Dublin demo huge success - mass potest against pension levy

national | worker & community struggles and protests | other press Tuesday February 24, 2009 14:29 by Darren C

On Saturday 21 February 120,000 workers marched in Dublin against the imposition of a pension levy on public sector workers’ wages by the Fianna Fail government. League members and supporters report from the demonstration

23 February 2009

The economic crisis is hitting Ireland hard, and workers here are not taking it lying down. The actions of the government and private sector employers to save money by cutting back on spending, including jobs, is a typical capitalist measure to get themselves out of the crisis. Now ordinary people are being made to suffer, many of them being thrown out of work and with a shrinking labour market it is not clear where employment can be found.

.A leaflet from the League for Fifth International was widely distributed on the demo and welcomed a possible one day public sector wide shut down but asked the question would it be enough to win? The government can easily weather one day action hoping it will let off steam. Socialists should be at the fore in arguing ‘All Out till Victory’ and making sure that an all out indefinite public sector strike rolls back all the attacks since the draconian Budget. It is clear that Irish workers face a determined enemy in Fianna Fail but equally their trade union leaders sucking up to the government is a massive millstone round their necks if they are to strike out and achieve victory.