Workers Solidarity Movement

Dublin Council of Trade Unions
Youth Committee ICTU

Campaign for a Decent Public Health Service

The 2008 Dublin anarchist bookfair took place Saturday 15th March at Club na Múinteorí (The Teachers’ Club), 36 Parnell square, Dublin 1. The preceding night there was an informal gathering in the same venue. On the day itself in the main hall there were bookstalls and information stalls covering a range of active campaigns and revolutionary groups.

A quick article following on from the publication of 'The Lie of the Land' by the Irish Psychiatric Association looks at the dealings of the HSE recently in terms of some land dealings.

Sometimes along comes a story – and it surprises you because even though you have a jaded view of this corrupt society, they go and do something that jars you.

I find myself using the elongated version of un******believable. They are not going to steal this from the most vulnerable in society so that they can give some of their friends in property development a nice new project to work on. Yes they are! Who are they? The Health Service Executive is who they are.

Roughly 300 people turned up to the launch of the 'Campaign for a Decent Public Health Service' on the evening of the 11th February in Liberty Hall. The public meeting was organised by the Dublin Council of Trade Unions and the campaign hopes to bring together health workers and their trade unions, patient groups, hospital campaigners, the trade union movement in general and the general public to demand a civilised health service.

Dublin premiere of film 'Torture is us' to raise funds for Dublin Anarchist Bookfair

The issues of the Irish anarchist paper Workers Solidarity published in 2008

Ireland's anarchist paper Workers Solidarity, Issue 101 January - February 2008

Under the guise of fighting poverty, the Government is set to attack the welfare of lone parents.The Irish Government is planning to replace the ‘One Parent Family Allowance‘, a welfare payment for single parents of children under the age of eighteen with the ‘Parental Allowance‘. The primary difference between two is that while the OPFA ends when the parent's youngest child is eighteen, the PA ends when the youngest child turns eight. At this stage the parent will be transferred to an ordinary unemployment benefit, and will thus be forced into the job market. At present the policy is on trial in Kilkenny and Dublin, but the Government hopes to apply it throughout the state in the next Budget.

When Irish Ferries launched their new €50million vessel in Dublin Port on Tuesday 29th January, 400 guests from the tourism, freight and shipping sectors attended the naming ceremony. How many of them, I wonder, took a moment as they quaffed their champagne and nibbled on their canapés to ponder on the news revealed by International Transport Workers Federation inspector, Ken Fleming, that the workers who would be manning the ferry will be paid as little as €4 per hour?

RAG, the Dublin-based anarcha-feminist collective, are organising a gathering in Ireland on the 2nd–5th May 2008. This will be a chance for feminists to come together to discuss, learn and share in a radical but supportive environment. As plans for the weekend are being drawn-up, we want to ask you to scratch these dates into your diary now. It is intended that this wonderful event will take place in a rural setting away from Dublin - location to be confirmed. Costs will be kept to a minimum. Feminists and children are all very welcome.