Press Statement: Lisbon - If O'Leary is for it, it can't be in our interest

national | eu | press release

Thursday September 24, 2009 19:11

by PRO Workers Solidarity Movement

Anarchist organisation, Workers Solidarity Movement (WSM) has attacked Michael O'Leary's support for the Lisbon treaty, describing O'Leary as "one of Ireland's most notorious anti-union employers"

Anarchist organisation, Workers Solidarity Movement (WSM) has attacked Michael O'Leary's support for the Lisbon treaty, describing O'Leary as "one of Ireland's most notorious anti-union employers"

"Any worker who was undecided on how to vote on the Lisbon treaty must surely have had his/her mind made up by the sight of O'Leary linking up with one of the five founding members of Silvio Berlusconi’s Forza Italia party and jetting from airport to airport across the country in support of a ‘Yes’ vote," said Gregor Kerr, WSM's Lisbon spokesperson.

"Michael O’Leary and European Commission vice-president Antonio Tajani may have thought that they would impress us all with their political stunt of flying a group of journalists from Dublin to Knock, Knock to Kerry and back to Dublin for the purpose of pointing at the big EU flag painted on the side of the aeroplane," continued Kerr.
"However the reaction of most workers will surely have been “If they’re for it, it can’t be in my interest.” Nobody will be impressed by O’Leary’s sudden concern for the ‘national interest’. We all know that his only interest is in the bottom line, that he has in the past been willing to ride roughshod over the rights of workers to improve that bottom line, and that his endorsement of the Lisbon treaty is because he sees in it the potential for further diminution of workers’ rights."

"The massive amounts of money being spent by Ryanair, Intel and other multinational companies as well as by IBEC and the pro-business lobbies in this referendum should set off warning bells in the mind of every worker in Ireland and throughout Europe," concluded Mr. Kerr.
"The last couple of months have seen massive job losses and huge attacks on the wages and working conditions of workers. O’Leary and the rest of the employer lobby are in favour of Lisbon because it endorses the race to the bottom and will facilitate even further such attacks. If they’re for it, it cannot be in our interest. All workers should vote No to Lisbon and get organised to resist the attacks on our wages and working conditions."
Further WSM comment on the Lisbon treaty can be found at http://www.wsm.ie/lisbon

Statement Ends
More information from WSM Lisbon spokesperson, Gregor Kerr on 086 1501151

Note to editor:
Workers Solidarity Movement (WSM) is an Irish anarchist organisation with branches in Dublin, Cork and Belfast and members in several other places around the country. WSM members are involved in many trade union and community campaigns.

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Comments (4 of 4)

Debate

by rj

Fri Sep 25, 2009 10:38

I think that Ganley was way too emotional during the debate, although he was definitely more informed. Sadly for the no campaign though, the show was lost long before the irrelevant O'Leary/Ganley stage. Both Micheal Martin and Pat Cox absolutely and comprehensively trounced Higgins and McDonald. Cox in particular put in an admirable performance, the Sinn Fein leader was laughably out of her depth against him. I'd say it swung a hell of a lot of people for the yes campaign, was a good night for them

Mick was wingless

by Redundant Republican

Sun Sep 27, 2009 21:04

Saw tis part of the programme . I think Mick took a hammering . He wanted to be personal , no real knowledge . A street fighter but I feel the more Ganley smiled at O Leary the more points he was winning . The street fighter was bruised and beaten .

is this the same pat cox you mean rj?.....

by Euroseptic

Mon Sep 28, 2009 15:19

this man with corporate lobbying ties up the wazoo?
http://www.indymedia.ie/article/94173&comment_limit=0&c...60075

give me Mary Lou any day!! At least she cares about more than just making money for corporations.

Pat Cox is a tool of corporate interests, and it's unlikely he does this for nothing.

We pay him (a lot of money, which is probably taken from the mouths of pensioners and the unemployed ) but he really works for them against our interests.

Fair play to Ganley, whatever his reasons. He showed O'leary up for the self serving short sighted uninformed greedy low life he is. And as for him being pro-jobs? well the first thing he would probably do if lisbon is passed would be to set up a shell company in the country with the lowest pay and worst worker rights in the EU, then contract that company to employ all his staff from there as a service at their rates. Pro-jobs, sure, but in the way a factory boss during the industrial revolution was. Low pay, long hours, no rights. all in the name of profit.

The Europe envisioned in this treaty is not the same one we joined. Put Europe back on track. VOTE NO!

cox was just reduced to making attacks on the baggage of sinn fein, not the substance of the treaty

by MyCoxOnFire

Mon Sep 28, 2009 15:29

If you call that a good performance then fine. I call it an ad hominem attack and any logician will tell you such arguments are not valid. They are fallacious. If making fallacious arguments is good then he excelled himself. false rhetoric is about all fianna fail and their cronies can ever come up with when they talk about important issues they want to ignore while serving their own interests. Thats most of the time as far as I can see.

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Press Statement: Lisbon - If O'Leary is for it, it can't be in our interest

Comments (4 of 4)