Top Issue 1-2024

5 November 2009 Edition

Workers and unemployed must unite against the cuts

5 November 2009

THE past year has seen many mobilisations of workers in the public and private and community sectors in demonstrations and strikes arising out of the economic recession. It is certain that even greater mobilisation and organisation is going to be required to meet the Fianna Fáil/Green Government's onslaught of cuts to public services and attacks on the incomes of low-paid workers and people on social welfare. Free article

They are only codding themselves themselves

5 November 2009

JONATHAN POWELL describes in his book, Great Hatred, Little Room, the political relationship between himself, Tony Blair, Peter Mandelson, and David Trimble in the period leading up to and beyond the Good Friday Agreement. Blair and Mandelson defined their political role in terms of support for and compliance to Trimble and his party. There is no surprise for Irish republicans in this. Free article

Golden circle free for all continues

5 November 2009

JUST over 1.9 million people are at work this week in the 26 Counties, many working for low pay, putting in long days, often with anti-social hours and weekend work, all with no overtime payments. More than half of the workers in the private sector have no pension, and the overwhelming majority don't get bonuses, don't have perks or luxury company cars and there were no golden parachutes for the 183,422 people who lost jobs and had to sign on in the 12 months to the end of September 2009. Two thirds of employees in the 26 Counties earn less than €42,000 annually, while according to the most recent OECD data, Irish workers, were in 2006, the second most productive in the world, Norway coming in first. Free article

Fight to restore Christmas welfare payment

5 November 2009

SINN FÉIN this week launched a campaign to force the Government to restore the Christmas social welfare payment. Up until this year, long-term social welfare recipients received a double payment in early December to cover the rising cost of Christmas. It was announced in April's Emergency Budget that the payment would not be made this year. Free article

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NAMA - Daylight robbery

5 November 2009

THIS WEEK, Fianna Fáil and the Green Party are passing legislation which hands over €54 billion to banks. The National Assets Management Agency Bill (NAMA) is a disgusting example of the contempt with which this government holds democracy and the people of this state. Free article

Nationalists won't accept abolition of Parades Commission as DUP 'political scalp'

5 November 2009

NATIONALISTS will not accept the abolition of the Parades Commission demanded by the DUP as a new bargaining chip in return for the devolution of policing and justice to the Stormont Assembly, Sinn Féin's Seán Murray has said. Murray, a spokesperson for the Springfield Residents' Action Group (SRAG) and who sat on the Strategic Review of Parading said: Free article


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