Irish Social Forum trade union meeting

dublin | anti-capitalism | press release

Friday July 04, 2003 14:10

by Hebe

ian at theplateau dot com

You are invited to a meeting on July 16, to discuss how trades unionists and the ISF can work together; and how best to involve trade unions in the counter-summit activities next October.

The Irish Social Forum

c/o 15-19 Essex Street West,
Old City,
Dublin 8

Re: Irish Social Forum trade union meeting, Wednesday July 16

Dear Brother / Sister,

Mary Harney and Peter Sutherland are preparing to host a summit of world business leaders, the World Economic Forum, in Dublin on October 21 – 23 - on the theme of 'Competition'. Many trade unionists are already familiar with ‘competition’ and being ‘competitive’: wage freezes, casualisation, cuts, privatizations and anti-union legislation. Cutbacks in respite care, the axing of community employment schemes and the ideologically-driven plans to privatise parts of CIE, Aer Rianta, and the ESB are examples of the WEF's anti-social agenda.

The Irish Social Forum is working to mobilize Irish civil society in the spirit of the international social forum movement – from the World Social forum of Porto Allegre to the last november's European Social Forum and the local social forums springing up across the world.

To ensure that an alternative voice - the voice of ordinary people - is also heard in October, Community and voluntary organisations, trade unionists, alternative globalisation activists and concerned citizens from Ireland and abroad will be invited to a counter-summit to discuss 'Co-operation' – as an alternative to the ideological corporate agenda of the WEF.

You are invited to a meeting on July 16, to discuss how trades unionists and the ISF can work together; and how best to involve trade unions in the counter-summit activities next October.

The meeting will take place at 7:30pm, July 16 at the Comhlámh office, 10 Upper Camden Street (opposite Piseot's, and directly above Le Boulangerie).

From this meeting we hope to launch in earnest the process of engaging Irish trade unionists with the ISF.

If you cannot attend but would like to be told about the activities promoted by the ISF, please let us know how to keep in touch with you – either by post or (preferably)

Email contact: [email protected]

Yours,

Brendan Young

Ian McDonald

Barry Finnegan

(Irish Social Forum Trade Union Outreach Working Group)