Class Struggle Roundup - 23 January 2023
The North ramps up, Clerys clock revives recent labour past, and more.
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Some quotes from the week…
‘For every €93.15 (US$100) of wealth created in the last ten years, €31.67 (US$34) has gone to the richest 1% and less than €0.5 to the bottom 50%. This means that the richest 1% have gained 70 times more wealth than the bottom 50% in the last 10 years.’ - Oxfam Ireland
‘We all know from past experience that some people who are billionaires on paper, or appear to be billionaires, are actually all fur coat and no knickers. They have a lot of money and assets on paper, but they also have a lot of debts and liabilities and their actual net wealth is negative or small.’ - Leo Varadkar, Taoiseach
Northern Ireland
Widespread industrial action remains on the table for many organised workers across Northern Ireland as nurses in England continued two days of strikes last week in large numbers. Public sector workers affiliated to Nipsa and Unison are engaged in action short of strikes, with strikes planned for 26 January to include Unite members as well. Bloomberg reports that unions are demanding at least double digit pay rises and thousands are set to walk out on Monday. Ambulance workers across Britain, including Northern Ireland, plan ten further strike actions. Unite affiliated workers in Northern Ireland have actions planned for 26 January and 16, 17, 23 and 24 February.
Support for industrial action has spread to hospital pharmacy workers, with those in Northern Ireland to be officially balloted.
In Derry, journalists ‘are voting in a another consultative ballot for industrial action over the corporation’s proposal to close 36 posts across the province and end the popular BBC Radio Foyle Breakfast Show.’ This could significantly damage local news coverage for the Derry area and further homogenize the public service broadcaster.
The Socialist Party has called ‘to coordinate strike action and maximise the effectiveness of their actions. This should include pressuring the leaderships of individual unions to co-operate in and across sectors.’
Éire
Argos and the ghosts of retail past. In the week that the Clerys unveiled its new (old) clock on Dublin’s Grafton street as the bankrupt department store is set to reopen as a shopping centre, the timepiece revived recent bitter memories of class struggle for retail workers. In a potential replay of what happened to the 500 Clerys workers who were let go without notice and given statutory redundancy, British retailer Argos announced this week that it would close all of its operations in the Republic of Ireland. In a statement, ‘Mandate official, Michael Meegan, said that the union will be engaging intensively with the company to get the best possible deal for the workers who are being made redundant.’ Given Mandate’s refusal to back the Debenhams workers all the way during their historic picket when they were turfed out via email without warning, we’ll have to see how much they’re willing to fight this time. One thing is clear — retail workers continue to be on the front lines in Ireland, and the Duffy-Cahill report and Debenhams Bill are still collecting dust.
‘Migrant wage gap.’ Research by the ESRI finds there is a “significant migrant wage gap’ in Ireland. The study explains that from ‘2011–2018, non-Irish nationals earned, on average, 22 per cent less per hour than Irish nationals.’ Eastern European workers ‘earn 40 per cent less per hour than their Irish counterparts’ with non-Irish women earning even less. The report claims that ‘The wage premium found among members of trade unions alongside the very low level of membership of such bodies among non-Irish nationals suggests that greater trade union membership would benefit migrant wages.’
Teachers unions discuss possible merger. ASTI and TUI are having discussions about possible merging the two large teachers unions, reports RTE. No one from either of the unions wants to give an official comment yet, with one person describing the talks as ‘tentative.’
Trade union umbrella group, ICTU, condemns far right protests. In a statement, ICTU General Secretary Owen Reidy has said that ‘The cynical use of socioeconomic challenges such as a lack of public services, housing, and the refugee crisis, by elements seeking to sew division and hate, and divide working people and local communities is unacceptable.’ The view was echoed by Forsa and the Communication Workers Union, but some unions remain silent on the issue. A united front of counter protestors comprised of socialists, trade unionists, and others were able to easily see off groups of anti-immigration protestors — including fascist elements — in Dublin this weekend.
Hospital pharmacists set for pay rises after deal is reached to end long-running dispute, via The Irish Times.
Aviation bosses hope 10pc pay rise and better conditions will persuade staff to stay, via The Independent.
Other links
Healthcare costs for workers. ‘Establishing and resourcing a universal single-tier healthcare system with services that are free at the point of access is both economically responsible and morally imperative,’ says ICTU.
Political statement from CPI on Argos decision to close Irish operations.
Ireland’s two richest people have more wealth – €15 billion – than half of the Irish population who have €10.3 billion, via Oxfam Ireland.
No Blacks, No Dogs, No Irish: a short history of discrimination against Irish migrants, by Alexandra Day via Rebel News.
‘There is not only a rhetorical similarity between these cases, but a strong comparison between the social and economic circumstances which surrounded anti-migrant sentiment then and now. Then, as today, these prejudices reached their peak at times of hardship in the ‘native’ country. When jobs were scarce in the years following the Napoleonic Wars, or the Second World War, working people were pitted against migrant Irish workers to compete for jobs and, ultimately, a means of survival. Those in power benefited from these divisions by diverting rightful working-class anger towards easily-made scapegoats and, ultimately, profited from these divisions.’
International
Workers Struggles: Europe, Middle East & Africa, via WSWS.
Workers Struggles: Asia and Australia, via WSWS.
Workers Struggles: The Americas, via WSWS.
‘Nurses Are Striking Because Patients Are Dying’, via Tribune.
Environment Agency Workers Are Striking For Fair Pay and Our Future, via Tribune.
French unions impose wage rises well below inflation, via WSWS.
ASLEF and RMT unions announce joint strike by UK train drivers to pre-empt wider mobilisation, via WSWS.