Workers Solidarity Movement

Roughly over one hundred thousand workers in Ireland are currently working on the minimum wage-thats 9.15 an hour or under 400 euro a week,working 40 hours a week. Around 90% of those on social welfare payment and out of work earn less than they would in work. The old proclamations of our leaders that 'were all middle class now' and the lies spread about those on social welfare are shown to be what they actually are from these facts. They are mere propaganda slogans aimed at convincing us that we live in a more or less equal society and that we should keep quiet about the enormous wealth of corporations and business owners.

Just over half the working population--over 964,000 people-- earn 28,000 euro or less a year. When you take into account the rising costs of food,healthcare,education, sky-rocketing rents and governmental imposition of extra taxes such as the household charges, plus cuts to social welfare, a real picture can be imagined of the state of most Irish households-that of economic struggle and destitution.

On the other hand, Irishman Denis O’Brien has extensive interests although is not tax resident here. He has an estimated worth of €4.4 billion. It would take 6,875 years for a person on full-time Irish median earnings of 28,000 to make this sum.

Ryanair baroon Michael O’Leary’s reported worth of €450 million . It would take 703 years for a median worker to make this income.

It is people like Denis O'Brien who are pushing the imposition of water charges and austerity cuts.

It is people like these who are slating the Luas drivers for defending their standards of living and standing up for the newest drivers to get jobs with tansdev, calling for them to be fired en masse.

Ordinary Irish people have nothing in common with the likes of O'Brien or O'leary, ordinary peoples interests lie in forming strong communities to protect their own standards of living and to strike for better conditions and wages against the capitalists who run the country.

We should support every workers strike or attempt at advancement for better condition/wages in solidarity and in our own interests as the working poor.