The truth about the WRC

Yesterday Choice Ireland picketed the WRC on Dorset street - they intend to picket every Saturday (1pm) this month to highlight "the lies, bullying, and manipulation of the WRC.

Choice Ireland says "The WRC is located at number 50 on Upper Dorset Street. The sign above the door reads “WRC” but this rogue agency has many aliases. It was known as “Aadams” from 1995 until 1999 when that incarnation was shut down in the midst of an illegal adoption scandal. It reopened as the “Women's Counselling Network” and was more recently calling itself “Alpha” until a Newstalk exposé led it to change its name once more to the “WRC”. This agency is also known to misleadingly advertise in the yellow pages as “British Alternative Pregnancy Services” and “Choice for Women” in order to give the false impression that they will discuss all the options available to women in crisis pregnancy when they have no intention of doing so."

Related Links:Choice Ireland

International Solidarity

As part of the Global Day of Action against Starbucks called by the AIT/IWA and the IWW pickets were placed on Starbucks stores in Belfast, Dublin and many other cities worldwide. These were to demand the reinstatement of Monica, a member of the anarcho-syndicalist CNT working in the Starbucks in central Seville, and Cole Dorsey, an IWW member who was fired by Starbucks for organising in their Grand Rapids, Michican, shop.

Related Links: Starbucks Union (U.S.) Starbucks Union (Spain) Global day of Action Coverage of many of the actions

For almost a week now the media has been full of stories about toxic waste found at the former Irish Steel (aka Irish Ispat) site on Haulbowline, including the statistical evidence that Cobh town, a few hundred metres away, has a cancer incidence rate which is 44% above the national average.

These photos were taken at 8.45am Thursday morning, 3rd July - there appeared to be one person on site at the time (see photo below). However life and work continued as usual at the naval base next door, in Cobh town and Ringaskiddy. Photo 5 shows the now levelled site of the old furnace hall which is the large building shown on some television reports - also the proximity of this to the main Naval Mess Hall and playing pitches on Haulbowline - and the National Maritime College at Ringaskiddy (photo background).

Cultural Destruction

How the issue of a discussion at WAC 6 on Tara and the M3 arose and an update on the situation.

The issue of a debate on Tara and the M3 at the World Archaeological Congress, which takes place next week in Dublin, arose after Tara campaigners requested that I investigate whether such a discussion could be facilitated at one of the sessions dealing with ethics. I wrote to WAC asking for a session on campaigns against cultural destruction as a counterbalance to the programme as it was, which included several pro-developer, pro-private sector archaeology themes as well as the shocking presence at the congress of the US military.

Related Links: World Archaeological Congress Tara stories on indy

Solidarity can beat the Bosses!

This Friday, the 4th of July marks the start of a week of actions against Lionbridge, a multinational translation and software development company in support of the right of workers to organise in trade unions.

Groups of workers from Ireland, Poland, Denmark, Spain, America and elsewhere will hold pickets outside the offices of Lionbridge to mark the start of a case taken against the company in Poland by Jakub G.

Jakub has been working for the company for almost 8 years and received several promotions before becoming active as a trade-union organizer. Shortly after a union was formed in Warsaw he was fired by Lionbridge. To get around the Polish law which prohibits the sacking of union representatives without good cause, the bosses said that Jakob had leaked confidential company information to an internet website.

Related Links:Campaign Home Page Picket in Dun Laoghaire