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

 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)

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!

 

SOCIALIST PARTY PRESS STATEMENT  11/10/2009:

The Old Drogheda Society’s Annual Corcoran-Garry Lecture takes place at 8pm on Wednesday night, October 7th,  in the Droichead Arts Centre. The theme of the event will be “Traditional Boats on the Boyne” with principal speaker Criostoir MacCarthaigh from the Dept. of Irish Folklore, UCD. 

This seminar-style event will also feature contributions from leading marine archaeologists, local boatmen and boatmakers, as well as from mussel fishermen and their wives. Admission is free and there will be a book stall open on the night.

The Annual Corcoran-Garry Lecture is sponsored by the Old Drogheda Society in memory of the late Moira Corcoran and Jim Garry, founder members of the ODS and renowned local historians.

Notice and information on this event was very kindly supplied to me by Liam Reilly, Tel: 041 9833097 (office hours).

Press Statement: Joe Higgins MEP (Socialist Party),  3 October 2009.

• Campaign of fear and promises of jobs and economic recovery delivers Yes vote for establishment
• Promises will not be delivered upon –  future reality of Lisbon agenda will be opposed in workplaces and communities.

Socialist Party MEP for Dublin, Joe Higgins, responded to the emerging results of the Lisbon Treaty referendum:

“The unprecedented well financed grand coalition of the political establishment, big business , most of the print media and the EU authorities has delivered a Yes vote. Bullying and fear was combined with extravagant promises about jobs and economic recovery. I congratulate those voters who stood up against the intimidation and threats and voted no. I understand the anxiety of many who voted Yes in the hope of better job prospects and security.

“Any hope that this result will bring the promised jobs or economic recovery will unfortunately be quickly dashed as the neo-liberal policies of the EU and Irish government continue to make working class people pay for the economic crisis.

“The 10,000 Opel and Vauxhall workers in Belgium, Germany, Britain, Spain and Poland who are facing losing their jobs are victims of this approach. In Ireland, working people in the private and public sector are victims.”

 “The pro-Lisbon elements in the trade union movement have a case to answer. The striking workers at Coca-Cola and MTL Docks in Dublin, Mr. Binman  in Co. Tipperary and Manor Park Nursing Home  in Co. Longford will see no enhancement of their rights in their fight to maintain jobs with decent pay and conditions . Instead, the race to the bottom will now be pursued more vigorously by the establishment. Employers will still come running to the High Court in Ireland to obtain injunctions to prevent effective strike action.

“The fight against the neo-liberal agenda enshrined by Lisbon will now take place in workplaces and communities across Ireland and Europe. It is seen in the struggle of the taxi drivers against the horrific effects of deregulation and in the important strikes of workers across the country.

“We will now focus our energies on assisting these vital campaigns of workers to defend their jobs and conditions and of communities to fight against the brutal cutbacks which are being imposed.”

For information and confirmation contact:

Michael O’Brien 087 2400331 or Paul Murphy 086 1688050.

Lisbon 2 is NOT about a better future. It’s about militarism and undermining workers’ rights, our public services and our free world democratic norms. Right now, right across the EU 21 million workers are on the dole, the EU political and big business elite that run Europe created this situation. Now this very same clique arrogantly demand that you do what they say in the Lisbon referendum on October 2nd. Even the proverbial “village idiot” has the wit to see these people for what they are, and the common sense to VOTE NO.

The notion that the EU is good for Ireland because it is about to bail out our bankrupt country with billions of euro is a downright lie. Any bail out of this nature will be paid for by the present workforce of this country and the next three or four generations of Irish workers and their families with mass unemployment, massive mortgages and personal debt, low wages, zero job security and massively savaged health, education and social welfare services.

The EU and the Irish government are at one – 101% united behind An Bord Snip, NAMA and Lisbon 2. The official Fine Gael-Labour “alternative” also totally support Lisbon therefore, despite their public hypocritical pretence to be otherwise, are also fully signed up to the agenda of An Bord Snip and NAMA’s objective of reinflating the residential property bubble to cover the  cost of the EU’s promised multi-billion euro bail out.

Oppose militarism, privatisation and attacks on workers’ rights by voting NO to Lisbon on October 2nd.

DEAR FRANK,

The story of Dad’s Army was the Home Guard, a mixture of too old, too young, unfit, will defend Blighty against the Nazis, stiff upper lip, we will fight them on the beachs, the ditches sort of stuff.

Now  Drog army is a different kettle of fish, at the first sign of trouble they come out with their hands up, lips a trembling, pants a wettin’. You silly boys, stand up, rub some honey and Viagra into your backs, show some back bone, some steel, the Minister don’t like it up ‘im.
The Carty Report is an Accountants fantasy, James Bond for people  who add and subtract for a living, Harry Potter does his sums, Lord of the tax avoidence Rings.
We do need Local Government reform but the answer is to think positive.
Get rid of Ardee UDC, it’s a three legged one horse village, the only reason anyone stops there is because of the traffic, scrap the Duleek/Slane Committee or what ever they call themselves.
Dump Louth Co.Council,  split the county in two, no Borough Council, no Dundalk UDC.
Create a South Louth/East Meath District Council, scrap payments for retiring  and defeated Councillors, make Councillors sign in every day when attending Conferences so that they turn up and don’t skip home on the first day, make them buy their own bottled water or drink tap water, turn down the central heating in Council Offices, in a domestic house 1 degree equals 100 euro per year.
I would suggest sacking the Town Cryer but he was elected by the people.
Remember the Seige of Drogheda when the people stood shoulder to shoulder and defeated the Irish army under O’ Neill.
Stand up and fight when you hear the bull, wrap the green flag round him boys.
Have to go the missus is setting up the camera again, the tea tasted funny and I’m taking two paracetamol now for the headache I’m getting later.
GERRY FLOYD