Axed community workers fast to shame Ahern

A group of job scheme workers from Dublin's North Inner City staged a 24-hour hunger strike outside the historic GPO on Tuesday and Wednesday this week, appropriately enough on the 90th anniversary of the 1913 Dublin Lock-Out, to protest the decision by FÁS not to renew their contracts.

The six workers have appealed to Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, the TD for the area, to save 34 vital jobs in the community sector that are due to be axed on the orders of Tánaiste Mary Harney. The workers have Jobs Initiative contracts until the end of the year but have been told that they will be let go on 17 October.

Group spokesperson Terry Fagan, well known for his work in gathering and publishing the rich folklore of the Inner City, says the cutbacks will mean that elderly people and schoolchildren will be among those who will be denied essential services.