Dockers Hit Day 90 out on strike

dublin | worker & community struggles and protests | news report

Monday October 05, 2009 16:37

by Dermo - WSM - personal capacity

Report from Striking dockers support March - 2nd Oct.

A crowd of about 100 people gathered to march down towards the gate of Marine Terminals Ltd. In anticipation of the march by the strikers and their supporters, the company had closed the gates. The march happened on the same day that polls were open for the Lisbon treaty, and a number of speakers at the gate made the point that this was the type of Europe we were getting thanks to Lisbon.

The labour laws of the land have been flagrantly flouted by MTL – effectively causing this lock out and not really engaging in the industrial relations process in any meaningful way. Yet, at the same time the largest Union in the Country – SIPTU – had backed the Lisbon treaty with a statement saying that a yes “would not make matters worse overall. Indeed, it has the potential to improve them,".

What really needs to be improved is the way that men and women who are part of the largest trade Union in the Country get backed up and supported by them in their strike against bosses who ride roughshod over the process. The SIPTU conference is coming up in the next week it is expected that a plan be unveiled for winning this dispute.

Many people spoke at the gate – thus ensuring that the gate stayed closed until 6.15pm. All of the speakers said it was time for the Trade Union movement to get back to old style workers solidarity – backing each other up in disputes like this. Joe Mooney was MC for the speakers – and a number of recently elected Dublin City Councillors spoke, Cíaran Perry, Bríd Smyth, Niall Ring, plus the recently elected MEP (Joe Higgins) invoked the ghost of James Larkin in his speech.
Greg Kerr from Workers Solidarity spoke pledging support to the stikers. All of the speakers said it was time for the Trade Union movement to get back to old style workers solidarity – backing each other up in disputes like this.

If goods come in through MTL – and Dunnes ‘because we’re Irish’ Stores are one of the companies receiving goods being delivered to them by scabs – then the workers should refuse to handle them, and they should be backed by their trade union. When it comes to winning disputes it takes that level of solidarity – it takes that ability to shut the City down. You can’t mediate nor negociate your way out of a dispute where one party has no respect for the rights of the other. Again the time has come to put manners on bosses like this.

As an analogy to the working methodology of Fíanna Fail – this Strike works as a perfect example. Outside the gate – on the march for a shot while before urgent business at the Dáil summoned him away from us, was Chris Andrews. (www.chrisandrews.ie/) whilst inside the gates working as a scab in this dispute is Brian Dooley (www.micandidate.eu/candidate.aspx?idcandidate=1295 ) candidate for FF in the recent local elections. I post the links to their websites so that ye may know the two faces of FF.

Fíanna Fail – playing all sides – to ensure they always come out winning.

I will leave you with a quote from Jim Larkin – who said all those years ago....

I am, of course, aware that the ultimate solution is the ownership and control of the means of life by the whole of the people; but we are not at that stage of development as yet.

I am of course aware that we still have not reached this stage of development – but the least me might do as trade unionists is stand up and fight for the rights of the men and women who've been out for the last 3 months.

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Comments (1 of 1)

Make Ireland a Scab-Free Zone!

by Dairmuid - personal capacity

Thu Oct 08, 2009 15:17

Although small, it was good to see a cross-section of political group support for this, including Éirigí, SF, SWP and WSM. However, a greater mobilisation from the left should have been in evidence, despite inopportune time of the march and the location of the destination.

A small personal appeal: Can we please do without the US Marines-type chanting of "I don't know, but I've been told, MTL have got no soul"? Many of us find this format offensive on at least two levels and the words add nothing really to the necessary consciousness.

Of course the speakers were right to criticise SIPTU for inadequately supporting the dispute. However, we will never be able to guarantee good trade union mobilisation and solidarity actions until we build up a non-sectarian activist network at ground level. Only then will we be able to make Ireland a scab-free zone.

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Dockers Hit Day 90 out on strike

Comments (1 of 1)