Teachers demand united industrial action

national | worker & community struggles and protests | news report Wednesday February 11, 2009 20:05 by Niall Smyth - INTO

This evening, Wednesday 11th February, a packed emergency meeting attended by 500 members of Dublin City North Branch of the INTO, held in the Regency Hotel, unanimously passed a resolution calling for a strong campaign of united industrial action across the public service.

Never before in living memory has such anger, unity of purpose and unanimity been seen at a Dublin City North Branch meeting. Teachers present expressed anger and outrage at the manner in which the public service have been targeted in an attempt by government to scapegoat workers for the financial crisis which they did not create.
Young teachers spoke of the stress being caused to them by this pay cut, in particular, with relation to mortgages which were based on salaries now under attack.
Many teachers spoke of the concerted attempt to place a divide between public and private sector workers and expressed their solidarity with workers in the private sector. Outrage was also expressed at the further cuts in special needs provision announced today. The strongly-worded motion, unanomiously passed by the packed meeting, demanded a strong and determined campaign to include:
protests at the clinics and offices of government TDs and councilors, non-cooperation with the DES
A one-day work stoppage across the public sector as a first step in building a broad unified campaign
An immediate ballot of all INTO members on industrial action up to and including full strike action

For further comment:
Niall Smyth 087 6988540
Dublin City North Branch Committee