August 2015

We defend Public Transport! (Of Irish Rail and EU Privatisation)

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As Iarnród Éireann’s contract for operating train services is due to expire in 2019, the National Bus and Rail Union claims that it will vehemently oppose any move towards privatisation [1].

In recent months, the EU Commission has been pressing for changes which would see Irish Rail opened up to tenders from competitors [2]. The successful operation of the Luas by French company Veolia has convinced EU officials that there would be sufficient demand by other investors for the rail contract [2].

Save on Child Care: Smash the Patriarchy!

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Child-care in Ireland is so expensive because it is so undervalued. Only through care-workers’ collective withdrawal of labour will those who rely on us realise how vital our work is.

Across the European Union, childcare costs around 12% of a family’s income, but in Ireland, it accounts for over 35% [1]. Where does that money go? With most childcare employees on minimum wage, it isn’t going to ordinary care workers. At a protest outside Leinster House in February, 2015, the Association of Childhood Professionals estimated that there are around 25,000 people in the early childhood workforce on an average pay rate of less than €11 an hour [2].

Europe Forged in Crisis: The Emergence and Development of the EU - discussion with the author

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"Although the EU is not new, and its role in determining the economic and political development of Europe is both substantial and well established, critical analysis of the EU is sorely lacking. Most of what is written on the EU is uncritically liberal and focuses on diplomatic and legislative detail. What little critical literature exists often simply interprets the EU in terms of the function it plays for neoliberal globalization. When analyses of the EU go from what it does to the larger questions of what it is and why it exists, analysis often becomes completely un-rooted."

 

Europe Forged in Crisis: The Emergence and Development of the EU - discussion with the author Oisin by Workers Solidarity on Mixcloud

 

A Non-Exhaustive List of Facts about Denis O'Brien

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The wealthy and their media would like us to be forgetful.

Here is a non-exhaustive list of facts about Denis O’Brien...

Denis O’Brien is a media baron.

How to avoid Bad Meetings & hold a Conversations about Anarchism - WSM training report back

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WSM recently held our first Facilitation and 'Conversations about Anarchism' training day in Dublin. The photo shows the problems attendees had already encountered in meetings they had participated in. How many of them have you come across?

The purpose of the training was to give people the basics of facilitation that can avoid or at least minimise these problems.
At the end of the training all the 11 people who had taken part were very positive about it. One said “It was good to meet new people, I learned a lot about facilitation and would now be more confident now, I also learned about anarchist process” while another said “It was very comprehensive with detailed techniques about how to facilitate.” Everyone said they would be interested in future trainings.

Poolbeg incinerator - city council manager assures company they can ignore vote of council

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In a further confirmation of the empty nature of electoral democracy its been revealed that the Dublin City Council manager wrote to the company building the controversial Poolbeg incinerator to assure them they could ignore the two city council votes against the project. This after a special meeting when 50 out of 52 councillors voted against the proposal!

The reality of homelessness, the fight for decent housing and lessons from The Bolt hostel

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Over the Last 12 months, particularly since Christmas the housing and homeless problem has deepened significantly. From last summer the amounts of families’ registering as homeless went from 264 to now, which are 531. The number of families that are registered as being in need of emergency accommodation is 792 adults with 1,112 dependent children. These statics were issued by the Dublin Regional Homeless Executive.

Asylum seeker, homeless - We Rebel! We support decent housing for all!

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Last week, three children under the age of six slept rough in Dublin city centre while their parents stayed awake to watch over them. As of August 2015, this family is but one of 620 families in Ireland, including more than 1,300 children, who are homeless. The root of the current crisis of housing is the current crisis of capitalism. 

Why capitalism can't sort out the worlds problems

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The list of jobs to be done in Ireland is endless. Houses need to be built, roads need to be repaired, hospitals and schools need to be adequately staffed. At the same time large number of pople are looking for work but unabkle to find it. Why can't these jobs be given to those who want them?

Finding out more about anarchism & WSM reading list

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In order to become more familiar with what anarchism stands for the following were recommended by the WSM. Where possible we also created an audio file of the text being read, click on the Listen link to be taken to the audio.

Book length introductions

Refusing to Wait: Anarchism and Intersectionality - "Without justice there can be no love."--bell hooks

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Anarchism can learn a lot from the feminist movement. In many respects it already has. Anarcha-feminists have developed analyses of patriarchy that link it to the state form. We have learned from the slogan that "the personal is political" (e.g. men who espouse equality between all genders should treat the women in their lives with dignity and respect). We have learned that no revolutionary project can be complete while men systematically dominate and exploit women; that socialism is a rather empty goal--even if it is "stateless"--if men's domination of women is left intact.

We are winning the water war

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Our upcoming show of strength in Dublin on August 29th is going to be an absolutely huge gathering of people from all over the island to deliver a wholehearted 'No' to the Fine Gael/Labour government's plans to establish water charges.

"People should pay for the water they use" is a refrain we often hear from some suited up professional liar in the Dáil but it totally ignores the fact that we already pay for our water to the tune of 1.2 billion euros per year. How else would water come from our taps when we open them?

"We need infrastructure investment!" these politicians say. Yes, we do. So shouldn't the government be directing hundreds of millions of taxpayer money into repair, upgrade and maintenance work instead of setting up a company that has caused more leaks than it has fixed? Remember, when there is a water leak, Irish Water don't fix it, your local county council does.

Solidarity Times leaflet for August 29th Water Charges march

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We are the crisis of Irish Water! We do not want to have our water commodified, metered, and privatised. We know why this is happening – to increase the wealth and privilege of a global financial capitalist class and their political servants in the EU and Ireland.

We refuse to bow to them. We have gotten up before dawn to stop water meter installation on our streets. We have organised meetings in our communities. We have marched in our thousands and in our hundreds of thousands, shouting “Enough!” and “No way, we won’t pay!” and “Shove your meters up your arse!” We are not just angry, we are determined. 

We have forced this government into climb-downs and concessions, and we will do the same to the next one. We have decided to boycott Irish Water. We are encouraging our friends, co-workers and neighbours to do the same. Our community of communities is strong and growing stronger. We will keep on growing. When we break Irish Water, we will clear the rubble and grow real solidarity, real co-operation and real community in its place.

10's of thousands take to Dublin streets against water charges on Aug 29th - video

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One more tens of thousands took to the streets of Dublin as the governements attempt to force water charges on the population looks more and more like it has failed.  This high quality footage of the march in progress will give you a sense of the size and composition of the marches.