19 August, 2004

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Listen to the workers - Aer Lingus management plans vicious job cuts

90% of the workers in Aer Lingus voted for industrial action this week, not for higher wages or for easier working conditions, but to put down an important marker that they are not happy with the plans to cut jobs and Ryanairise the company.

Sinn Féin prepares for September talks

Sinn Féin Assembly members and Assembly support staff met on Tuesday in Stormont to continue preparations for the political negotiations scheduled to begin in September. Speaking before the meeting, Sinn Féin National Chairperson Mitchel McLaughlin said the party's objective going into the negotiations is to end the crisis in the process and restore the political institutions.

Prisoners challenge Maghaberry harassment

Repeated searching and strip-searching as a form of harassment is a familiar experience amongst republicans. Last year, following a series of incidents and protests by prisoners in Maghaberry, the British Secretary of State commissioned a review of safety within the jail. The Steele report was published last September and recommended a policy of segregation on request.

Educational Apartheid in Ireland

THE reality of Ireland's two-tier education system was in full view this week as thousands of Leaving Certificate students have been receiving exam results and many are anxiously waiting the allocation of college and university places.

Photo: Students protested registration fee increases and inequality in education on Tuesday when they occupied the Department of Education headquarters in Dublin

Waiting for the others to catch up

I remember Gerry Adams speaking in West Belfast not so long ago, spelling out what it means to be an Irish republican. I am paraphrasing his words, but in essence he reminded us that the most important part of the word republican was 'public', the people, all the people and that includes unionists.

Photo: The DUP's Peter Robinson

Dublin Bus clashes with new union

A bitter battle is raging between Dublin Bus and the recently established Independent Workers' Union (IWU) over the transport company's suspension of three members of the union four weeks ago. The men, who cannot be named at this time for legal reasons, were suspended without pay for distributing information about the IWU to co-workers.

IRA rejects threat allegations

The following statement from the leadership of Óglaigh na hÉireann was received by An Phoblacht on Wednesday 18 August 2004.

Apprentice Boys were determined to march full route

Sinn Féin MLA for Mid Ulster, Geraldine Dougan, and party colleague, Magherafelt District Councillor Sean Kerr, say that last Saturday's Apprentice Boy's Parade in Maghera was prevented from marching though nationalist residential areas only by an obstruction in the road.