“CROMWELL” LENIHAN – The Bastard

 A Letter from O’Tuille .

 

Dear Frank,

Congrats to Brian “Cromwell” Lenihan, put up the price of transport = increased prices in shops. Take money out of the economy = less spent in shops = less shops = less manufacturing = less jobs.
Less disposable income = less nights out = more home entertainment = more carry outs = more cross border shopping.
Still lets not panic, stay calm, relax and repeat slowly after me,

May you all rot in Hell you shower of over-paid useless Bastards, Repeat until you feel  at one with nature

GERRY FLOYD

 

ALLOTMENT PROPOSAL BEING SABOTAGED?

My old mate Tom Reilly, in his Life of Reilly colum in this week’s Drogheda Independent, wondered who (or what) “rattled my cage” during  the Borough Council debate at last Monday night’s (December) monthly meeting on the proposal to provide a public allotment site at Newtownstallaban .

Well, Tom, read on and I’ll explain exactly why (after I made my contribution to the discussion) I turned in exasperation to the press gallery remarking  “For Jaysus sake, I’ve been a gardener for thirty years”.

Despite being “second in the queue”, by the time Mayor O’Dowd eventually called me to speak I was  well and truly livid with anger after having listened to half a dozen or more of the councillors, none of whom ever had a spade or a fork in their hands,  introduce all sorts of spurious roadblocks to the proposed allotment site. Is the site too big?. Is it not too far out of town?.  Is the soil right for growing vegetables?. Will it be vandalised?. What about storing tools and equipment? etc. etc..

Eventually “the hi-jackers” revealed their hand/s – “Wouldn’t it be better used as a football pitch”?. Well, colleague councillors (and Boyne Rovers FC), it most definitely wouldn’t be more suitable for football. As an ex-footballer (and an active gardener) I am better qualified to give an opinion on the issue than most and, as far as I’m concerned, it’s  going to be allotments.

Didn’t the Borough Council already “give away” a prime public green site to Boyne Rovers FC at Parkview? Didn’t the Borough Council then re-zone this prime public asset for residential development so that Boyne Rovers FC could then sell it on to their property developer buddies, supposedly to fund their new sport and recreational facilities?. It would seem to me that the Borough Council has already gone well and truly above and beyond the call of duty as regards its obligations to Boyne Rovers FC, or more precisely, the junta who control, what was for generations, a respected local football club. 

The public green area at Parkview is now lost to the young footballers (and the local community).  The kids who play football for Boyne Rovers are still waiting for their new “super sports campus”. The clowns who have visited this trail of devastation on the local Bothar Brugha/Park View/Patrick Street community, and the footballing kids in their charge, can not be allowed to sabotage Drogheda’s long overdue public allotment site.

 

UNION BOSSES PLAN SELLOUT – Michael O’Brien.

The following article, written by Michael O’Brien, is taken from the Socialist Party’s website: www.socialistparty.net

250,000 public service workers took part in the one day strike on 24 November in opposition to the threatened cut of €1.3 billion from the public service pay bill in next month’s budget on top of similar sized cuts in Social Welfare payments and in public service provision itself.

€2.5 billion was already taken from these workers in a mis-named ‘pension levy’ which on top of other new taxes on income has saw low and middle earners in the public service lose thousands of euro from their pay packets.

The government and media wanted the 24 hour public service strike to be marked by incidents of a hostile general public venting abuse at a so-called ‘cosseted and privileged’ section of the workforce. Indeed many of the workers who Socialist Party members spoke to in pickets around the country confided that they were nervous of such a response such has been the campaign of vilification in the pro-capitalist press.

Instead incidents of hostility were more the exception than the rule and were far outweighed by signs of support from passers-by who honked their car horns in appreciation for the work of public servants. For many it was their first ever strike action and across the board rank and file members stepped forward to look after the logistics of getting placards and working out picketing rotas.

So the best the media could come up with on the day to denigrate the striking workers was to concoct a story that shopping malls in cross border towns like Newry were flooded with public sector workers who instead of manning the pickets decided to go Christmas shopping!

The Socialist Party’s call for a follow up 48 strike in advance of the budget coupled with a campaign to get private sector workers on board for future actions was listened to by the workers who are reconciled to further action being needed if any back down is to be forced. Currently 3 December remains the date set by the unions for the next day of strike action apart from IFUT (university lecturers) and the AHCPS (senior civil servants) who need to ballot again for any further action.

Socialist Party MEP Joe Higgins flew back from the plenary session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg to visit picket lines at James Connolly Hospital and Fingal County Council in Blanchardstown before touring the city centre picket lines at various government departments, museums and galleries. The contrast with establishment politicians from government and so-called opposition who gave the pickets a wide berth was not lost on picketers who were pleased with Joe’s support.

In Drogheda, Socialist Party Borough Councillor Frank Gallagher spent the day visiting picket lines around the town with party comrades Fiona Loughlin and Helena Byrne. Among the sites they visited were, Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital where UNITE, INO and TEEU members maintained a day long presence at four entrance points to the vast hospital complex, a TUI picket at the Drogheda Institute of Further Education (DIFE), the St. Mary’s Hospital site on the Dublin road where IMPACT and INO members maintained an all-day picket at the two entrances, the local office of the Dept. of Social & Family Affairs on The Mall, where they met and spoke with CPSU and IMPACT strikers and the Borough Council’s Fair Street offices and Greenlanes Depot where they were welcomed by Siptu, UNITE, IMPACT and UCATT members and their workplace representatives.

While the government were surely rattled by the turnout and the generally positive response of the public they will take some encouragement from the line argued the next day by Peter McLoone, general secretary of IMPACT and chair of the ICTU public services committee who has publicly conceded that there will be cuts in public service expenditure which he feels should be temporary.

Peter McLoone and the other trade union leaders are back in talks with the government. They are attempting to make a deal which will supposedly leave “core pay rates” intact, however which will mean major pay cuts for public sector workers. Discussions are taking place around the idea of reducing the pay bill by cutting paid holidays, extending the working week, extending the working day from 8.00am to 8.00pm, paying overtime at basic rates and imposing 12 days unpaid leave.

No matter how they try to package such a deal it basically will result in pay cuts for all public sector workers. This is a disastrous position which, if came into effect would severely cut the pay of nurses, paramedics, fire fighters, prison officers and others who work anti social hours as well as low paid administrative workers who have depended on overtime to supplement their meagre basic pay.

The lack of leadership and a real fight by the trade union leaders during this crisis has fed a certain cynicism among many workers who see an inevitability to cuts in pay but feel that a stand must still be made. This outlook is not borne of support for the idea that cuts need to be made but rather the lack of any alternative and the constant propaganda from the establishment parties, the media and also trade union leaders that everyone must share in the pain!

The ICTU leaders are prepared to make a rotten deal with the government that will cut the pay of public sector workers, weaken working conditions and potential lead to up to 20,000 job losses. The depth of the crisis is such that it may not be possible for the government and the union leaders to concoct a deal that is “sellable” to union members. Regardless of the choreography at the top between government, employers and union leaders an active response is needed from the ranks of the unions to reject any sell out deal.

The Socialist Party believes the next stage in this struggle should be a 48-hour public sector strike. At the same time the unions should broaden out the campaign to include fighting pay cuts and redundancies in the private sector. On that basis the unions should call combined action of public and private sector workers – a one day general strike to defeat the government and push back the employers

The demands on the Socialist Party leaflet handed out to the workers were:

• For a resolute stand by the trade unions to defend public pay and services – not another cent off pay or services.
• Defend the public sector – bail out working class people not the bankers and developers who caused the crisis.
• No trust or no deals with this government – they have already stated their intention of slashing the public sector to pieces over the next four years.
• More national action is stronger than regional action – follow up the strike with a 48-hour public sector strike before the Budget.
• Unite public and private sector workers in co-ordinated action. Extend public sector action into a general strike of all workers to fight the attacks of the government and the employers on pay, services and jobs.

24-HOUR PUBLIC SERVICE STRIKE

As 250,000 public service workers  right around Ireland embark on a 24-hour general stoppage today in defence of their jobs, pay and pensions (as well as the public services they deliver), they face not only the combined weight of the Fianna Fail-Green Party government, IBEC, ISME. the country’s Chambers of Commerce, the “official” Fine Gael-Labour parliamentary opposition but also some of their very own trade union “leaders” who are all fully signed up to cutting up to 16bn. euro in public spending over the next 4-7 years.

Before today’s stoppage even began, CPSU boss Blair Horan and IMPACT’s Peter McAloon had already set about attempting to undermine and demoralise their very own members by publicy indicating their reluctance to go any further beyond today’s stoppage with direct industrial action.

The real truth of  Ireland’s economic crisis  is that country’s budgetary circumstances and banking collapse is so profound and so grave that,  short of the state confiscating the estimated “still-in-tact” 40-odd billion euro amassed by a “golden circle” of land speculators and property developers during the celtic tiger bubble, there is simply NO WAY BACK  for the economy. Cutting  16 bn. euro in public spending (be it over three, four, or ICTU’s  seven years) will not even “scratch the bumper”  in terms of fixing the country’s bankruptcy.  The outcome of taking that road will even further depress the economy,  possibly doubling unemployment and completely impoverishing up to 75% of the country’s population.

Public sector workers are therefore fully justified in embarking on a de-facto 24 hour general strike today and (hopefully) the country’s 450,000, mainly, private sector unemployed will take a lead from them and get themselves organised in the weeks ahead.

O.D.S. MARKS SIPTU CENTENARY

The Old Drogheda Society will mark this year’s centenary of the  SIPTU trade union with two events in the coming weeks. The Society’s Journal (No. 17), which is to be launched on Wednesday November 25th, will include an article entitled “Liberty Hall Peter Street – The foundation of  ITGWU-Siptu in Drogheda” and on Thursday December 4th, the ODS hosts a lecture on the theme of  ”Drogheda’s Labour History”.

I’m particularly looking forward to the “Drogheda’s Labour History” lecture, not least because the lecture is to be given by Siptu’s Francis “Francie” Devine, one of Ireland’s most respected and authoritive students of Irish labour and trade union history. Francie has written extensively on the history and struggles of the Irish labour and trade union movement, and the breadth and depth of his  knowledge is astounding.  Siptu released Francie ( for 12 months) from his regular duties and commissioned him to write, compile and edit the union’s recently published official “centenary” history. 

Given that it was myself who put together the ”Liberty Hall Peter Street” article for the upcoming Old Drogheda Society Journal, I can only hope  (from a local perspective) that I’ve made some small and worthwhile contribution to what is truly a momentus year for Siptu, and that I’ve been of some help to the ongoing work of the  ODS.

O.D.S. EVENTS (NOVEMBER/DECEMBER): Book Launch - ”The  Streets & Lanes of Drogheda” by Jim Garry, 3rd Edition  revised and updated by Deirdre-Howard Russell, at 8pm on Wednesday, November 18th in The Laurence Town Centre.  Book Launch - “Old Drogheda Society Journal No. 17″ at 8pm on Wednesday, November 25th in The Governor’s  House,  Millmount .  Lecture - “Drogheda’s  Labour History”, Francis Devine  (Siptu), at 8pm  on Thursday,  December 4th in The Governor’s House, Millmount.

FOR A GENERAL STRIKE ON 24/11

The political representatives of big business have united with IBEC, and the millionaire-owned media, to declare all-out war on ordinary public and private sector workers, their families and their communities.

The Socialist Party welcomed ICTU’s decision to organise mass protests in eight centres right around Ireland on Friday last November 6th. which could be a significant start to smashing the government plan to butcher 4 billion euro worth of jobs, public services and social welfare supports out of Irish society in 2010.

Earlier this year ICTU and the trade union bosses caved in and retreated from the fight to defend jobs, wages and public services when new ”social partnership” talks were dangled in front of their faces by government. The outcome of these talks was ICTU slavishly supporting the government , IBEC, and the  Fine Gael-Labour “official” (phoney) parliamentery opposition’s united Lisbon “YES”  campaign as well as supporting “in principle” Colm McCarthy’s Bord Snip Nua in slashing and burning  jobs, health, education and social welfare services, mass wage cuts and the pension levy, in an intensification of the national “RACE TO THE BOTTOM”.

Before last Friday’s National Day of Protest even began ,ICTU leaders Peter McLoone (IMPACT) and Blair Horan (CPSU) began selling their own members down the river by openly advocating throwing civil and public service workers on the dole. Clearly their comments reveal that they greatly value their personal public status of  being “social partners” with IBEC and government much more than the jobs of the people (their members) who fork out 5 or six euro every week from wage packets as low as 300 /400 euro, to fund their 200k plus salaries, benefits and pension packages.

It’s ironic that this is all happening this year (2009), the centenery year of the foundation of what is now Siptu (formerly the ITGWU). It’s as if the Jack O’Connors, Peter McAloons and Blair Horans of the “modern” Irish trade union movement are  in unison with government and IBEC, in dragging the ideals and idealism of the late Big Jim Larkin into the gutter of the neo-liberal, free market, post celtic tiger Ireland.

Begin the fightback on November 24th with a 24-hour GENERAL STRIKE.

ISME’s “BABY CAPATILISTS” UNMASKED

Irish Small and Medium Enterprises (ISME) boss Mark Fielding always seems  to get a “free ride” when he’s on Michael Reade’s Loose Talk programme on LMFM Radio. For some strange reason Fielding, invariably, is never allowed to be confronted or directly challenged.  Challenge is only allowed, in the form of soundbites via text or phone messages, AFTER  he (Fielding) has been allowed 10 or 15 minutes free airtime mouthing a diatribe of abuse at trade unions and lecturing and hectoring, in particular (but not exclusively) civil and public workers.

Perhaps Michael is is prevented by the LMFM bosses from allowing anybody on to the programme who just might have the measure of Fielding and the “baby capitalists” (small business owners)  that LMFM depends on for advertising revenue to fund  the station’s  *impartial” current affairs and political coverage.

Now if I was on the Loose Talk  programme with Fielding and having to listen to him telling all and sundry, that because his members (the baby capatilists) want to, or have to, cut their workers’ wages, or the minimum wage, and therefore dole payments, state pensions and civil or public service  jobs and wages should be cut, I’d feel obliged to say (to Fielding) the following.

Your members, the small business owners of Ireland (baby capatilists) typically “rape” their very own enterprises i.e. the  boss’s  holiday villa in Spain (or Portugal) being paid for out of the company “kitty”. Then there’s the  boss’s company car coming out of the kitty (and his second “domestic” car) and his wife’s  SUV (and the petrol/diesel for them all).

The  BIG house that the small business boss lives in, is being paid for out of his “small or medium enterprise’s kitty as well. The boss’s domestic “mobile and landline” phone bill will also come out of the company coffers, as will the mobile of his fellow director (his missus). The boss’s family grocery bill is paid for at the supermarket checkout every week with his “company credit card” and, of course, the overseas business trip (annual family holiday).

I could go on, and on and on, but I won’t.  I’ll just ask, is it really any wonder that Fielding’s “baby capatilists”  say they can only afford to pay their employees  4/5 euro an hour, and they hate trade unions, trade unionists, civil and public servants oof all grades or, indeed,  anybody who exposes or threatens their small or medium ”corporate gravy train”?   

Suffice to say I was given “the heads up” on all this by an accountant aquaintance of mine who  look s after the books of over a dozen of Fielding’s  (ISME) member companies in the south Meath and north Dublin area. My accountant aquaintance IS NOT a socialist but, strangely, he tells me that he gave me ”a high preference vote” at the polls last June.

As for Fielding’s regular “free rides” on the radio, well now you know why Michael Reade would never allow me to go head to head with the ISME mouthpiece on Loose Talk.  I’d simply crucify the hypocritic bastard (Fielding, that is) and Michael knows that only too well.

BOROUGH COUNCIL BACKS ICTU PROTEST

The elected members of the Drogheda Borough Council backed an emergency resolution that I tabled at last night’s (November 2nd) monthly meeting supporting the Irish Congress of Trade Unions and the Drogheda Trades Council’s call to local workers, community organisations and interest groups to join the November 6th ICTU Protest in Dundalk. 

The Dundalk rally this coming Friday afternoon, begining at 2.30pm at the Fairgreen, and is one of eight monster ICTU demonstrations that will be held at different locations right around Ireland, including Dublin, in protest  at the continuing unemployment crisis, proposed government cuts in vital social welfare supports, cuts in public services, workers pensions as well as public and private sector pay.

Meanwhile, the local and national “Golden Circle” of land speculators, developers, auctioneers and bankers ,who “raped” the country’s economy for a decade or more, are to be handed up to 80 billion euro (via NAMA), that will be borrowed on international money markets by the present Fianna Fail-Green government and/or a future Fine Gael-Labour administration, to buy up their massive debts. This money will be then repaid by working families, communities and society in the form of job, pay, pension, social welfare, health and education cuts for (potentially) three or four generetaions of Irish workers  into the future.

The local Siptu, Unite amd Impact trade unions, in association with the Drogheda Trades Council, have come together to organise a number of special busses, departing  from the Drogheda Bus Depot. at 1pm on Friday and returning from Dundalk at the conclusion of the protest rally. Anyone wishing to travel to the protest on these busses should arrive in good time for the planned 1pm departures as the seats will be available strictly on a “first come-first served” basis.

Published below is the emergency motion that I submitted and which was adopted by the members at last Monday night’s Drogheda Borough Council meeting

EMERGENCY MOTION:

“The elected members of Drogheda Borough Council support the call from the Irish Congress of Trade Unions and the Drogheda Council of Trade Unions to local workers, community organisations and other interest groups to join the protest rally taking place next Friday, November 6th at 2.30pm at the Fairgreen, Dundalk as part of ICTU’s National Day of Protest at the failure of government to tackle the jobs crisis and government proposals to cut incomes, vital public services, workers’ pensions and social welfare supports”.

 Cllr. Frank Gallagher (2nd. November 2009).

LETTER: Happy NAMA Christmas

 From: “The Inimitable  Gearoid O’Tuille ” (Gerry Floyd)….

Comrade a chara,

All this fuss about Joe Coalman and his vision at Knock, many people claim visions. I, myself am subject to visions. I am a fairly balanced Irish bloke, a chip on both shoulders.
On Saturday evening on my way home from Navan I glanced up at the Moon, a beautiful harvest Moon and to my astonishment I could see a bright red and blue circle surrounding it. I pulled over and as the clouds crossed between the Moon and me they took on the shape of a face a friendly face, then I heard a deep booming voice calling to me.

Gerry, Gerry go tell the people especially the children I shall visit on the night of 24th of December, I’ve made a list I’m  checking it twice, I know who’s naughty or nice.

To be honest I got a bit of a fright. I drove on but had to stop at the traffic lights on the Slane road. While I was waiting for the lights to change to green, usually about two days, I heard a tap tap on the van window as I looked a ghostly face stared in at me and with a long bony grasping hand beckoned me to lower the window, I did, about an inch, and the figure opened it’s mouth and said, Gerry go tell the people,especially the parents, that I shall visit them on the 25th of December and shall take away all their presents, this Christmas and future Christmases for I am the spirit of NAMA and Herod is my Master. I need them for my Masters Minions, though they have many presents and a future they want your present and future.

Is mise,

O’Tuille (Gerry Floyd)

DONNCHADHA CAUGHT OUT….AGAIN

From: Gerry Floyd

Frank,

What is the Drogheda Council of Trade Unions (DCTU) doing on November 6th?

Nice to see the local TEEU president (Donnchadha Mac Raghnaill) out canvasing for a yes vote in the Lisbon referendum while his union officially called for a NO!