Mass tresspass underway at MTL docks

dublin | worker & community struggles and protests | news report

Monday August 24, 2009 12:58

by Andrew - WSM (personal capacity)

wsm_ireland at yahoo dot com

The dispute at MTL is escalating with hundreds of people taking part in demonstrations organised by the Port Workers Support Group. SIPTU members at the MTL depot in Dublin Port have been on strike since the beginning of July, resisting forced redundancies and pay cuts. The company shipped in scabs from the North and Britain on day one to steal the dockers’ jobs, and also got a High Court injunction preventing effective picketing. Below are updates coming in from this mornings actions, sent via Twitter by WSM members who are present.

Twitter updates, most recent first, see http://twitter.com/WSMIreland

Mass tresspass underway at MTL dockyards, several hundred involved

Just announced rotterdam has been shut down in solidarity.15 minutes ago from TwitterFon

Docks has been blocked by crowd for last hour as well.

Speeches from Phil Mac Fadden ( chair of dublin council of trade unions), Oliver mac donagh (branch organiser siptu) and ken fleming (international transport workers federation), kevin doherty (belfast trades council), eamon devoy (teeu), frank leahy (antwerp and international dockers), k joe o flynn (siptu), john walsh (siptu shop steward), joe mooney (community), nicola caulfield (striker), peter bunting (ictu)17 minutes ago from TwitterFon

Just arrived at MTL docks - background at http://www.wsm.ie/news_view...about 1 hour ago from TweetDeck

Met union members includign dock workers from Belfast and Liverpool and have crossed east link bridge crowd has grown to 300about 1 hour ago from TwitterFon

2 workers have gone into post authority to take action against MTI as they own docks.about 2 hours ago from TwitterFon

Dublin docks protest 200 assembled on east wall road, meetin union delegations at the point another march from ringsend at docks

Follow future updates at http://twitter.com/WSMIreland

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Comments (4 of 4)

Some images

by Johnny - WSM (personal capacity)

Mon Aug 24, 2009 16:36

Some pictures from todays events

2 Question on The State & Nationalism

by Benedict Anderson

Mon Aug 24, 2009 18:00

I've 2 queries. Firstly, what role did the state play in blocking access to the port? I believe this march was to break an injunction. Was this done? If so, what was the reaction of the Gardaí?

Secondly, there still seems to be a determined nationalist element on these protests. I've not been to any due to work but would definitley support the strikers. To what extent is nationalism a trend in this protest? I saw a tricolour flag on TV today and I heard Joe Monney on the radio this morning arguing along the lines "This is a UK firm in Ireland, Irish workers should not be treated like this in our own country". I personally think nationalism is a dead-end strategy. To what extent are the workers in Antwerp blacking the goods from Ireland? This is the way to success.

lil point

by francis hughes

Mon Aug 24, 2009 19:24

the tricolour is a secular progressive flag of national liberation representing peace between orange and green on this island. it is non sectarian. many people are fed up with irelands sovereignty bein sold out to U.S.A in regards Shannon, to E.U in regards Lisbon , to multinationals in regards Shell etc. Why not an Irish flag, go off and worry about somethin else Benidictus

MTL protest video online at SWP TV

by P - SWP

Tue Aug 25, 2009 14:03

info at swp dot ie

This may help to answer some of the above queries.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJzKLp2YlQM

Caption: Video Id: NJzKLp2YlQM Type: Youtube Video
MTL dockers protest 24 August 2009

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Mass tresspass underway at MTL docks

Comments (4 of 4)