Recession

a1_tradeuniontv

Occupation at Bawnogue Unemployed Group’s Jobs Club against threatened lay-off 4th April

, , No Comment

Martin Walsh who has been an activist on the political scene and is a delegate to the Dublin Council of Trade Unions has been working for ten years for the Bawnogue Unemployed Group, managing their jobs Club which assists unemployed people to help find work. He has been threatened with lay off with NO redundancy. Management are not engaging with his union Unite.

As a result he is occupying his workplace in Banowgue on his own. He explains why in this short video.

Read Post →

0_a_FP_smallIm

It’s Called Hunger

, , No Comment

A new report is out - Constructing a Food Poverty Indicator for Ireland.  It estimates that one in ten people experienced ‘food poverty’ in 2010.  In other words, hunger. I know the phrase ‘must-read’ is sometimes over-used, but this is truly a must-read report. The very idea that one-in-ten of our neighbours suffer from food poverty is truly frightening.  Maybe you won’t be guaranteed a job, maybe you won’t be guaranteed free medical care regardless of your need, but surely in a civilised society we can ensure that no one goes without food.  That we can’t, that we don’t, says something about the kind of society that is being created for us.

This estimate produced by Caroline Carney (General Council of the Bar of England and Wales) and Bertrand Maître (ESRI) is based on a careful methodology.  It uses deprivation indicators that relate to food in the EU’s Survey of Income and Living Conditions:

  • Inability to afford a meal with meat or vegetarian equivalent every second day
  • Inability to afford a roast or vegetarian equivalent once a week
  • Whether during the last fortnight, there was at least one day (i.e. from getting up to going to bed) when the respondent did not have a substantial meal due to lack of money
  • Inability to have family or friends for a meal or drink once a month

Read Post →