. They are €5 billion of the €22 bil-lion we pay out of the social welfarebudget...I cannot rule out the possibil-ity that they might be [cut]”.

A propaganda campaign from thegovernment aimed at creating sup-port for the idea of cutting the statepension and for further cuts in childbenefit may unfold over the summer.The pensioners have already givenFianna Fail a thrashing when theytried to cut medical cards for over 70sand cuts in the pension could provokea similar reaction.

The government claims the crisisis bottoming out yet jobs losses areaveraging 6,000 per month and com-pany closures are 25% higher thanthis time last year. Quinn, IBM and Pfizer announced

up to 2,000 job cuts, despite all threecompainies being highly profitable.IBM made pre-tax profits of €22 billionlast year and Pfizers bought Wyeth for

$67 billion last October. There is noeconomic justification for these joblosses, they are simply happeningbecause of the greed of super-richshareholders. Instead of continuing topour billions into the black hole of thebanks, the government should launcha major programme of public works tocreate jobs and nationalise majorcompanies imposing big lay offs.As the government continues to

make a mess of the economy, withFine Gael and Labour biding theirtime, waiting in the wings to get theirhands on the Mercs and perks, theneed to build a real working classalternative has never been greater. “The Irish economy is like a bleed-

ing patient from two gunshot wounds.The government has moved compe-tently to staunch the smaller, budget-ary hole, while continuing to insistthat the litres of blood pouringunchecked from the banking hole are‘manageable’”, Morgan Kelly. The measures the government are

implementing are futile and ratherthan resolving the crisis, they aremaking it worse. The political conse-quences are potentially explosive asthe working class and young peoplecan not indefinitely pay the pricebeing extorted by the government.A strike wave is sweeping across

the countries in Europe that are intro-ducing the most draconian austeritymeasures. It may not be too longbefore the struggles and strikes inGreece, Spain and Portugal come toIreland. The Socialist Party is commit-ted to building a socialist alternative tothe pro-market establishment partiesand the right-wing union leaders, sothat this movement can be directedtowards achieving socialist change –join in the fightback, join us today.

Brian Cowen is gearing up for a fight. Fight back with the Socialist Party.

Pensions faceaxe as Cowenorders €3billion cuts!

June 2010

THE SOCIALIST2

news

By Stephen Boyd

“FOOT IN both camps” –“talking out of both sides

of their mouth”. These idiomsdon’t accurately describewhat many union leadershave being doing during thecampaign on the public sectorCroke park deal. With bothfeet firmly in the govern-ment’s camp, they have beenwailing and lamenting thatthe crisis is so bad, workerscan do nothing but bear thepain of bailing out the rich.On May Day, Jack O’Connor,

SIPTU President, made an astonish-ing statement which the Irish Timesreported: “If every trade unionstepped up to the mark, the tradeunions would probably win, giventhe government’s unpopularity, butit would be a “pyrrhic victory”.That’s because according to Jack,

the state would still face the enor-mous legacy of debt and the need toborrow. Not for the first time, Jack

O’Connor has stated that hebelieves the trade unions can defeatthe government. But just as previ-ously, on this occassion what he isreally saying is that many of theunion leaders have chosen not todefeat the government – but why?Simple really – the majority of the

leaders of the ICTU believe thepropaganda of the government andthe opposition parties that there isno alternative but to implement adrastic austerity programme.Because the unions leaders acceptthe limits of the capitalist market,they believe that worker’s pay andconditions must take a hit. The campaign has exposed the

complete impotency of the rightwing trade union leaders, who arelittle more than assistant managers

for which ever capitalist parties arein government. The Public Services Committee of

ICTU is meeting on 15 June to casttheir votes on the Croke Park deal.SIPTU and IMPACT are crucial tothe outcome and the Socialist Partyand other opponents of the deal are

campaigning to deliver a no vote. If the deal is passed, this will

not represent an acceptance onbehalf of public sector workers ofthe government’s austerity pro-gramme. Either way, workers(public and private) face a struggleto stop the billions in cuts that thenext few budgets will contain andto battle against job losses andrising unemployment. Jack O’Connor is wrong. If union

leaders like him were to “step up tothe plate” and lead a real fightagainst the government it could bedefeated, and its agenda would behalted. Public sector nationalstrikes and general strikes likethose in Greece, Spain and Portugalwould bring down this hated gov-ernment. Fine Gael and Labourwould then have to decide how itwas going to take on public sectorworkers emboldened after an his-toric victory.

Shay Cody, IMPACT general sec-retary, singled out the SocialistParty and other left opponents of thedeal for a vitriolic attack at theIMPACT conference. This isbecause he fears the growing sup-port within his and other unions forthose who put forward the alterna-tive to his type of sell out tradeunionism. The widespread opposition to the

Croke Park deal shows the potentialthat exists to build members basedbroad left opposition groups withinall unions. That’s what opponents ofthe assault on public sector work-ers need to focus on now – harness-ing this opposition into cohesiveforces to challenge and build analternative to the union leaders whoaccept the dictats of the capitalistmarket. If you are interested in find-ing out more then text or phone 0857132937. Read the Socialist Partyleaflet at socialistparty.net

Reject Croke Park deal - Build broad left opposition

By Kevin McLoughlin

PETER HADDEN died peace-fully at his home in Belfast on5 May 2010. This obituary isbased on speeches made atand after Peter’s funeral.Peter Hadden joined the

Militant at Sussex University in1968 in the context of the radi-calising impact of struggles andrevolutionary events interna-tionally, before returning hometo the North on a permanentbasis in the early 1970s. For a time, Peter worked for

the union, NIPSA. SocialistParty member, Billy Lynn,recounted his first meeting withPeter in May 1975. He had beeninstructed to throw Billy out ofthe NIPSA conference for heck-ling but as he dragged Billy out,Peter began a discussion thatlasted for the next three daysand resulted in Billy joining theMilitant.Sectarian conflict flared, five

hundred people were killed in1972 alone. Peter Taaffe saidafter the funeral the task Peterfaced was "like trying to climbthe north face of the Eiger with-out an ice pick". However, Militant was built

and by the mid 1980s, we had astrong and influential base inthe North through our work inthe Young Socialists, in fightingfor political representation forthe working class and particu-larly through our successfulindustrial work and workplaceinterventions.Peter developed a deep

understanding of Marxism andits method because he tried,tested and honed it in the mostextreme of conditions. Petermade a huge contribution bydeveloping a class based pro-gramme on the national ques-tion. On many occasions, whenit seemed impossible to see away forward, for example on theparades issue, Peter saw fur-ther than anyone else and wasable to advocate an approachand programme on the issuethat made sense to workingclass people, both Protestantand Catholic. Peter showed that there was

a "conflict of national aspira-tions" in Ireland and thatProtestants in the North wouldalways oppose being part of a

capitalist united Ireland as theycorrectly feared that they, justlikes Catholics in the North,would be a discriminatedagainst minority. Therefore, theprimary opposition to a unitedIreland was not the presence ofthe British army as theRepublican movement arguedbut the opposition of one mil-lion Protestants.“Socialism means taking the

major industry and all key serv-ices into public ownership andrunning them democratically,with need replacing profit as themotive. It means no privilegedelite, only the right of peoplethemselves to manage their ownaffairs. It means creating aninternational brotherhood andsisterhood, a unity based onrespect of difference and inwhich all national and minorityrights would be guaranteed. It isthe unity of the working class,built in the struggle for such asociety that will solve thenational problem in Ireland.” –

Peter Hadden, Troubled Times 1995.While the cynics said that

bringing politics into the unionswould make divisions worse,the ordinary workers consis-tently supported our approachof class unity and our cam-paigns which served tostrengthen the movement andeducate people that there wasa real alternative to the sectar-ian parties. Peter and our comrades in

NIPSA were critical in estab-lishing the tradition of workersstriking against threats orattacks from paramilitaries andthis was essential in forcing thetrade unions to organise massmobilisations which at criticalstages exerted the decisivepressure on the sectarianforces and prevented the Northfrom tipping into a civil war. Peter’s role in the victorious

six year battle for justice of theBelfast Airport strikers againstthe UNITE union, whose officialhad colluded in their sacking,

was landmark and deserves tobe studied. Likewise, John Maguire, the

senior shop steward in theVisteon occupation of last yearsaid it was the workers them-selves and the Socialist Party,particularly Peter, whoachieved the victory. “I’llalways personally be gratefulfor Peter and Susan and every-body in the Socialist Party forthe help they gave me. Everytime I go home and see my fam-ily and kids, I know who helpedme at least hold onto the life Ihad before Visteon closed thefactory.”Peter also played a unique

role in the party in the southand in all the main battles we’vebeen involved in. MEP, JoeHiggins, said Peter had beenthe giant at his and our collec-tive shoulder for decades.As a leading member of the

Committee for a Workers’International, Peter made manyimportant political visits to dif-

ferent countries including Italy,Nigeria, Israel and Palestine,Czech Republic, Greece,Scotland, Australia, Belgiumand the USA. Peter Hadden hasa special position in the heartsand in the minds of the mem-bers of the CWI. Music was a vital part of

Peter’s life. He was an enthusi-astic fan of Paul Brady, VanMorrison, Bob Dylan and in par-ticular Steve Earle. The lastconcert he went to was SteveEarle in Belfast last September. Despite his huge achieve-

ments, Peter was very unas-suming and led by example, dis-playing again and again theselfless sacrifice that onlygreat leaders can show. Peterwas honest, very straight andvery generous. Cynicism wassimply not part of Peter’s makeup. Peter Hadden was a verydeveloped human being, a manof politics and principle to hisvery core. Susan Fitzgerald, Peter’s

partner for many years, alsohas all of the qualities men-tioned above in spades. Susanstood with Peter, side by sideand hand in hand, at the time ofhis greatest need, which was ahuge comfort. Susan too hasbeen an inspiration to the com-rades.Peter was a very proud father

to his sons Stephen and Owen.Peter is also survived by hisolder brother David, David’swife Lucille, their daughterKathy and son David and byMary, Stephen and Owen’smother.Peter made an historic con-

tribution to the cause of work-ing class in Ireland and on thenational question, he broughtMarxist understanding to ahigher level. He was one of themost capable leaders and advo-cates of the working class andof socialism to emerge on theMarxist left internationallyfrom the radicalisation andstruggles of the 1960s. Peter’s coffin was draped in a

red flag and before it was low-ered, we saluted our comradeby singing the Internationale,the anthem of the internationalworking class, to whom Peterhad dedicated his whole life.Thank you Peter for yourincredible life.

OBITUARYPETER HADDEN1950–2010

3June 2010

THE SOCIALIST

opinion & news

THE EUROPE wide “Week ofprotest and Solidarity, 21-26June”, initiated and promotedby Members of the EuropeanParliament from the EuropeanUnited Left Group(GUE/NGL)is an important development. It is the beginning of trying to

link up the fight back by theworking class in differentEuropean countries against theoutrageous speculation at theirexpense by the sharks in thefinancial markets and the sav-age programme of cuts in livingstandards and public servicesby various governments backedup by the EU establishment. Itis particularly in solidarity withthe Greek working class whohave been struggling hardthrough industrial action andmassive mobilisations.This initiative involves MEPs

from Syriza in Greece, the LeftBloc in Portugal, the Left Party(Die Linke) in Germany, AKEL inCyprus, the Socialist Party inthe Netherlands, the Left Partyin Sweden, the Socialist Partyin Ireland, the Left Party in

France, the People’s Movementin Denmark and the CommunistPart in France. The recentlylaunched Anti Capitalist Party(NPA) in France is also backingthe initiative along with theCommittee for Workers’International with groups inmany European countries.The MEPs have sent letters to

trade unions and social organi-sations and left parties not rep-resented in the EuropeanParliament inviting them towork with us and to participateand mobilise in their variouscountries. It has been a majorfailure of the official labourmovement in Europe that therehas not been a coordinated linkup in the opposition by workers,pensioners and social move-ments against the attacks. Yet everywhere I have visited

in the last months there hasbeen an enthusiastic responseto this idea. That was verymuch the case when Iaddressed two thousand sup-porters of Syriza at a majorrally in Athens on 14 May.

The predatory investmentbanks and the parasites in thespeculating hedge funds coor-dinate their profiteering on aninternational basis and it is cru-cial that the working class canalso respond with internationalaction to stop them.The programme around

which the mobilisations at theend of June are to be organisedis a comprehensive rejection ofthe present policies of govern-ments, the EU Commission andalso of those trade union lead-ers who are capitulating to thepressure from the ruling class-es around Europe:

� Workers, pensioners, theunemployed, students, youthand those socially excludedmust must not pay for thecrisis - Make the super richand bankers pay.� Solidarity with the workingpeople of Greece and for theunity of working peopleacross Europe.� No to cutbacks, wage cuts,unemployment and increasesin the retirement age.� No to privatisation of pub-lic services.� End the dictatorship of thefinancial markets, credit rat-ings institutions and the IMF.� Stop the bailouts of thebanks - nationalise thebanks and financial institu-tions in the interests ofworking people.

In an effort to get a broadlevel of support for a mobilisa-tion in Ireland, I have invited abroad range of left groups andunions to an organising meet-ing in Dublin to discuss the pos-sibilities. I have proposed a“Protest and Solidarity” Marchand Rally for Dublin onSaturday, 26 June. Both I andThe Socialist Party will workwith all those for a good mobil-isation. As the attacks intensify and

move onto other countries likeSpain and Portugal and resist-ance develops the international

dimension will become moreimportant. Of course a crucialpart of the fight back is to con-tinue to campaign within thetrade unions in this country fora comprehensive rejection ofthe sell out path being taken bymany union leaders.

JOEHIGGINS

SOCIALIST PARTY MEP

Joe Higgins is theSocialist Party MEP

for the Dublinconstituency

EUROPEAN-WIDEWEEK OF PROTEST& SOLIDARITY

� National protestaction, Saturday 26

June, Dublin

For more information orto get involved contactThe European office ofJoe higgins MEP on 01 6795030 e-mail:info@joehiggins.eu

NO TO IMF/EU DICTATS

FEW PEOPLE can imaginewhat €4 billion looks like,

but that is just what SeanQuinn lost gambling on thestock market. As a result ofthis grotesque speculationand lust for profits, thou-sands of honest workersdirectly employed by theQuinn Group are to lose theirjobs, not to mention the thou-sands of other workerswhose jobs are dependent onthe Quinn Group.Sean Quinn lost this sum specu-

lating that the depressed price ofAnglo Irish Bank shares wouldrecover. Instead of the sharesgoing up in price as he hoped, theywent down. Seeing this and in avain attempt to recover €900 mil-lion in losses at that point, he wentdouble or quits. However, whenthe Irish government was forced tobail-out Anglo Irish Bank, thoseshares become worthless.The Quinn Group was left fac-

ing debts amounting to €1.3 bil-lion and the Quinn family owedAnglo Irish a further €2.8 billion.Despite this, the Group’s opera-tions continued to be profitablewith pre-tax profits of €466m in2008, and €530m in 2007. Thesewere before a payment of €762mto the Quinn family! The net result is the loss of 900

jobs of which about a half are togo in Fermanagh and Cavan and300 in Dublin West. But a signifi-cant question mark continues tohover over the heads of all

remaining 7,000 Quinn Groupemployees, as without the incomefrom the Insurance operation, it isunclear how the Group can con-tinue to keep the bondholderssatisfied. The option of leaving the Quinn

Group in the hands of individualswho are only interested in makinghuge profits will only result in fur-ther job losses. The SocialistParty is calling for government tointervene and nationalise theQuinn Group as the only sure wayto safeguard all the jobs. Theworkers themselves should dem-ocratically manage the businessin the interests of communitieswho rely on these jobs, not forwealthy individuals to cream offthe profits. The range of activitiesconducted by the Group offers anopportunity to the workers andrepresentatives of the widerworking class to draw up an inte-grated plan of production whichwould not just save jobs, butcould create thousands of newjobs. It is crucial that QuinnGroup workers now begin toorganise independently and tapinto the great reserve of supportwithin the wider trade unionmovement. Mass demonstrationsshould be organised to call foraction by the Irish governmentand the Northern IrelandAssembly to intervene and bringthe company into public owner-ship. One man’s greed shouldnever be able to consign a wholeregion to economic devastation.

Nationalise the Quinn Group

By Councillor Mick Barry

THE SPEECH was “irre-sponsible and bordered

on anarchy” according toFianna Fail Senator LabhrasO’Murchu. It was “treacher-ous” according to Green PartySenator Dan Boyle. What got them all fired up was a

speech that was never actuallymade. It was due to be given to theannual conference of the GardaRepresentative Association (GRA)by Michael O’Boyce, the outgoingPresident of the Association. Whenthe Minister for Justice, DermotAhern, received an advance copyhe decided to boycott the event inprotest and as the speech wasintended for the Minister, O’Boycenever gave it.So, what did it say? The speech

described the Government as a“government of national sabotage”.The government had been “corrupt-ed” by power and “bought” by devel-opers. They had “sacrificed” anentire generation to “protect thepeople who had bankrolled yourparty and robbed the Irish people”.Public servants, including gardai,had been subjected to an “unrelent-ing, distasteful and vitriolic attackfrom the Government and theirwealthy cronies.” But “the angerthat we feel will find its target.”Delegates to the convention

cheered and clapped when GRAGeneral Secretary, PJ Stone,announced that the Minister wouldnot be attending. Ahern described the speech as

an “unprecedented political inter-

vention” and called on the GRA toapologise to the Irish people fortrying to politicise the force. GardaCommissioner, Fachtna Murphy,called in PJ Stone and newly elect-ed GRA President, DamienMcCarthy, for a dressing down overthe incident. McCarthy said thathe supported the comments “100percent and without reservation”. O’Boyce’s concluding remarks

got very little coverage but may, inthe end, prove to be the most sig-nificant of the entire speech: “TheGRA has now set forth on a courseto become a full trade union”.Socialists and trade union

activists need to register theimportance of these events. TheGarda Siochana are a key part ofthe Irish State, a state whichexists, in the last analysis, todefend the interests of the capital-ist elite. The Gardai are consistent-ly used against working classstruggles. They have been used inrecent times in the interests ofShell against the community in

Rossport, Co. Mayo, and to brutallybreak-up the occupation by work-ers at Thomas Cook. While the Gardai will continue to

be used in this fashion, the capital-ist elite will look at the events atthe GRA conference with real con-cern. They will ferociously resistany attempts to move in the direc-tion of full trade union rights forGardai because it would create thepotential for the Gardai to takeindustrial action which wouldweaken the state. The SocialistParty supports democratic commu-nity control of police services sothat their anti-working class andpolitical role could be ended. During the 1907 Belfast dockers

and carters strike, James Larkinsucceeded in bringing the policeout on strike, and it is precisely forthis reason that we would supportthe Gardai’s right to join a tradeunion as this would potentiallyweaken the ability of the govern-ment to use them as a force againstworkers engaged in struggle.

Gardai – treachery, democracyand trade union rights

Gardai in action in Rossport, Co. Mayo.

4THE SOCIALIST

news

June 2010

By Councillor Matt Waine

IT WAS stomach churningto read Minister forHealth, Mary Harney’s,

opinion piece in The IrishTimes on funding the healthservice. Her article was apale defence of the statusquo. But don’t be too hard onher. Mary Harney is the vic-tim of a severe illness. Shesuffers from acute tunnelvision, where she only seeswhat see wants to and shutsout all the bad stuff. She hasblocked out the cancer misdi-agnosis scandal and the out-rageous debacle of un-openedX-ray results.Her article is a case in point. She

opens her remarks by stating thatthe government will spend €15.4 bil-lion on health this year, a figure thatis greater than the total annual takefrom income tax, therefore implyingthat we’re not paying enough for ourpublic services. She fails to mentionthat something approaching twicethat figure has already been pouredinto the banks this year. The reality is Ireland ranks

below the EU average when itcomes to actual health spendingand the system is still recoveringfrom the draconian cuts inflicted

on the health service in the 1980s.This has been matched with €1 bil-lion in cuts this year. The INMOclaim that over 1,000 beds havebeen closed in the recent periodand 1,900 nursing positions havebeen lost.Her argument is about how we

spend money, how we get value formoney, and how we use limitedresources. We need to focus onpreventative health care because“the hospitalization model of careis financially unsustainable,” sheclaims. While a greater emphasison preventative care is to be wel-

comed, it is incredible and crimi-nal to suggest that we need lesshospitals. Between now and the end of the

year, most services inBlanchardstown hospital in WestDublin will be closed for fourweeks. In addition to that, someservices are to be scrapped andBlanchardstown Hospital andBeaumont will “share” some serv-ice provision. Whichever way theMinister spins it, this will result ina worse service to the public andpatients will undoubtedly suffer.Despite the nominal increase in

health spending in recent years,the health service still sufferedfrom cutbacks and overcrowding(such as the trolley crisis). Quitesimply, there was not enoughinvestment to cover need. In addi-tion, the increasing role of the pri-vate sector, a policy encouraged byHarney and the government, hasacted like a leech, sucking out vitalresources from the public healthservice.Ireland has a two-tier health

service. The public health service,starved of necessary investmentand reeling from years of cuts tostaff numbers, budgets and servic-es has resulted in lengthy queues.In an attempt to clear some ofthese waiting lists, the govern-ment, through schemes like theNational Treatment PurchaseFund, pour millions of taxpayersmoney into the private sector topay for treatments and proceduresavailable in the public sector!“It’s more important how money

is spent than how it is raised,” sheclaims. However, what MinisterHarney doesn’t get is, at present,your ability to pay determines thequality of healthcare you receive. Ifyou cannot afford private healthinsurance, you join a long queue.Harney dismisses any alterna-

tive proposal, like a national health

service, free at the point of use, infavour of the status quo on thebasis that it would be unworkablebecause it is impossible to provideunlimited care for all with limitedresources. This is a question of priorities.

The reality is that it is governmentpolicy to “limit” health spending.They favour a significant andincreased role for the private sec-tor, to boost their profits at theexpense of working class people.If a fraction of the money which

has been dumped into the banks,money which finds its way into thepockets of wealthy bondholdersand global investment banks, wasinstead diverted into the healthservice, the cutbacks and waitinglists would quickly disappear. Thejob losses and bed closures couldbe reversed and a real, decenthealth service could be possible. Also, by bringing health workers

– doctors, nurses and ancillarystaff – into the management of thehealth service, the debacles overmisdiagnosis and wastage etc.could be ended. These are the peo-ple who know what works andwhat doesn’t, not the bureaucratsin the higher echelons of the HSEor a Minister who values the inter-ests of bankers over the right to adecent health service.

By Dave Keating

THE HSE'S plan to removeall orthopaedic services

from St. Mary's OrthopaedicHospital was the subject of apublic meeting held on 27April. The meeting, called bythe Campaign for a RealPublic Health Service, wasattended by staff from thehospital, local residents andex patients. I spoke to ex-patient Norma Goulding.DK. How long have you been

a patient of the Orthopaedic?“On and off, for the last 46 years.

I was born with bi-lateral congenitalhip dislocation (CHD). Today, chil-dren are routinely checked for CHDand once diagnosed early, it is easi-

ly remedied. I wasn’t diagnoseduntil I was two and so had to spendthe next three years in theOrthopaedic. I have been in and outsince having had two hip replace-ments up there a few years ago.”DK. More recently you had aknee replacement operationand had to go to a private hos-pital. Why was that?“The various specialists who

looked after me always advised meto stay within the public healthsystem. However, the surgeon whoperformed my hip operations leftthe HSE and I was too nervous tolet someone else do my knee. I feltI had no option but to follow thesurgeon.”DK. How did the two systemscompare?

“I couldn't say enough goodthings about the Orthopaedic. Thewhole hospital is geared towardorthopaedic care in both facilitiesand staff. The staff in the privatehospital didn't seem to have theexperience of the Orthopaedic staffand the facilities were those of ageneral hospital. “No monkey poles, wrong chairs

etc for orthopaedic patients. I dreadto think what things will be like ifthe HSE get away with what theyare doing. The Orthopaedic Hospitalhas built up huge expertise over theyears and I do not want to see thatlost. I am calling on other concernedpatients, past and present, toprotest outside St. Mary'sOrthopaedic Hospital on Thursday,27 May at 1.30pm.”

By Oisín Kelly

THE DENTAL service con-tinues to be slashed. Last

month, the medical cardservice was viciously slashedby 29%. This is on top of theearlier drastic cut in serviceto PRSI workers. In the past18 months, public dental carefunding reduced by 35%.Previously, medical card holders

got free routine treatments such ascheck-ups, fillings and extractions.More complicated work was alsoincluded in the scheme. With this€25 million cut, medical card hold-ers will be reduced to pain reliefand extractions with additional

care only in “exceptional or high-risk cases”. The Irish DentalAssociation (IDA) estimates468,000 fewer examinations ofmedical card holders this year.With growing unemployment and

pay cuts, this year will see over 1.6million medical cards issued – arise of 144,000. The service needsto be expanded and not cut! TheIDA estimates that there needs tobe a €30 million rise for the med-ical card service.These savage cuts are in addi-

tion to cuts in the PRSI scheme.Last year, a PRSI payer could gettwo free check-ups and a freecleaning each year. There werealso subsidies on other dental

work. Mary Harney cut this to justone check-up per year.Before the cuts, the dental serv-

ice was inadequate – those relianton it, mainly the poor and elderly,had worse dental health. More willbe discouraged from visiting a den-tist regularly. Public waiting listsfor treatments will grow – storingup dental problems for years tocome. Dental care will be increas-ingly pushed into the more expen-sive private sector – the poor andelderly being left with a run-downpublic service.The Socialist Party stands for a

universal free public health careproviding regular check-ups andall treatments to all.

By Dave Vallely

THE FIANNA Fáil andGreen government con-

tinue their assault on theliving standards of workingclass people with the rollingout this month of the carbontax on home heating oil.This new tax will lead toincreases of 6% for naturalgas and 8.4% in householdfuel bills. The price of homeheating oil has increased by35% in the last year. Itmarks a yet another shift ofthe tax burden onto lowerincome households.Minister Gormley’s assertion

that the poorest will be shieldedfrom the brunt of the tax is bogus.The reality is that the money thegovernment is allocating for theinsulation of social housing andalleviating its impact on thosevulnerable to fuel poverty is whol-ly inadequate. The €130 millionset aside for the retrofitting ofhomes is miniscule in compari-son to the estimated €30 billion to€40 billion that is needed toupgrade the housing stock inIreland to an acceptable standardof energy efficiency.The carbon tax is a stealth tax

on incomes that will dispropor-tionately affect those who earnless. The bottom 10% of incomeearners already spend about 16%of their disposable income onfuel, whereas the top 10% spendjust 4%. Working people use mostof their disposable income onnecessities. A flat tax, such as thecarbon tax, takes money out ofordinary people’s pockets thatwould have been spent on food,

clothing and other essentials.Meanwhile, the wealthy remaincomparatively untouched.The cost of heating is already a

major concern for low paid work-ers and the unemployed.According to figures by the ESRI,19.4% of households here experi-ence fuel poverty, while 8% ofhouseholds have gone withoutheating in the past year becausethey could not afford it. This willonly be exacerbated as the reces-sion gets worse.This new so-called “levy” will

have little impact on curbing car-bon emissions. People have nochoice but to pay. Indeed, the roleof this tax is not to protect theenvironment but to raise morerevenue to be squandered on thebankers and speculators. Insteadof requiring that developers buildsustainable and energy efficienthomes during the property boom,the government are now sayingthat the working class must pay.

Government’s Savage Cuts for DentalCare for Medical Card Holders

Reply to Mary HarneyNo to a two-tier health service - Fight the cuts

Campaign to stopOrthopaedic closure

Carbon Tax Just another stealth tax

...one more stealth tax

Mary Harney isn’t alone in government in supporting private healthcare

5THE SOCIALIST

June 2010

news

By Councillor Clare Daly

THE RESIGNATION ofGovernor of theWomen’s Prison, the

Dochas Centre, KathleenMcMahon at the end of April,followed by the announce-ment of John Lonregan,Mountjoy Governor that he isstepping down from his posi-tion has given a glimpse ofthe massive problems in theIrish prison service.Coupled with the Oireachtas

investigation into claims of over-crowding, and degrading and inhu-mane conditions brought by a for-mer member of the MountjoyVisiting Committee, it is clear thatthe prison service is at breakingpoint, with serious implications forboth staff and inmates but also forsociety as a whole.Reports of prisoners sleeping in

shower units and on floors withcoackroachs and other verminhave been submitted to govern-ment, along with the fact thatalmost 100 inmates were “underprotection” and violent distur-bances were inherent in the situa-tion. One third of medical servicesin Irish prisons are unsuitable. The government’s “solution” – to

create an extra 500 prison placesand to relocate Mountjoy out torural north county Dublin is a cost-ly joke – designed to create the illu-sion of a “get tough on crime”approach, while supposedlyaddressing prisoner welfareissues, but the reality is that this

costly debacle will only add to theproblems. Families, particularlyfrom outside Dublin will find visit-ing this location very difficult,adding to stress and isolation.It is true that many of the pris-

ons are outdated and Victorianand should be decommissioned,but this is not the root of the prob-lem. The Dochas Centre, for exam-ple, which opened in 1999 is a verymodern facility. It was supposedto be a flagship for modern prisonmanagement, improving prisonerconditions and trying to use thetime in prison to rehabilitate peo-ple rather than having them con-stantly reoffend.But this was consistently under-

mined by overcrowding. The prisonwas built to accommodate 85women, it is now housing 135. Thehealth care unit is being used toaccommodate six women. Otherssleep on the floor in common-rooms. This is barbaric. Placingwomen in bunk beds in roomsdesigned for one will undoubtedlyincrease stress and pressure andcause tension resulting in prob-lems for the entire unit. By doingthis, prison officials are planningfor overcrowding into the futurerather than dealing with the factthat the entire penal system needsto be reformed.Society has to examine who is

being put in prison and for what.Traditionally, the number of femaleprisoners in Ireland was in singlefigures. It is only in the past twen-ty years that it has become morecommon for custodial sentences to

be handed down to women. Most women are in prison for

non-violent crime, either theft ordrug related, generally guilty ofcrimes linked to poverty and disad-vantage. Drugs are rampant in theprison, both illegal and prescribedmedication. In overcrowded condi-

tions, with widespread depressionand isolation, it is absolutely dis-graceful that there is not a singlecounsellor is available to help dealwith the circumstances that gaverise to the crime or the drug takingin the first place. Meanwhile, it has been revealed

that 3,300 people were incarcerat-ed in the first ten months of 2009,for non-payment of fines. If thatrate were to be maintained, half theprison population would be incar-cerated for this “crime”. With theeconomic crisis leaving more andmore people falling behind in pay-ments, jailing us all is hardly asolution.It causes huge strain on the fam-

ily involved, particularly if they areliving far from the prison, does notsort the problem of the debt whichremains unpaid and costs the state€93,000 a year for the privilege ofkeeping a person in prison. Evenon economic grounds, this does notmake sense. Non-payment of debtor fines should not result in a cus-todial sentence. Similarly, tackling the reasons

why people take drugs and assist-ing them to get clean has to be pri-oritised. A revolving door, with thesame people reoffending demon-strates graphically that the systemisn’t working. There must be amassive investment in drug sup-port treatment, counselling andpsychiatric support and education,both in the prisons but also whensomeone is released.It is well known that the prison

population is directly linked tosocial disadvantage with 146 pris-oners for every 10,000 people in themost deprived areas, compared to6 in the least deprived. Investing in education, social

services and jobs, not more prisonplaces, will make society a saferand better place for all.

Prison reform urgently needed

By Michael Murphy

DUBLIN BUS hasannounced further cost

cutting measures to bus serv-ices. There will be cuts to busservices in the city and coun-ty which will further impacton passengers and hit thejobs and conditions of DublinBus workers.Up to 200 workers are likely to

lose their jobs with 90 buses beingtaken out of the system. There willbe the creation of 10 new “superroutes” which means a whole num-ber of bus routes will disappear andexisting routes will be elongated, forexample the 46A will be extended tothe Phoenix Park and the number 10bus will axed completely, leading toless buses on a very busy corridorwhich serves UCD the biggest uni-versity in the country!Most of the job losses are expect-

ed to be from not replacing peoplewho retire or leave. However, DublinBus and our other transport compa-nies such as Bus Eireann and IrishRail need investment and moreworkers, not less. The trade unionsin Dublin Bus must organise a cam-paign against every job loss and tofight for every worker who leaves to

be replaced. If this campaign weretaken into the affected communi-ties, it would get a big responsefrom commuters.The government are deliberately

starving Dublin Bus and BusEireann of investment as a way offurther deregulating the bus marketand allowing more and more private

operators to run bus services. Ironically, after nearly three

years of the Green Party in govern-ment, the balance of transport usestill tilts towards the privatemotorist and the quality of publicbus services is poor and uneven.Instead of improving its serviceslast year, Dublin Bus managementreduced the number of buses andsaw passenger numbers fall byabout 10 per cent. At the sametime, the number of private carsgoing into the city rose for the firsttime in years. On top of these cuts in Dublin

Bus, there have been cuts to BusEireann services and now MetroNorth – linking the city centre toDublin airport and Swords – whichwas to be finished by 2012 but hasnow been pushed back to 2016. Anunderground rail interconnector,designed to link the Metro, theLuas, the Dart and Dublin Busservices, will not be completeduntil 2018, at the earliest! Yet the number of people using

the Luas and the success of thenew bicycle rental system inDublin city demonstrates whenpeople are given a real and reliablealternative to the car that peopleenthusiastically embrace it.

Greens in government – what a joke!

Dublin Bus to slash jobs,routes and buses

By Stephen Rigney

COILLTE, THE state-owned company respon-

sible for the maintenance ofour forests, has been engag-ing in a long-term policy ofquietly privatising ourforests by selling off ourassets to private investmentfunds. Communities throughout

Ireland have been ignored whenCoillte has ear-marked publiclyowned lands for the developmentof residential and tourist sites,landfills, power stations and windfarms. Environmental groups havealso objected to the widespreadplanting of non-native trees whichaffect biodiversity and animal lifein the forests as well as causingmassive damage through theextensive usage of pesticides.However, the use of non-native

trees has been extremely prof-itable for Coillte particularly fortheir timber production opera-tions. Between 2000 and 2008, thecompany made over €200 millionin profits from their forests,though only €2.6 million has everbeen paid over to the Exchequer.The industry has quickly attracted

significant commercial interestsas well, as investments in forestryare tax-free and investment fundmanagers are promising returnsas high as nearly 8% each year,largely due to timber production.And with the privatisation of

Coillte being recommended in theAn Bord Snip Nua report, numer-ous investment funds are circlingCoillte waiting for the kill. Onesuch company, the InternationalForestry Fund, chaired by BertieAhern, has already been buyingup swathes of land promisingmassive profits to investors.Successive right-wing govern-

ments and their appointees onstate bodies and agencies haveattempted to sell-off, or as in thecase of the Corrib gas field, togive away our natural resourcesto private bidders. Ordinaryworkers, community and environ-mental groups and those whowork in these industries (who willsee their pay and conditionsslashed by private corporations)must resist any attempts to priva-tise our natural resources andinsist that these valuable assetsare used sustainably in the inter-ests of the environment and ordi-nary people.

Protect the environment

Oppose Coillteland privatisation

Reply to Mary Harney

Victorian conditions in Ireland’s prisons.

Public transport has suffered despite the Green’s election pledges.

June 20106

feature

THE SOCIALIST

By Kevin McLoughlin

ACCORDING TO someGreek protesters Irelandis not like Greece - one

banner on a demonstrationread, “This is not Ireland, wewill fight”. Finance Minister,Brian Lenihan, says the samebut from a different standpoint. He keeps repeating thatIreland is not like Greece in thehope that such an economiccollapse won't happen here,precisely because he is afraidof a similar revolt of the Irishworking class. Lenihan's hopeful argument that

the two countries are fundamentallydifferent goes as follows - Greececooked the books and lied about theirfinancial and debt situation; itsnational debt is nearly 130% of GreekGDP; the Greek economy is decliningand its debts are rising; there isresistance causing political andfinancial instability in Greece. Inaddition, Lenihan says Ireland ismoving to improve competitivenessand tackle the problems in the bank-ing system, unlike Greece. Ireland didn't cook the books?

Recently, Ireland's current budgetdeficit jumped from 11.5% to 14.3% ofGDP, why? Because the EU insistedthat the Irish government could nolonger pretend that the cost of thebank bail out was not a burden on thestates finances. When bank assetswere first being transferred to NAMAat the start of April, it became clearthat the banks had continuously liedabout the extent of their bad debts,forcing the government to announcea massive increase in the cost of thebank bail out over night. What is allthis except a cooking of books! It’s true that the debt in Ireland, at

around 85% of GDP, is significantlylower than Greece's but its closing infast, as in 2007, it was just 25%. Infact, Ireland’s 14.3% current budgetdeficit is worse than Greece’s. If there were strong reasons to

believe that growth in Ireland waslikely to take off, thereby giving abasis to reduce the debt by creatingnew wealth, then perhaps it would beclear that Ireland is in a differentposition to Greece, but is that likely? There seems to be a stabilisation

of the economy, but at much lowerlevel than before, with no realprospect of any return of Celtic Tigergrowth to help avert the slide intoindebtedness. In fact, the propertymarket is continuing to decline andtherefore, it’s likely that the crisis inthe banks will get worse, meaningthat this government will go into big-ger debt to bail out the banks evenmore.

In that scenario, it is inevitablethat they would impose new anddeeper cuts. Like in Greece, at a cer-tain point, cuts won’t be enough tocalm the “financial markets” and theIrish economy could have the legspulled from under it by the sharksand the speculators. The cuts, rather than providing a

platform to salvation, will furtherundermine the economy and threat-en a downward decent into deeperdebt and crisis. In fact, one of thereasons for the recent decline in theeuro is the fear that the austeritymeasures across Europe couldalready be pushing Europe back intofull recession.

The reason the EU came out witha new €750 billion deal in early Mayon top of the €110 billion for Greece,was precisely because they arescared stiff of collapses in Portugal,Spain and Ireland, which couldpotentially mortally wound the euroas a currency. “We have closed ranks to save the

euro,” Christine Lagarde, FrenchFinance Minister, recently said. Theyare hoping, having delayed desper-ately on assistance to Greece thatthis proactive commitment will wardoff attacks on the euro. So far, theirhopes have been in vain, as the eurohas continued to decline. The €750 billion package is anoth-

er confidence trick - they are hopingthat by stating what they would do inthe event of the crisis getting worsethat they won’t have to do it. But thedebt and investment crisis that capi-talism is suffering from cannot bejust wished away, it is inevitable thatthere will be much more economicpain, the issue is who will pay. They have said €500 billion will

essentially come from the 16Eurozone countries and €250 billionis from the IMF. The IMF involvementunderlines that the US in particularis very concerned at the instabilitythat Europe is causing the globaleconomy, in the context that manyeconomists are expecting a signifi-cant decline in China sooner ratherthan later and possibly new prob-lems in the US when the affects ofObama’s stimulus packages fizzlesout in the second quarter of this year. “By establishing a €750 billion euro

fund to bailout Greece and aid otherstruggling governments, Germanyand other strong European states arechasing a dream - a single Europeancurrency and broader Europeanunity - that may have no place inreality,” said Peter Morici, a profes-sor at the University of Maryland. It is clear that the euro is facing a

fight for its survival. If the currencycontinues to decline sharply, that willplace huge pressure on the EU andall the countries individually. Clearly the EU will try to intervene

with cash and loans to bolster weak-er countries whose problems areundermining the euro. But will thelikes of German capitalism just con-tinue to put money in when it clearlyisn’t convinced that the situation canbe saved? For the indebted countries, every

decline in the euro significantlyincreases their debts and crisis. InIreland, we need to be prepared thata new crisis can hit extremely sud-denly. Further problems in Greece,bad economic news here, a down-grading by a ratings agency ofIreland's debts - all could exacerbatethe situation and leave Ireland facingthe same insolvency collapse thatfaced Greece. At the moment, the respective gov-

ernments have chosen to hangtogether, but at a certain stage theymay decide to hang separately and inso doing, completely undermine thewhole EU project as we know it. There are so many fault lines in

the EU that it is impossible to tellwhere the next difficulty will comefrom. What’s clear is that this crisisis far from over. Minister Lenihanand the whole cabinet should get theOuzo ready, there could well be someGreek style strikes and street partiesafter all. �

Ireland & the EUAusterity programmes provoke general strikes and struggles

THE EUROZONE is faced with a potentialbreak up. Currently, the governments of theso-called peripheral economies are deter-mined to remain within the eurozone, and aretrying to enforce savage austerity packagesto ensure they can. However, whether they willbe able to carry through the attacks demand-ed by the IMF and German capitalism is clear-ly in question when confronted with the mas-sive movements of the working class as seenin Greece. If they are not able to carry through these

attacks successfully, these countries will cer-tainly default and may well be pushed out ofthe eurozone through a combination of pres-sure of speculators and German capitalism,which is unwilling to "bail-out" other Europeaneconomies. A very different eurozone than thatwhich currently operates is a possibility - thecommon currency area could be reduced to thecore countries of European capitalism.

The future direction of the European Unionitself has also been put into question. A deci-sive shift in power within the EU took place inthe course of the crisis. During the boom years,governments and capitalist classes in theEuropean countries were happy to givepower to the European Commission.The Commission, more removed frompressure than national governments,was able to largely successfullyimplement strategic measures acrossEurope in the interests of big business.The posting of workers’ directive, forexample, allowed migrant workers tobe exploited across Europe. However, as the crisis devel-

oped, key governments in Europe,in particular,Germany, haveshown themselvesunwilling to allow the

Commission and central EU to make the keydecisions in relation to the Greek crisis.Rather than Barosso and Trichet as theheads of the European Commission and theEuropean Central Bank making the key deci-sions, Angela Merkel, the Chancellor ofGermany, became the key figure. Regular trips to Berlin by the key figures

in the crisis symbolise the shift of poweraway from centralised institutions backtowards national capitalist classes. The

dreams of those who envisaged a "fed-eral Europe" akin to the US havebeen dashed against the reality ofthe increasingly divergent inter-ests of the European capitalistclasses. Instead, while the EU willcontinue for the moment, it willincreasingly be riven by tensionbetween these national capitalistinterests.

The EU Project - is it doomed? By Paul Murphy

7June 2010

THE SOCIALIST

By Kevin McLoughlin

ACCORDING TO someGreek protesters Irelandis not like Greece - one

banner on a demonstrationread, “This is not Ireland, wewill fight”. Finance Minister,Brian Lenihan, says the samebut from a different standpoint. He keeps repeating thatIreland is not like Greece in thehope that such an economiccollapse won't happen here,precisely because he is afraidof a similar revolt of the Irishworking class. Lenihan's hopeful argument that

the two countries are fundamentallydifferent goes as follows - Greececooked the books and lied about theirfinancial and debt situation; itsnational debt is nearly 130% of GreekGDP; the Greek economy is decliningand its debts are rising; there isresistance causing political andfinancial instability in Greece. Inaddition, Lenihan says Ireland ismoving to improve competitivenessand tackle the problems in the bank-ing system, unlike Greece. Ireland didn't cook the books?

Recently, Ireland's current budgetdeficit jumped from 11.5% to 14.3% ofGDP, why? Because the EU insistedthat the Irish government could nolonger pretend that the cost of thebank bail out was not a burden on thestates finances. When bank assetswere first being transferred to NAMAat the start of April, it became clearthat the banks had continuously liedabout the extent of their bad debts,forcing the government to announcea massive increase in the cost of thebank bail out over night. What is allthis except a cooking of books! It’s true that the debt in Ireland, at

around 85% of GDP, is significantlylower than Greece's but its closing infast, as in 2007, it was just 25%. Infact, Ireland’s 14.3% current budgetdeficit is worse than Greece’s. If there were strong reasons to

believe that growth in Ireland waslikely to take off, thereby giving abasis to reduce the debt by creatingnew wealth, then perhaps it would beclear that Ireland is in a differentposition to Greece, but is that likely? There seems to be a stabilisation

of the economy, but at much lowerlevel than before, with no realprospect of any return of Celtic Tigergrowth to help avert the slide intoindebtedness. In fact, the propertymarket is continuing to decline andtherefore, it’s likely that the crisis inthe banks will get worse, meaningthat this government will go into big-ger debt to bail out the banks evenmore.

In that scenario, it is inevitablethat they would impose new anddeeper cuts. Like in Greece, at a cer-tain point, cuts won’t be enough tocalm the “financial markets” and theIrish economy could have the legspulled from under it by the sharksand the speculators. The cuts, rather than providing a

platform to salvation, will furtherundermine the economy and threat-en a downward decent into deeperdebt and crisis. In fact, one of thereasons for the recent decline in theeuro is the fear that the austeritymeasures across Europe couldalready be pushing Europe back intofull recession.

The reason the EU came out witha new €750 billion deal in early Mayon top of the €110 billion for Greece,was precisely because they arescared stiff of collapses in Portugal,Spain and Ireland, which couldpotentially mortally wound the euroas a currency. “We have closed ranks to save the

euro,” Christine Lagarde, FrenchFinance Minister, recently said. Theyare hoping, having delayed desper-ately on assistance to Greece thatthis proactive commitment will wardoff attacks on the euro. So far, theirhopes have been in vain, as the eurohas continued to decline. The €750 billion package is anoth-

er confidence trick - they are hopingthat by stating what they would do inthe event of the crisis getting worsethat they won’t have to do it. But thedebt and investment crisis that capi-talism is suffering from cannot bejust wished away, it is inevitable thatthere will be much more economicpain, the issue is who will pay. They have said €500 billion will

essentially come from the 16Eurozone countries and €250 billionis from the IMF. The IMF involvementunderlines that the US in particularis very concerned at the instabilitythat Europe is causing the globaleconomy, in the context that manyeconomists are expecting a signifi-cant decline in China sooner ratherthan later and possibly new prob-lems in the US when the affects ofObama’s stimulus packages fizzlesout in the second quarter of this year. “By establishing a €750 billion euro

fund to bailout Greece and aid otherstruggling governments, Germanyand other strong European states arechasing a dream - a single Europeancurrency and broader Europeanunity - that may have no place inreality,” said Peter Morici, a profes-sor at the University of Maryland. It is clear that the euro is facing a

fight for its survival. If the currencycontinues to decline sharply, that willplace huge pressure on the EU andall the countries individually. Clearly the EU will try to intervene

with cash and loans to bolster weak-er countries whose problems areundermining the euro. But will thelikes of German capitalism just con-tinue to put money in when it clearlyisn’t convinced that the situation canbe saved? For the indebted countries, every

decline in the euro significantlyincreases their debts and crisis. InIreland, we need to be prepared thata new crisis can hit extremely sud-denly. Further problems in Greece,bad economic news here, a down-grading by a ratings agency ofIreland's debts - all could exacerbatethe situation and leave Ireland facingthe same insolvency collapse thatfaced Greece. At the moment, the respective gov-

ernments have chosen to hangtogether, but at a certain stage theymay decide to hang separately and inso doing, completely undermine thewhole EU project as we know it. There are so many fault lines in

the EU that it is impossible to tellwhere the next difficulty will comefrom. What’s clear is that this crisisis far from over. Minister Lenihanand the whole cabinet should get theOuzo ready, there could well be someGreek style strikes and street partiesafter all. �

feature

Ireland & the EU By Danny Byrne, CWI

AS TV screens were last week filled with the spectacle of Greekworkers and youth attempting to storm parliament buildings inAthens, wherein MPs planned to vote on a draconian raft of viciousausterity measures, the developing fightback of the working class ofthe “PIGS” (Portugal, Ireland, Greece and Spain) stood at centrestage.The deep impact of the international capitalist crisis on the

economies of Spain, Greece and Portugal has led to a rapid decline inthe living standards of the majority. Mass unemployment (which inSpain, stands at over 20% of the workforce), and declining living stan-dards have quickly developed, alongside the multi-billion euro hand-outs doled out to the financial elite in these countries, whose recklessdictatorship over the economy led to the current situation.With the explosion of the Greek debt crisis in the last weeks and

months, the vultures of international capitalism, both in the countrieseffected and in the international institutions (EU and IMF) have closedin, demanding ferocious austerity, in the form of massive programmesof cuts and privatisations, to assuage the “gods” of the internationalfinance markets an credit ratings agencies. The contagion which grewout of the Greek crisis saw ratings agency, Standard and Poors (S&P)downgrade the credit rating for the Portugese and Spanish economies,as well as consigning Greek government bonds to “junk” status. Thishad a disastrous effect on the European, as well and the Spanish andPortugese financial markets, and makes these countries’ national debtsignificantly more expensive.

“The next Greece?”

Speculation that Portugal could be “the next Greece” has embold-ened the Socrates government there to bring forward its austeritypackage, which includes savage cuts to social welfare and unemploy-ment benefits, the whole-scale privatisation of previously publicly-owned companies, in the transport and postal sectors etc, and taxincreases which will hit the whole population.The Zapatero government in Spain, which has come out all guns

blazing against rumours that it would be next in line for an IMF“bailout” (to the tune of over €200 billion) has too announced themost devastating plan of attacks on the public services and living stan-dards since the Franco era. Last week, Zapatero made announcementof additional attacks, including an across-the-board public sector paycut of 5%, and the abolition of a form of child benefit, in order to fur-ther assuage the markets.Portugal has seen an eruption of workers’ struggle in response to

the government’s plans. The month of April saw the highest number ofdays “lost” to strike action for 16 years, as workers in every sectortook action. A general strike of the transport sector, threatened withprivatisation, saw a shattering 95% participation. On May Day, over100,000 took to the streets of Lisbon, in massive, angry demonstra-tions against the government’s and capitalism’s agenda in planning toslash living standards. Increasing pressure within the main trade unionfederation, the CGTP, has forced the question of further strike action,including that of a general strike onto the agenda.In Spain, mounting anger has developed at the effects of the crisis,

which was reflected in the massive demonstrations, totalling over200,000 which forced the government to retreat on its proposal toraise the retirement age to 67. The struggle there has now entered a

new phase, with unions responding to the announcement of the latestattacks with the calling of a public sector general strike for 8 June.This marks the moving of the working class onto the scene of struggle- an event which in the next period will surely shake the Zapatero gov-ernment and Spanish capitalism.

For international workers’ resistance!Greece, which has seen a tremendous fightback by the working class

and youth, with numerous general strikes in the last weeks andmonths, represents the most advanced country in Europe, in terms ofstruggle, at this stage. The question posed over the next weeks andmonths, which will see further general strikes, will be that of an esca-lation of the fightback, and for a militant programme of sustained unit-ed action to force the government and bosses back.Democratically elected committees of struggle, to discuss and co-

ordinate the struggle, and fight for a political and economic alternativeto capitalist crisis and attacks, should be formed in Greece, Spain andPortugal as the fightback develops.The next period will also see the question of a European-wide strug-

gle against the austerity agenda of capitalism across the continentposed. Joe Higgins’ initiative has led to a call for united protests andactions around the 21-26 June being made by a number of left MEPs,which could represent an important step in this direction.The CWI is organised as Xekinima in Greece, where comrades partic-

ipate in the left coalition SYRIZA and fight for its development as amass fighting force capable of organising a mass struggle to changesociety. We are also currently building our forces in Spain andPortugal, in order to organise and offer a socialist programme in thestruggles that develop and to point the way forward to the only viablesolution to current abyss facing working people in Southern Europeand beyond – a democratic socialist Europe, in which the dictatorshipof the capitalist market is broken and wealth and resources can beused to develop the lives and living standards of all.

Greek workers show the way – the “PIGS” fight back!

Austerity programmes provoke general strikes and struggles

By Paul Murphy

THE DICTATORSHIP of the market has beenlaid bare in the last number of months, asright-wing commentators and politicians,have breathlessly asked, at each successiveattack on working people - "Will this beenough to satisfy the markets?" Yet, who orwhat are these markets, rating agencies andhedge funds which hold such great power?Simply put, the bond markets are where

most governments choose to borrow money.They issue bonds, which are then bought by

investors (generally institutions or hedgefunds) who are promised a return at a certaininterest rate at a date in the future.Credit rating agencies come into the picture

as the private companies that "rate" how safedifferent investments are, which in turn affecthow high interest rates have to be paid. Theratings they give go from AAA (prime) to D (indefault). Their decision on how to rate coun-tries has an enormous effect on those coun-tries' economies. For example, while Germany(which has an AAA rating) would pay currentlypay about 0.8% interest on a 2 year loan,

Greece (rated BBB-) would pay 12.7% interest.It is workers, pensioners and young people inGreece who are expected to pay the price.These same agencies gave basically worthlesssubprime debts AAA ratings before the bubbleburst.What is really interesting is asking who is it

that is buying and selling these bonds on mar-kets? The answer, to an important extent, isshadowy hedge funds. Incredibly, in terms ofvolume, between 40-50% of transactions inthe major stock exchanges in New York andLondon relate to these hedge funds.Hedge funds are highly speculative invest-

ment vehicles. The minimum investment in ahedge funds ranges from $500,000 to $3 mil-lion, meaning they are exclusively for very richpeople or institutions, seeking to make moneyfrom movements in the markets. There are9,000 of these hedge funds in operation world-wide, in control of billions of euro.The top 25 fund managers earned $25.3 bil-

lion last year, a new record for the industry,and the average return of hedge funds in 2009was 19%. This is mostly as a result of thehedge funds betting that the governmentswould bail out the banks. Therefore, when thebank stock prices bounced up, they benefitedhugely, in effect, getting a portion of thebailouts for their massive profits.The start of 2010 has seen the same story,

with the hedgefund.net Industry report declar-ing, "Hedge fund performance in Q1 2010 wasthe best first quarter since 2006". One canonly surmise that gambling at the expense ofGreek workers has been a major winner forthese funds.

What are the bond markets, ratingagencies, hedge funds?

By Manus Lenihan

IMAGINE BEING turneddown after a job interview.Then imagine checking an

employment website sometime later only to find an ad forthat same job, word for word,except for the fact that it isnow a "Work PlacementProgramme"- a job where youronly "pay" is a few words onyour CV. There are now arange of job advertisements onjobbank.fas.ie offering nine-month, full-time contracts,each declaring that "This is awork placement programmeand does not offer a salary." These jobs are advertised in

renowned companies such asEcco Shoes and Centra. Onacceptance of the job, theemployer pays nothing and theworker continues to receivesocial welfare payments – ineffect, it’s the state, not onlysubsidising private companiesbut also legitimising slavelabour, undermining the pay

and conditions of workersalready employed.Perhaps more shocking is a

recent offer to the FAS-fundedMoyross Jobs Club. FAS sent aletter encouraging unemployedpeople in Limerick to join the

Royal Irish Rangers, a BritishArmy regiment which hastroops in Afghanistan! It shouldbe noted that failure to respondto job offers can lead to expul-sion and a cut in dole for mem-bers of this Jobs Club.

So employers can nowchoose to pay in a currencycalled "experience" instead ofeuros. Such experience variesfrom operating and balancingtills - which doesn't take ninemonths to learn - to the vagueand somewhat ominous "how tobuild and maintain a positiveattitude". Capitalism’s offer to young

people of work-for-free place-ments, McJobs, or the dole is anindictment of the system. Wemust work together to "buildand maintain" a socialist alter-native that puts the needs ofpeople before profit. Buildingsuch an alternative will includea rank and file movement in thetrade unions to force them tofight in the interests of youngworkers and the unemployed.Step one will mean taking onFas’s shameful Work PlacementProgramme. Such a step shouldbe linked to the fight for a jobfor all on decent wages and con-ditions as a basic right that allyoung people deserve.

8THE SOCIALIST

June 2010

Scrooge inBlarney Castle

IT’S NOT easy being anaristocrat, at leastaccording to Sir Charles

Colthurst, the owner ofBlarney Castle. Not contentwith private fishing rights,tax breaks and a stable fullof horses, Sir Charles hasalso called for the mini-mum wage to be cut,claiming the castle can’tremain profitable withoutit. This is despite the fact

that at one point, BlarneyCastle attracted over300,000 visitors a year.Blue-blooded and cold-blooded, Colthurst attractednotoriety in 2004 when heattempted to evict a couplewhose family had lived onthe estate for over a hun-dred years. Perhaps Blarneycould “profit” from havingCharlie’s Castle and fishingrights taken into publicownership.

Penneys stoopto new lows

PENNEYS HAVE beenforced to withdrawpadded bikini tops for

children aged seven to 10following widespread con-demnation. While some so-called

“feminists” have defendedthe bra as “empowering”,the reality is that productslike these contribute to theexploitation of women byconvincing young girls thatthey are not defined byability or achievement butby how they look. This des-picable sexualisation ofchildren leads to problemswith self-esteem, while thesexual objectification ofwomen and girls con-tributes to a culture of vio-lence and disrespecttowards women at a timewhen domestic abuse is onthe rise.

Sexism’s notHunky Dory

GEORGE ORWELLonce described thecapitalist advertising

industry as “the rattling ofa stick inside a swill-buck-et”. That statement ringsparticularly true when youlook at Hunky Dory’s newad campaign. The ads depicts scantily

clad women playing rugby,accompanied by text con-sisting of cheap, sleazyinnuendo and the claim thatthe company is the “proudsponsor of Irish rugby”.Raymond Coyle, the chiefexecutive of Largo Foods(producers of Hunky Dorys)showed just how little hecares about the exploitationof women by dismissing theads as a “bit of humour andfun”. Meanwhile, the IrishRugby Football Union hascondemned the ad, statingthat its “blatant exploitationof women is tasteless andbase, and quite simplyunacceptable”. We couldn’tagree more.

SHORTCUTSBy Liam CullinaneFÁS new jobs plan:

WORK FOR FREE!

By Sean Malone

IAM just finished doing ascience PLC (Post LeavingCertificate) course and I

found the science aspects ofthe year interesting enough,the trouble is only half of myclasses are science based theother half are classesdesigned simply to stretch outthe year. Communications is a brilliant

example of this. The assign-ments are long and pointlessand the classes ruin any enthu-siasm people have for learning.This class is mandatory and

you have to get a distinction init to get a proper diploma at theend of the year. This applies toalmost all PLC courses aroundthe country. To be honest, the curriculum

for communications isdemeaning to me and the restof the students. You have towrite up a load of formal andnon-formal letters which isbasically a return to what welearned in primary school. Wealso had to learn how to sendfaxes - I don’t know anybodywho still uses fax machines ona regular basis! To add insultto injury, next we had to make

a non-verbal Christmas card.So here I am, instead of fillingup beakers or struggling tograsp the complexity of genet-ics, they have me drawing pic-tures of Santa!We need a well-funded edu-

cation system where coursesand curriculum are evaluatedregularly and democraticallydecided by teachers and stu-dents. In reality, most of myclass mates won’t get a placein college this year eitherbecause their families can’tafford it, or with the lack ofjobs, everyone will try to getinto college this year which

will hike up the points. Whyshould we have to compete forplaces in college? Young peo-ple who want to go on to thirdlevel should have a guaranteedplace on a quality course.These type of PLC courses

are blatantly about blurring theunemployment figures andoffer no real way out of thedole queues for the majority ofyoung people. We need quali-ty education and training andyoung people must fight forthis, as well as the basic rightto a quality job on course com-pletion, that allows us to utiliseour talents and skills.

By Sarah Hughes,Waterford Socialist Youth

AT 16 you can leaveschool and pay taxesand at 17, you can join

the army. But these young peo-ple do not have the right tovote. Young people should beable to have a say in decisionswhich affect them. We are affected by the educa-

tion cuts and youth dole cuts, aswell as by government policiesthat have increased unemploy-ment and government threats tocut the minimum wage. Otherdecisions made by the govern-ment are or will affect youngpeople in the long term. With the introduction of

NAMA that could bankrupt thecountry, many young peoplewill be forced to emigrate. Themain argument against reduc-ing the age is that at 16, we arenot mature enough to makedecisions. However, in other

countries which have reducedthe voting age, more 16-20 yearolds vote then 21-25 year olds. The vast majority of political

parties claim to support theNational Youth Council’s cam-paign to lower the voting age to

16. The Socialist Party andSocialist Youth, not only sup-port the campaign, but alsobelieve that young peopleshould be able to vote in gener-al elections, as well asEuropean and locals.

Despite claiming to supportthe Campaign no political partyhas tried to bring aboutchange, probably because thepolitical establishment feelsthat many young people wouldrightly oppose the main parties. For this campaign to be effec-

tive, a strong campaign needsto be built in schools. Schoolstudents who get active in thecampaign throughout the coun-try could build a real basis forthe campaign and put pressureon the government to hear thedemands of young people. It isimportant that young peopleobtain the vote. Whether it be local or nation-

al elections or whatever elec-tions, we should have the rightto have a say in the decisionsthat affect us. For more informa-tion on the National YouthCouncil’s campaign to lowerthe voting age to 16, go tovoteat16.ie or join the Facebookcampaign.

Young people’s right to vote at 16

Post Leaving Cert Disaster

Join SOCIALIST YOUTH Today: 087 3141986

Why get paid when you can work for free with FÁS!

We can fight wars, but we can’t vote!

9THE SOCIALIST

brita

inJune 2010

COMMITTEE FO

R A WORKERS’ IN

TERNATIONAL cw

i@worldsoc.co.u

k www.socialistw

orld.net

By Ciaran Mulholland

THE GENERAL Electionin Britain was an elec-tion that no party won.

Despite their expectations,the Tories failed to win suffi-cient support to form amajority government - theygained 36% of the vote and306 seats. Labour, in spite ofthe polls which predictedthat it could come in third,came second with 258 seatsand 29% of the vote. TheLiberal Democrats won 57seats, five fewer than in2005, with 23% of the vote.There was a last minute swing

back to New Labour in the workingclass areas as a desperate reac-tion to the prospect of the return ofthe hated Tories. The swing backto Labour was reflected in theincreased turnout over 2005, upfrom 60% to 65%.The anti-Tory surge lead to some

unexpected results. In Scotland,there was actually a swing toLabour compared to 2005, in partbecause of the dramatic fall in thevote for the Scottish SocialistParty. Labour won control of 14new councils, including the keycities of Sheffield and Liverpooland increased its number of coun-cillors nationally by nearly 400. The Conservatives gained

around 1.9 million more votescompared to 2005, but their shareof the vote continued a long termtrend of a declining vote for theTories since the 1950s. The shareof the vote won by Labour has alsobeen in decline for some years.Indeed the share of the vote wonby parties other than Labour andthe Conservatives was the highestsince 1918 at 35%. The British National Party (BNP)

had a bad election. It lost all itstwelve council seats in Barkingand Dagenham, where it hoped toseize control of the council, andwas beaten into third place inStoke. Across the country, theylost 24 seats and managed to holdon to 19. This should not disguisethe fact that right wing partiesgained significant votes. The UKIndependence Party’s vote wentup by a third, from around 600,000in 2005 to 900,000, while theBNP’s more than doubled fromaround 200,000 to 550,000. Thesevotes are a clear warning for thefuture. If a viable and crediblesocialist alternative is not built,the attacks on the living condi-tions and rights of working people,which are an immediate prospect,will drive some into the arms ofthe far right.

Trade Unionist andSocialist CoalitionThere was a modest socialist

alternative offered in this election.The Socialist Party in England andWales helped to found the TradeUnionist and Socialist Coalition

(TUSC) which stood in 41 generalelection seats across Britain.Although TUSC candidates gotsome credible votes - notably DaveNellist's 1,592 votes in CoventryNorth East, 1,057 for Jenny Suttonin Tottenham and 931 for TommySheridan in Glasgow South West –TUSC votes in general were low. Inpart, this was because of themedia's virtual blackout of TUSC.This made it difficult to establish anational profile in the short timebetween it being founded and theelection being called. However, themajor factor was that many work-ers who were considering a votefor TUSC felt they had no choicebut to vote New Labour in order tostop the Tories. The general trend was for small-

er parties to be squeezed by NewLabour and the Tories. This, com-bined with the higher turnout cre-ated by the general election takingplace on the same day as thelocals, meant that the fourSocialist Party councillors whowere up for re-election all losttheir seats, despite maintaining oreven increasing their votes. InCoventry St Michaels ward forexample, where Socialist Partycouncillor, Rob Windsor, wasdefending his seat, Rob got thehighest ever vote for the SocialistParty in the ward, with 1,783 votes- 580 more than the last time hestood - but still lost.

A Governmentof Cuts

A Tory-Lib Dem coalition gov-ernment has now been estab-lished. This is a right-wing, anti-working class, government of cuts.The Lib Dems will be absolutelycomplicit in the cuts. Vince Cablehas become Business Secretary.David Laws, a millionaire and ex-managing director of JP Morgan,has taken on the job of ChiefSecretary of the Treasury.Clegg and the group of Lib Dems

organised around the so-called“Orange Book” have successfullymoved the party to the right on awhole number of issues, particu-larly on economic questions. TheLib Dems have agreed to the sub-stance of the Tories’ position ofimmediate savage cuts. There willan emergency budget on 22 Juneand an extra £6 billion of cuts thisyear (on top of the cuts alreadyordered by Gordon Brown) wasannounced on 27 May. A full“spending review” in the autumnwill pile on more misery. The measures planned by the

government are very likely to leadto a “double-dip” recession. AsDavid Blanchflower, ex-member ofthe Bank of England's MonetaryPolicy Committee, put it on 12May: "Anybody who is going tostart cutting in [the current eco-nomic position] is basically goingto push us into that death spiral.That's what we've avoided untilthis date. We need to be stimulat-

ing growth, not withdrawing multi-ple billions out of the system."

Can New Labourbe “reclaimed”?

Since the election, some haveargued that there is a possibility ofshifting New Labour to the left nowthat it is out of power. However, tostand a chance of reclaiming NewLabour for the working class, itwould take a mass influx into theparty - of trade unionists andyoung people - determined torebuild the democratic structureswhich have long been destroyed.A serious campaign to reclaim

New Labour by affiliated tradeunions would have to demand thatLabour adopts a programme

including the repeal of all the anti-trade union laws and opposition toall cuts in public services, not justin words but in action. The Socialist Party does not

think that a campaign to reclaimNew Labour could succeed. Theonly genuinely left-wing potentialcandidate, John McDonnell, isunlikely to win sufficient supportwithin the parliamentary party toget on the ballot paper, let alonewin the leadership contest. Thequickest and most direct route todeveloping political representa-tion for workers and trade union-ists would be for the unions todecisively break from Labour andestablish a new mass party com-mitted to opposing the cuts agendaof all the parties at national and

local level. TUSC represents animportant preparatory steptowards such a formation - whichcould come into being very quick-ly under the impact of the stormyevents that lie ahead.

Will the Coalitionlast?

The coalition has a very clearparliamentary majority. The capi-talist class want “strong govern-ment” and will back it through themedia. Cameron has madeenough concessions to keep theLib Dems onside and Clegg isdesperate to see it work. Butdespite all the efforts of Clegg andCameron to create a stable gov-ernment the coalition could shat-ter under the pressure of eventsat a certain point, probably inresponse to mass movements ofthe working class. According to the Financial

Times (13 May 2010): “MrOsborne will have to announcepublic spending cuts of £57 billiona year from a non-protectedbudget of about £260 billion - cutsof about 22%. It goes without say-ing that this will prove a sharptest of political will... Britain'spublic sector will face similarausterity measures to those seenin Ireland, Greece, Portugal andSpain” The working class will be forced

to fight back to defend itself andover time will draw political con-clusions out of its experience inthose struggles. Only a militant,determined struggle against allcuts will be successful. The firststep needs to be a campaign for amassive national trade union leddemonstration against all cuts inpublic services. This needs to belinked to the development of localanti-cuts committees to bringtogether the different campaigns.And at a certain stage the need forgeneral strike action, probably ini-tially across the public sector, willbe posed.

Worse than Thatcher Tory/Lib Dem declare war on public services

Nick Clegg and David Cameron - modern day Thatcherites.

Public sector workers face massive attacks on wages and conditions.

Brian Caton of the Prison Officers Association & SP Cllr Dave Nellist.

10THE SOCIALIST

June 2010

news north

By Kevin Henry

THE ASSEMBLYExecutive is preparingan act that will crimi-

nalise the right to protest.The “Public Assemblies Bill”proposed by the workinggroup on parades after theHillsborough Agreement willmean all protests of 50 ormore people will be illegalacts unless they ask permis-sion 37 days before hand! Protests organised at short

notice, such as those organised bythe Socialist Party and LisburnRoad residents in Belfast againstracist attacks on Romanians willbe deemed illegal if this legislationis passed. Emergency protests willhave to give three days notice.

Racist thugs are not going to givenotice, so why should those organ-ising against them?The Bill shows the politicians

recognise that the cuts they areplanning will be met with resist-ance and they want to take awaypeople’s right to protest. It evengives the example of a groupprotesting against the closure oflocal sports facility. Not contentwith stripping communities offacilities, the Stormont Executivewants to criminalise those commu-nities that resist.The Bill also specifically targets

the trade union movement.Recently, there have been a seriesof attacks by the courts on workersengaged in industrial struggle, be itthe BA workers, railway signalworkers in Britain or the Thomas

Cook workers in Dublin, who occu-pied their workplace in defence ofjobs and were met with a brutalpolice raid.However, recent industrial

struggles such as VisteonOccupation and the Lindsey OilRefinery strike have also shownthat repressive legislation is pow-erless when faced with massaction. Democratic rights werewon by working class people inthe same way better living condi-tions were won – through massstruggle. It is important an effec-tive campaign, based on the tradeunions and workers organisations,is democratically organised todefeat this undemocratic Bill. Ifthis legislation passes, then it willbe necessary to organise massprotests to defy the Bill.

Fight the Public Assemblies Bill

Defend the Right to Protest

By Daniel Waldron

ON A Daily Politics dis-cussion on the econo-my in the run up to the

election, Finance Minister,Sammy Wilson, of the DUPmade it crystal clear that, inhis opinion, the AssemblyExecutive will introducewater charges. He admittedthat the charges have onlybeen deferred, not scrapped,and went on to say that“when they are introduced”,it must be on the basis of“fairness”.With huge public opposition to

water charges, you might haveexpected the other politicians toround on Wilson to score somepolitical points. But insteadMitchell McLaughlin of Sinn Feinand the representatives of theother main parties also categori-cally refused to rule out thecharges, while of course echoingWilson’s mantra that they must be

“fair”. This is a far cry from theirelection manifestos of 2007, when

all the main parties posed asopponents of the double tax,

despite having already signed upto them in principle.The Alliance Party’s David Ford

has perhaps been the most forth-right in pushing for water chargesto be introduced, stating that theyare “inevitable” and that continueddeferral is “not financially sustain-able.” Alliance claim that holdingthe charges off is costing £200 mil-lion per year. Interestingly, this isthe same amount that their pro-posed cut in corporation tax - apolicy also supported by the othermain parties - would remove fromNorthern Ireland’s block grantfrom Westminster. In other words,they want to squeeze more moneyfrom ordinary people - pushingmany to the wire - so they can giveeven more handouts to big busi-ness. In reality, Alliance are justsaying what all the other partiesmean in a more “honest” way.It is now obvious that the

Assembly Executive intend tointroduce water charges in thenear future. This will not be to pro-

vide funds for investment in theinfrastructure of the water serv-ice. This could easily be found byremoving corporate rates exemp-tions, subsidies to big businesswhich cost hundreds of millionsevery year. Working-class peoplehave been paying for the waterservice through their rates fordecades. Water charges are aimedat making NI Water profitable andhanding it fully over to the privatesector vultures who already have ahuge stake in it.Working-class communities

must now begin to get organisedthrough the We Won’t PayCampaign to refuse to pay thecharges whenever they are intro-duced. It was the threat of non-payment which scared the politi-cians into deferring the chargesfor 4 years, and this tactic candefeat the charges and deliver theright-wing Executive a bloodynose.Contact the We Won’t PayCampaign on 90311778

Water charges on the wayPrepare for non-payment

Education under attack

By Paddy Meehan

SEVEN CAMPUSES of theNorthern RegionalCollege are set to close

as a result of the AssemblyExecutives cuts. They arelocated at Portrush,Ballymoney, Ballymena,Larne, Antrim andNewtownabbey. This is a serious attack on the

people of the North East, especial-ly for young people who will bedeprived of local access to educa-tion. It will mean only four campus-es stretching from Coleraine,Magherafelt, Ballymena andNewtownabbey will remain to caterfor 15,000 students, with fewerstaff as a result of job cuts.Courses for special needs, engi-

neering, motor vehicle training willbe cut back as well as openinghours. Significantly, full-time A-level and AS-level courses are to gofrom September. The consultationperiod is a complete farce as itends on the 23 August – seven daysbefore the start of the academicyear.The same diet of cuts can be

seen throughout the further & high-er education system in NorthernIreland. In February, a report car-ried on behalf of BelfastMetropolitan College recommend-ed slashing jobs and cutting com-munity courses that don't have aqualification associated with them.A-level and AS-level courses havebeen slowly suffocated. The inten-tion is to eventually scrap themaltogether. These cuts are a direct result of

the Assemblies 3% “efficiency sav-ings” and January’s announcementof additional cuts of £19.7million tothe Department of Employmentand Learning which were unani-mously agreed by the politicians inthe Executive. Meanwhile, the elitist Russell

Group of Universities, which

includes Queen’s UniversityBelfast, has proposed hiking inter-est rates on student loans. This isjust another way of increasingtuition fees. This in effect will cut out even

more working class people fromattending university. With noaccess to education, growing num-bers of young people have nowhereto go but join the growing dolequeues.Officially, youth unemployment

now stands at 16%. However thisdoesn’t take into account 105,000young people labelled as “econom-ically inactive”. Real youth unem-ployment is actually closer to 23%!The UCU (lecturers and teachers

union) and NIPSA (union repre-senting non-teaching staff) havecondemned the cuts. However, thisis not enough. A real fight back isneeded that links up school, col-lege and university students withteachers and staff under threat inthe colleges. A one-day strike of school and

colleges involving both workersand students would lay the basisfor a real defence of our educationsystem. With nearly a quarter ofyoung people out of work, theAssembly’s cuts in education andtraining is preparing the ground fora revolt. Young people must getorganised to defend their educationand fight for decent jobs and afuture. Young people have taken to the

streets in mass demonstrationsand occupations recently inGreece, Germany, Austria, Franceand Spain and have shown thatyouth are not powerless if organ-ised. It is also necessary to link theattacks on education to the attackson the rest of the working class andbuild a mass movement against thecapitalist system which is ulti-mately responsible for mass unem-ployment. The fight for a realfuture is a fight for a socialistworld.Protest like those against racist attacks in Belfast could be made illegal.

11THE SOCIALIST

June 2010

workplace n

ews

Support the Connolly Shoes 4By Dave Murphy

THE STRIKING workersat the Connolly Shoesstore in Dun Laoghaire

are now entering the sixthweek of their strike. They have taken strike action

against drastic attacks on theirpay, working conditions and a cam-paign of management harassmentculminating in the sacking of twomembers of staff. The workershave been put on a three day week,had their pay cut and yet areexpected to fulfil an increasedwork load since the store cameunder the management of the pre-vious owner’s son. The two sackedworkers each had over 30 yearsservice to the company. Management have implemented

a new roster and work duties with-out any discussion. CCTV has beeninstalled in the shop for “insurancereasons”, but instead the owneruses it to watch the workers on hislaptop, regularly ringing the storeto ask why a customer didn’t buy apair of shoes. Finally, two workerswere sacked for failing to complywith the new conditions and man-agement are trying to drive theMandate union from the store.

Since the strike began, the pub-lic have been firmly behind theworkers. Management have goneon the offensive against the work-ers: refusing any negotiation. Theboss has threatened to have onemember of staff arrested. He haseven rang the local County Councilto get them to stop council workersdriving-by from beeping their

horns as it is a “nuisance”.Needless to say that this has beenmet with even more beeping insupport of the strikers. The longer the strike continues,

the more effort needs to be made toget the workers from the otherConnolly stores in Bray, Arklowand Camden Street out on strike insupport of their fellow employees

to bring this to a quicker and suc-cessful conclusion.

� The Socialist Party demandsthe immediate re-instatement ofthe two sacked workers.

� The full and immediatepayment of all monies due to theworkers under the L.R.C ruling.Any changes to work practises

must be decided in consultationwith and the full agreement ofthe workers and their union.

� A nationwide campaign bythe trade unions to unionise thestaff in all small and medium sizebusinesses, to protect workers inthese businesses from attacks onpay and conditions as hashappened in Connolly shoes.

By Michael O’Brien

JOHN KIDD, the convener of the Fire Brigade section of SIPTU,has stood out as a vociferous opponent of the Croke Park paydeal. Witnessing firsthand the effect of the public service cutbacks on the fire service, John has been spurred to lead thecampaign against the deal within SIPTU.John spoke at a workers forum hosted by Joe Higgins MEP

organised in opposition to the Croke Park deal.“Already the Fire Service here represents only 6% of local

authority budgets whereas the average in London is 16% andmore cuts are on the way on top of the non filling of vacanciesthat have occurred in the past year.”In order to give the No arguments the widest possible airing

within SIPTU, John decided to contest the Vice Presidentialvacancy in the union using the opportunity to present an alterna-tive strategy to the members.“Because of undemocratic rule changes the wider membership

for the first time would not get a vote in this election but instead(because the vacancy arose before elections were due) there wasmeant to be a consultation process between the two senior offi-cers General President, Jack O’Connor and General Secretary,Joe O’Flynn and the branches before they selected a candidate tofill the vacancy!”Regardless of this stitch up, John submitted his campaign lit-

erature to Liberty Hall for circulation to the branches only to findout that references to his opposition to the Croke Park deal wereto be censored.Rather than proceeding with this sham process, John reluc-

tantly withdrew from the contest. As he said in a letter to JoeO’Flynn: “You claim that this was not a form of censorship but I can find

no other word to describe a deliberate removal of my policies Isubmitted to the union for circulation to branch activists. “I believe that these actions are a deliberate attempt to stifle

discussion in SIPTU on a key issue facing public sector workers. Inote that no special conference has been called to discuss theproposed deal and no facility has been offered to opponents toput their case to the wider membership. Instead, we are witness-ing a form of top down control from a union leadership that isfrightened to engage in real debate.”So pro-leadership candidate and current SIPTU Dublin Regional

Secretary, Patricia King, will be selected for Vice Presidentuncontested. John alongside other activists are continuing withtheir campaign against the deal despite these manoeuvrings bythe leadership.

By Michael O’Brien

THE SOCIALIST Party pro-duced tens of thousands

of leaflets making the casefor a No vote in the CrokePark deal ballot. The leafletdetailed the various attackson conditions this rotten dealrepresented and put forwarda fighting alternative strate-gy for the union movementthat would provide the bestchance of reversing the paycuts and protecting jobs andconditions.Party members around the coun-

try visited local authority officesand depots, water works, libraries,Social Welfare offices, governmentdepartments, hospitals and firestations to hand out leaflets anddiscuss the deal with workers.

Leaflets were also given out atmembers meetings hosted by theINTO, CPSU and INMO.Many workers were anxious to

read the arguments against thedeal in anticipation of the argu-ments being presented by someunion leaders in favour of the dealat upcoming meetings.In a number of instances, includ-

ing the Department of SocialWelfare, Enterprise Ireland and DunLaoghaire Rathdown Council, work-ers took a bunches of leaflets off usto circulate among their workmates.Some workers we spoke to who hadalready made up their minds to voteno felt the arguments in the leafletbetter equipped them to go on andconvince their workmates to alsoreject the deal.At some workplaces, including

the Departments of Enterprise

Trade and Employment and ArtHeritage and the Gaeltacht, somesenior managers, despite beingaffected themselves by the cuts,took it on themselves to harassparty members for giving out theleaflets and in the latter case, callthe Gardai but we carried on unde-terred.Beyond the deal itself, the leaflet

argued for the need for rank andfile activist opposition groups to beestablished within the unions tofight for a complete change in theunion leadership as the currentleaders have demonstrated them-selves totally unwilling and inca-pable of leading a fight.If you are interested in getting

involved in a campaigning activistgroup within your union thenplease phone or text 085 7132937for more information.

By Fionn Ryder

IN MAY, the Dublin Councilof Trade Unions (DCTU)

convened a meeting of 27groups ranging from politi-cal parties to TradesCouncils and representa-tives of unions. Speakersincluded Mick O’Reilly, for-mer General Secretary ofUnite, Michael Taft, an econ-omist from Unite and thejournalist, Vincent Browne.This was supposed to be a gath-

ering together of the “left” to dis-cuss cooperation, specifically theDCTU proposal of a seven pointaction plan on social justiceissues.

The Labour Party and Sinn Feincame in for particular criticismover their refusal to publicallyreject any coalition deal withFianna Fail and Fine Gael or toreject neo liberal policies. AsVincent Browne pointed out,inequality and in particular, infantmortality in the “lower socio eco-nomic groups” increased whenLabour was in government.

Another speaker criticised SinnFein showing a left face in theSouth while implementing cut-backs and privatisations in theNorth. Several speakers raised objec-

tions to the Croke Park deal andhow it would lead to a wateringdown of the terms and conditions

of public sector workers and didnothing to reverse the pay cutsimposed since the recent crisisbegan. The only people defendingthe deal were union officials whotried to raise a smoke screen,claiming politics should be sepa-rate from unions. The Socialist Party, while sup-

porting the idea of genuine left co-operation, would oppose the ideaput forward by some at the meet-ing that Sinn Fein and Labour arepart of the Left. Sinn Fein andLabour have pursued neo liberalpolicies of cuts and privatisationwhen in government and nowopenly support the idea that theworking class should be made payfor the capitalist crisis.

SIPTUleaderscensor anti-dealcampaigner

Campaigning against the Croke Park deal

DCTU conference report

Is there an alternative?

Striking workers at Connolly Shoes have received magnificent support from the local community. PIC PAULA GERAGHTY

Education under attack

n A guaranteed right to a job ortraining with decent wages and fullworkers’ rights.n For a minimum wage of €12 anhour tax free with no exemptions.n For a 35 hour week without lossof pay.n For a decent social welfarepayment, linked to averageearnings.n Free childcare for all.

n For democratic trade unions tofight in the interests of theirmembers on pay, conditions and jobsecurity. n Full time union officials should beregularly elected and receive theaverage wage of those theyrepresent.n Scrap the anti-union laws. An endto "social partnership".

n For a free public national healthservice. No to private health care.

n Free, quality education for allfrom primary to university, with aliving grant.

n Nationalise the developers’empty residential properties anduse them to eliminate the housingwaiting lists.

n No to privatisation, public privatepartnerships and private financeinitiatives. n All publicly owned services andcompanies to be run underdemocratic working class control.

n An end to discrimination on thegrounds of race, religion, sex, sexualorientation, disability and to allforms of prejudice.n For the right to asylum and thescrapping of racist anti-asylum andimmigration laws. For the right towork, with full protection, forimmigrant workers.

n Scrap the bin charges - no todouble taxation in any form. Localauthorities to receive properfunding from central governmentfunds.

n For major investment into apublicly owned recycling service tocombat the waste crisis. No towaste incinerators.

n Oppose the big businessdominated European Union. No tothe militarisation of Europe and to aEuropean Army. n For solidarity of the Europeanworking class. For a socialist Europe.n No to imperialist wars. End theoccupation of Iraq. For a socialistIraq.

n Build a real peace process basedon uniting the working classcommunities, not on bringingdiscredited sectarian politicianstogether. n Joint trade union and communityaction to counter all forms ofsectarianism. n An end to all activity by allparamilitaries, loyalist andrepublican. Completedemilitarisation.

n Capitalism is the cause of poverty,inequality, environmentaldestruction and war. We need aninternational struggle against thissystem and its effects. The workingclass can build a socialist world inwhich the resources of the planetare used to satisfy the needs of themass of the people not the thirst forprofit of a tiny minority of superrich.n Take all major industry, banks andfinancial institutions into publicownership and place them under thedemocratic control andmanagement of working classpeople. n For the working class todemocratically plan the economy toprovide for the needs of all, and toprotect our environment.n For the building of a mass politicalparty capable of uniting the workingclass in the struggle for socialism inIreland.n For a socialist Ireland as part of afree and voluntary socialistfederation of England and Wales,Scotland and Ireland.

WHAT WESTAND FORWorkers’ rights

Health

Housing

Equality

Local taxation

International

Northern Ireland

Socialism

Reclaim the trade unions

Privatisation

Education

Waste management

PAPER OF THE SOCIALIST PARTY ISSUE 54 JUNE 2010

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By Laura Fitzgerald

THE HORRIFIC killing of a15 year old Nigerian,Toyosi Shitta-bey in West

Dublin has highlighted theissue of racism as well as thecentral role that young peoplein particular must play in com-bating it. After the tragic deathof Toyosi Shitta-bey, it’s time todraw a line in the sand andensure such a senseless inci-dent never happens again. Black and white school student

friends and peers of Toyosi helpedto organise and participated in a3,000 strong demonstration inmemory of the deceased schoolstudent, illustrating the sense offriendship, camaraderie and soli-darity that the majority of workingclass young people who go toschool in racially diverse and inte-grated schools,feel.

Nonetheless, racial abuse and bul-lying are both still a grave problem inschools. A TUI survey in April foundthat 46% of teachers had reported aracist incident in their schools in theprevious month. The government,who have cut support for studentswith English as a second language,can certainly shoulder a significantburden of guilt for this recentincrease in racism in schools. Thisincrease needs to be solidly cut

across and mar-ginalised. The majority of

school students,who themselvesare anti-racist,hold the key. Thesilent majority ofanti-racist schoolstudents needs tocome together to

become a

vocal and organised group in eachschool, as part of a national anti-racist school student network. If anti-racist sentiment is organised on aschool-wide basis, a campaign couldbe launched to make each school aracism-free zone. With an activegroup of school students consciouslyexplaining to their peers why thiscampaign is important, the majorityof school students could gain the con-fidence to speak out against racism intheir school.There’s nothing natural or

inevitable about racism or divisionbased on ethnic, religious or racialbackground. Despite the tremendouswealth and resources that exist, thecapitalist system creates a scenariowhereby an unnecessary struggle forscarce resources is manufactured.Unable to make massive profits dueto the economic crash, the marketsystem has created a scenario ofmass unemployment. The privatisation policies of the

establishment over years means thathousing waiting lists are long andhealth and education services are

inadequate and overcrowded.As well as creating the

conditions for competition betweenpeople, the state drums up racism onpurpose. For example, millions of euro are

regularly spent deporting Africanimmigrants in particular. This is anexample of state racism whereby thegovernment wants to detract atten-tion away from its bank bailouts andsavage cutbacks, despicably attempt-ing to place blame on often pennilessblack immigrants instead. A strong anti-racism campaign of

school students could also protestagainst deportations and other formsof state racism that attempt to sowdivision. Young people should rejectthe capitalist system that has offeredthem a miserable future of educationcuts, unemployment, low pay andcompetition for scarce college places. Fighting racism means fighting for

the right to a decent education and aquality job for everyone.Fundamentally this will mean a chal-lenge to the system as a whole basedon socialist policies of solidarity anddemocratic working class control,management, ownership and plan-ning of the economy according to theneeds of people.

YOUNG PEOPLEUNITE & FIGHT

NOto racism & divisionYES to jobs & education for all!

YOUTH AGAINST RACISMSocialist Youth is in the process of establishing a broadanti-racist campaign of young people in schools, collegesand workplaces. Youth Against Racism (YAR) is open to anyyoung person who wants to get active against racism – contact Eddie for more information - 0873141986