UNITE has thrown its support behind the Right to Work campaign, a coalition of young unemployed, trade unions, workers, community groups and other parties looking to press for greater effort on jobs and services from the Irish government.
The Campaign will hold its first public rally on the evening of Tuesday, May 11th when thousands of young people and members of the public are expected to gather at the Garden of Remembrance ahead of a march through Dublin to Dáil Eireann. The theme of the Right to Work Campaign is ‘Enough is enough.’
The rally will be addressed by members of the Dublin fire fighters, Professor Kathleen Lynch of UCD, Janette Byrne of Patients together and Walter Cullen of Unite among others.
“This government has already poured €33 billion of our money into the banks,” said James O’Toole of the Right to Work Campaign and member of the UNITE Youth Forum. “They are slashing public services to pay for the bill and crippling our economy for generations to come.”
“We need to concentrate on the 500,000 people without a job in this country, 80,000 of who are aged under 25″
“We need to change economic policy, to enable these people become contributors through public works programmes as well as in private sector employment.”
“We have to reverse the policy of slash and burn, and start generating growth.”
“Members of the public need to express their views, to show passion in support of our and our future generations wellbeing in Ireland. The government is wrong and needs to be told from every home throughout this land.”
“Young people are being deprived of the ability to work in this country,” added Vanessa O’Sullivan of Youth against Dole Cuts.
“We have to show the drive to give young people a voice and let this government know that enough is enough.”
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May 11, 2010 10:39 pm
Hi there
I was on the march this evening and was stirred by the emotion and the passion of the people there. I intend to go next week and every Tuesday after that. And each time I go, I hope to bring another person with me.
But it is very important that the parties and groups of the left, particularly those of the extreme left, must not alienate the middle ground in Ireland. This fight belongs to every citizen in this country and therefore all must be welcome and no one party or movement can dominate. Otherwise it will not work.
I am the owner of a small business and I employ seven people. We all took very big pay cuts in order to keep the business open and keep everyone in jobs. There’s hundreds of thousands of people like me who don’t feel represented by far left parties. Yet at the same time they are not represented by FF and FG. Plenty of so-called middle class people want to march and want to fight to get this government out and see the bankers and politicians in court for their crimes.
Far too many times in Ireland, the interests of one group has derailed the greater good of all. The FF/FG illusion is beginning to fall apart but the vacuum they leave will not be filled by the far left. It will be filled by a new centre grouping and is essential that is allowed to develop. The lack of union membership among the private sector and the professions means it is harder to organize and mobilize these people but the passion is there and the door just needs to be opened to let them join the fight.
If this is our last chance to create a true democracy for all the people, then pride must be put aside and parties must lower their flags and raise a new one, a flag made up of humility, honesty, fairness and solidarity under which we can all march and win this economic and social war being waged against the ordinary citizens of Ireland and the world.
Unity of purpose and unity in action.
Shane
May 11, 2010 11:19 pm
http://www.machholz.wordpress.com
http://www.thepressnet.com
I am really delighted to see this comment I too am what I consider from the centre ground and your point is very important for the left not to alienate the middle ground in Ireland
I am quite active in the blogging world and I was not aware of this protest today
I will be there at the next one though!
I firmly believe that the current political system must be replaced with an entirely new system that puts people at the centre of its policies and not personalities
We the people must take to the streets and reclaim our country, we must kink out the gangsters that currently reside in the Dail, and the crooks within the political system must be exposed and brought to justice
The squandering of billions to support corrupt banks must at all costs be stopped, NAMA must be abolished and the cronies within must be exposed,
Jobs for the unemployed must be the number one priority along with the re-education of any and all who wish to avail of it
The people responsible for the destruction of our country must not be allowed to keep their ill-gotten gains
Oh God I could go on and on!
But thank god people are now wakening up to the damage the so called political elite are doing to our country
They must be stopped now!
May 11, 2010 11:59 pm
good to see all 500 of you out today!!! if you can’t even fool your own supporters into comming out onto the streets, you really have to start questioning the sanity of the policies you represent. you will fail everytime.
May 12, 2010 9:08 am
I am in the early stages of starting a new business and failing as I can get no support from Government. As I am down the country and also did not know of that march, I would have attended. I am a member of the Green party but now about to resign and join Labour as their social policies are more in line with mine. I have been very impressed with Eamonn Gilmore and Joan Burton who are tireless workers and support the marginalised and disadvantaged. Lenihan today told his Ministers to find another 3 Billion in cuts and Social Welfare is targetted again. Time we rose up before this mad monger cuts everything from the people. Time to eliminate overseas aid immediately and defence spending which is a nonsense also. Slash public service salaries and pension conditions for the higher paid. Protect the lower paid PS by all means. Time to take Ireland back for the people. Time to rid us of the FF cancer.
May 12, 2010 2:37 pm
Now that I know there will be a protest at the Dail next Tuesday, I will also be there. Like others, I consider myself to be ‘middle Ireland’, law abiding and silent. I will continue to be law abiding, but no longer silent. Saw the smartalec comment from JB.(which prompted me to write this). I’m no lefty, but this is the only way I can voice my disapproval in a way that will ensure it will be noticed by the scoundrels who’s policies will ensure my sons and their friends will be emigrating this summer – with their degrees. Obviously JB doesn’t give a damn about us, so he won’t be on the march. Well done JB! you must be a FF’er.
May 12, 2010 5:46 pm
“Enough is enough” is right. This government has got to go. They have invested nothing into job creation while handing over billions of taxpayer money to greedy banks and developers. The government policy right now is to keep turning the screw on the ordinary decent tax payers of this country, they will quite happily grind us into the ground while taking their over inflated wages, then off to a cushy MEP job. Do FF think we are going to be the first country in history to tax our way out of a recession?
See you all next Tuesday.
For the record I am not left wing, As the previous poster “Andrew” wrote “I consider myself to be ‘middle Ireland’, law abiding and silent.” But I can be silent no more, its time to make a stand and say “enough is enough.”
May 15, 2010 10:27 pm
I don’t support the left or the right in politics. I aim to align myself with truth and justice, both of which are severely lacking in our government’s policies and mode of operation. I was at the protest last Tuesday and will be there next Tuesday and all other Tuesdays till the Dail is emptied of these inept politicians.
May 18, 2010 8:44 am
hi there
i don’t think right to work are looking at the situation full circle. yes the bankers have been bailed out which should never have happened however this is a cycle of credit I know right to work is made up mainly of those who have lost their job however if the banks were not bailed out the jobless in this country would considerably higher as credit is the lifeline of any business without this credit their would be cash flow issues for many more companies which would close them down and make the economic situation worse.
please look at the situation from all sides because if the banks were not bailed out we would be worse than greece right now