Blog Feeds

Public Inquiry
Interested in maladministration. Estd. 2005

offsite link RTEs Sarah McInerney ? Fianna Fail?supporter? Anthony

offsite link Joe Duffy is dishonest and untrustworthy Anthony

offsite link Robert Watt complaint: Time for decision by SIPO Anthony

offsite link RTE in breach of its own editorial principles Anthony

offsite link Waiting for SIPO Anthony

Public Inquiry >>

Human Rights in Ireland
Promoting Human Rights in Ireland

Human Rights in Ireland >>

Lockdown Skeptics

The Daily Sceptic

offsite link The Mass Psychosis of Black Lives Matter Sat Jun 07, 2025 15:00 | Will Jones
What was the most demented moment of the BLM summer of 2020? For Dan Hannan it was when 1,200?public health?officials declared that, although meeting other people was a health risk, demonstrating for BLM was fine.
The post The Mass Psychosis of Black Lives Matter appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

offsite link Exposed: The Left-Wing Plot to Torpedo Germany?s Strict New Border Policy Sat Jun 07, 2025 13:00 | Eugyppius
The German Government's strict new border policy has suffered its first setback after a judge with a Marxist background backed a plot by pro-asylum activists and declared the basis of the new policy to be invalid.
The post Exposed: The Left-Wing Plot to Torpedo Germany’s Strict New Border Policy appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

offsite link NHS Chiefs Forced to Rip Up Trans Guidance Sat Jun 07, 2025 11:00 | Will Jones
NHS chiefs have been forced to rip up their?pro-trans guidance?after it was rendered illegal by the Supreme Court ruling, as Health Secretary Wes Streeting says he wants new guidance in place by the summer.
The post NHS Chiefs Forced to Rip Up Trans Guidance appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

offsite link Unmasking the Greenhalgh Mask Study Sat Jun 07, 2025 09:00 | Dr Roger Watson
When the Cochrane review found no evidence face masks were effective, mask zealots couldn't let it stand. They produced their own 'scientific' review. But it's little more than cherry-picking, says Prof Roger Watson.
The post Unmasking the Greenhalgh Mask Study appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

offsite link How the Left Tried to Massage Matt Goodwin?s Figures Predicting White Brits? Looming Minority Status Sat Jun 07, 2025 07:00 | Steven Tucker
When Matt Goodwin released figures predicting white Brits' looming minority status, the Left went into overdrive to massage the numbers and make everything seem fine. Steven Tucker digs down and exposes the lies.
The post How the Left Tried to Massage Matt Goodwin’s Figures Predicting White Brits’ Looming Minority Status appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

Lockdown Skeptics >>

Voltaire Network
Voltaire, international edition

offsite link Will intergovernmental institutions withstand the end of the "American Empire"?,... Sat Apr 05, 2025 07:15 | en

offsite link Voltaire, International Newsletter N?127 Sat Apr 05, 2025 06:38 | en

offsite link Disintegration of Western democracy begins in France Sat Apr 05, 2025 06:00 | en

offsite link Voltaire, International Newsletter N?126 Fri Mar 28, 2025 11:39 | en

offsite link The International Conference on Combating Anti-Semitism by Amichai Chikli and Na... Fri Mar 28, 2025 11:31 | en

Voltaire Network >>

“Our Union, Our Choice”- Interview with Tony Gregg, NASRA Branch Secretary

category national | worker & community struggles and protests | news report author Thursday June 06, 2019 22:30author by sp - Socialist Party Report this post to the editors

This short interview from the Socialist Party of the National Ambulance Service Representative Assocation branch secretary is about the background to the ambulance strike and what the issues are about and gives the Union a chance to present their case.
ambulancedrivers620x330.jpg

Thanks for talking to The Socialist, Tony. On the 31 May we saw the seventh day of strike action of ambulance workers organised by NASRA. What is the dispute about and what is its significance?

The dispute is essentially about workers’ right to choose the union that represents them rather than the bosses or employers choosing their representation for them. Up to now, the ambulance service, HSE and the government have chosen the unions who they think will best represent us. Obviously, people have a right to join those unions, but equally we have a right to join our union. Employer and government have stonewalled us. Essentially they have used a union-busting tactic, by refusing to continue to deduct our union dues at source as they have done over the last nine years.

This happened when it became clear that we were the majority union in terms of membership in the ambulance service. We actually feel a specific responsibility towards a new generation of workers, who are now starting to join the trade union movement. We need to protect their democratic rights and we are particularly motivated to make sure they aren’t sold out.

The government has tried to dismiss this dispute as an inter-union dispute, but you have repeatedly explained this is a misrepresentation of the facts. What is really going on?

The PNA have been representing workers in the health service for the past 49 years. NASRA is a branch of the PNA. The PNA is recognised within the HSE, there is no reason why they couldn’t represent us. These days, many unions are run from the top down. One of the things we like about the PNA is that is it members’ driven, it is run from the bottom up.

You have emphasised the message again and again that this is a seminal dispute for all trade unionists. What concrete support are you asking your trade union comrades to extend?

We are not writing to the unions, we are asking workers to raise from the shop floor up through the structures of their unions the need to support our struggle. This dispute has garnered support internationally, as far as Boston and New York. Now workers in trade unions here need to demand of their union leaders solidarity and practical support. Stand in protest with us, join our picket lines and swell them. Send a clear message to other unions and the employers that the unions belong to the workers and that their strength lies in their membership. Trade unions are nothing without the workers, and we want to demonstrate that to those in power.

Solidarity TDs and Socialist Party members have raised this issue repeatedly in the Dáil, and ambulance workers have been no stranger to the Dáil gallery to put pressure on the political establishment. What are your plans to ratchet up the pressure on the HSE and the government in the next few weeks?

We have extended our industrial action from 10-hour strikes to 24-hour strikes and are not afraid to intensify our strike action further if needed, to rolling 24-hour strikes. This puts real pressure onto the employer. As well as further strike action in the next few weeks, we are planning another protest outside Dáil Eireann to put pressure on government to tell the HSE to engage with us. TDs from across the political spectrum have not dared to speak out against our claim, as we are standing up for our basic democratic right to choose our representation, a right that has widespread public support. Now we need the HSE to be instructed to recognize the PNA as the union of our choice.

Join the NASRA lobby outside the Dáil, Kildare Street on 3 July, 12.30pm

Related Link: http://socialistparty.ie/2019/06/our-union-our-choice-interview-with-tony-gregg-nasra-branch-secretary/
© 2001-2025 Independent Media Centre Ireland. Unless otherwise stated by the author, all content is free for non-commercial reuse, reprint, and rebroadcast, on the net and elsewhere. Opinions are those of the contributors and are not necessarily endorsed by Independent Media Centre Ireland. Disclaimer | Privacy