Tomás Ó Flatharta

Looking at Things from the Left

Archive for the ‘Trade Unions’ Category

Keep Sunday Pay and Overtime Rates! Support Dáil Motion, Wednesday June 22, 6.30pm

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The United Left Alliance will be putting a motion to the Dáil on Wednesday 22nd June. Come to the protest at the Dáil during the debate and vote at 6:30pm

Kenny-Gilmore Government Robs the Poor

UNITED LEFT ALLIANCE

Keep Sunday Pay and Overtime Rates!

RESIST MINISTER BRUTON’S ATTACKS!
Protest at the Dáil 6:30pm Wed 22nd June

The Fine Gael Minister, Richard Bruton, is planning to attack the earnings and conditions of low-paid workers. Read the rest of this entry »

Written by tomasoflatharta

Jun 17, 2011 at 8:53 pm

Posted in Ireland, MANDATE, United Left Alliance

United Left Alliance “A Work in Progress” – Steps Towards a New Party

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The Irish election returned five TDs for the United Left Alliance, with 2.8 per cent of the first preference votes. But this victory for the Left is only part of a bigger picture of political change, writes Brendan Young, in an article commissioned by Scottish Left Review. Republished here with kind permission of the author and SLR.

This article is also published on the Irish Left Review Site  :

United Left Alliance A Work In Progress – Steps Towards a New Party

Joe Higgins TD - Socialist Party and the United Left Alliance

Described as a sea change by commentators, the biggest shock of Ireland’s recent general election was the collapse of the vote of Fianna Fáil (FF), the State’s largest party; from 41.5 per cent in 2007 to just 17.4 per cent this time. FF has governed in Ireland for 61 out of the 79 years since it was formed in 1932 and has won 14 out of the 19 general elections. Yet it now has only one TD (member of parliament) in Dublin – down from 13. Its first preference vote in Dublin was only 12.5 per cent, whereas the United Left Alliance, on its first outing, got 7.1 per cent. What stands out is the loss of support for FF among working class voters – confirming what has already been happening in local elections. Read the rest of this entry »

Written by tomasoflatharta

May 20, 2011 at 6:26 pm

Posted in Fianna Fáil, Financial Crisis (September 2008 onwards), Fine Gael, General Election 2011, Green Party, Ireland, Labour Party (Ireland), People Before Profit, Sinn Féin, Socialist Party, Trade Unions, United Left Alliance

Why Does The Irish Labour Party Seek Fine Gael’s Kiss-of-Death?

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In the last days of the 2011 Irish General Election Campaign Labour Party leaders and spinners are warning that the voters might choose a Fine Gael single party government. Their alternative? : Coalition – Fine Gael’s Enda Kenny for Taoiseach, Labour’s Eamon Gilmore the Tánaiste – that’s the message.

SIPTU leader Jack O’Connor, for example, claims “that a coalition government would be far preferable as the country imposes spending cuts as part of its EU and IMF bailout.

“If you look at the lessons of history, they (Fine Gael) haven’t been in government on their own since 1927 when their predecessor Cumann na nGaedheal was in government,”….

“They pursued policy which resulted in economic stagnation for 60 years. And that’s the kind of policy that’s being advocated by both of the centre-right parties at the present time.”

http://uk.reuters.com/article/2011/02/15/ireland-politics-union-idUKLDE71E2C620

First – is a single-party Fine Gael government possible or likely?

We will know for sure on Saturday February 26 – at the time of writing, if the polls are right, a single party Fine Gael government is possible but unlikely.

http://politicalreform.ie/2011/02/22/seat-estimates-for-irish-independent-millward-brown-lansdowne-opinion-poll-23rd-february/#more-2337

A second factor is political – many Fine Gael backers, for example the former party leader Garret FitzGerald, argue that coalition with Labour is a better tactical option for this right-wing party. Read the rest of this entry »

Written by tomasoflatharta

Feb 23, 2011 at 12:32 pm

Posted in Fianna Fáil, Financial Crisis (September 2008 onwards), Fine Gael, General Election 2011, Green Party, Ireland, Labour Party (Ireland), Opinion Polls, People Before Profit, Sinn Féin, SIPTU, Socialist Party, Trade Unions, UNITE, United Left Alliance

Labour Leadership Offensive to the Left, Offensive Against the Left

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Thanks to Des Derwin for this article, also published here :

http://www.irishleftreview.org/2011/01/25/godsend-sinn-fin-left/

The Finance Bill stroke is the latest, but greatest, in a line of indications that Labour in government will be on the good ship Austerity.

Until fairly recently I would have counselled my friends on the left against rejecting calls for an all-left alliance out of hand and, instead, for saying to Labour and Sinn Féin, ‘reject coalition and austerity and we can all ally’. The clarity of Labour’s intentions makes this position redundant. More, the Labour leadership has now gone on the offensive against the ULA and Sinn Féin, against the rest of an all-left alliance.

http://cedarlounge.wordpress.com/2011/01/25/talk-away-mister-higgins/

Read the rest of this entry »

Written by tomasoflatharta

Jan 25, 2011 at 6:57 pm

Posted in Abortion, Feminism, Fianna Fáil, Financial Crisis (September 2008 onwards), Fine Gael, General Election 2011, Ireland, Labour Party (Ireland), People Before Profit, Sinn Féin, Socialist Party, Trade Unions, UNITE, United Left Alliance

UNITE Union Calls for a Left Vote in the Irish General Election

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Statement for immediate release

Sunday, January 9th 2011

UNITE CALLS ON MEMBERS TO VOTE LEFT

The UNITE trade union, the second largest union in the Republic of Ireland has called on all working people to vote for a left wing government in the general election likely to be held in March.

“Workers should use their vote in the upcoming general election to bring about a left-wing government for the first time in the history of the state,” said Jimmy Kelly, Regional Secretary of Unite the union.

UNITE is an affiliate member of the Labour Party, and is encouraging the party to look left for coalition partners rather than to the old order of Fine Gael.

Read the rest of this entry »

Written by tomasoflatharta

Jan 12, 2011 at 8:18 am

Posted in Financial Crisis (September 2008 onwards), General Election 2011, Ireland, Trade Unions, UNITE

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