From the newswire: Why the silence/inattention on the mainstream media on the plight of Margaret Hassan and Annette Flanagan? Is Bertie hiding something? The anti-war movement in Ireland should be doing more to link the plight of the women hostages with the Shannon issue.

With the death of Yasser Arafat and the destruction of the city of Fallujah in the name of ‘freedom’, the plight of the Irish-born hostages Margaret Hassan and Annette Flanagan has fallen to a kind of ‘afterthought’ item, both in the Irish mainstream media and internationally. Some may claim that ‘negotiations are ongoing’, which is not ‘sexy’ news, unlike the pictures of America’s poor driving around Fallujah in heavily armed and armoured vehicles exterminating their Iraqi counterparts for the benefit of capitalists everywhere. However, I think that we here in Ireland are letting a most important story pass us by without even the most cursory of investigations, and those of us who’ve been involved with the anti-war movement over the last two years or so haven’t made the most elementary connection between the hostages and the continued use of Shannon by the US military.

When the kidnappers of Mrs. Hassan and Ms. Flanagan made their demands, the Shannon issue was notable for its absence. It was not until last Sunday that I asked the simple question – why?

Shell have been given permission to build a massive refinery, and accompanying pipeline in north-west Mayo, posing a danger to the local community from landslides, traffic and water supply pollution, and threatening the marine ecology, including whale and dolphin populations. The background on the issue is here Saga of the Corrib Gas Field.

Almost needless to say they are getting a very cushy deal off the Irish government, as detailed here: Corrib Gas Go Ahead Granted to Shell.

Shell became internationally notorious in the 1990's due to destruction, repression and resistance in Ogoniland, Nigeria: Shell in Nigeria: What are the issues?

Related Info:
Shell fined 150 million for lying about oil reserves
To the Victors go the spoils of war: Shell wins Iraqi Oil Contract

From The Newswire: My name is Janette Byrne. Up until four weeks ago I had a pretty stress free life -- then my mam was rushed by ambulance to the Mater hospital and everything changed in a day. My mother was very ill and continuously passing out and vomiting. The doctor thought it could be minor strokes.

I will try take you back with me and hope you get a feel for the upset our family and others went through. We arrived at A&E terrified our mother would die even as we travelled. On arrival we found her on a trolley having been moved from a chair as she repeatedly collapsed in my brothers arms. We have since heard of elderly people falling from the chairs and smashing their faces on the ground. The hospital was packed. It was as if some major catastrophe had happened and everyone was panicked. No doctor came to see my mother for a long time and we felt issolated. The staff were rushed off their feet. We were barely able to get their attention for a bed pan and my mother was lucky she had us to help.

When public services are dismantled a number of tactics are employed. In Dublin Bus they are at the stage of introducing competition: in An Post, other than the letter service this has long been in place. In Aer Rianta the asset strippers are circling as the value of the company is run down. This report, by Paul Kinsella, on the campaign within the An Post unions shows the same tactics at work. The Flynn Report on the service is ignored, elements of the service are closed for being 'uncompetitive' under government set rules and the workers are denied their Partnership agreed wage increases. The campaign material includes draft letters for An Post workers write - have a look, maybe we can all be the mail, as well as the media, for a day.

Selections from the Report.......
The Group of Unions in An Post have recently agreed on the concept of a campaign to change Government policy towards the proper funding of An Post. This decision was made in light of new developments in Industrial relations in the company, the refusal to pay the SP national wage agreement (5% on 1-8-04) and the unilateral decision to close down SDS with the loss of 274 jobs. The use of the present “crisis” in the finances of the company to drive down hard on the Unions and Staff is real, and now firmly underway. In conjunction with the treatment of other Semi-State companies it is clear that this process is politically motivated..........

In 1999 Minister of Communication, Mary O’Rourke commissioned the Flynn Report 2000 to review the Sub Post Office Network. It found, "...As part of the obligation placed on An Post to provide a nationwide service, the Post Offices Branch Network provides access for citizens to mail services, including postal mailing; stamp sales; registration; ancillary postal services. The Post Office Network will be under extreme financial pressure for the foreseeable future. Closure of Posts Offices will only reduce the size of the loses, it cannot stop the loses from the post office network. Also the introduction of new business cannot address these loses." But the Government glossed over the report...........

Postal Sector and Social Obligations
I believe that the group of Unions in An Post should be calling on the Government to make a commitment to a universal obligation to both the Postal and the Post Office Network and for this service to be maintained and further improved. A mechanism should be put in place to access the cost of this social obligation (in light of the further deregulation to take place). And the Government to fund this social obligation.......

An Post is the only major Semi State Company which does not receive an annual Government Subvention for the social services it provides. An Post Group of Unions Agreed Campaign for Government funding of An Post The financial crisis in An Post is directly linked with the Universal Service Obligations of the company, and that the Staff, Customer and Services of the Company are now been targeted, in a bid to let the Government off the hook as regards their Obligations to the Public.....

CPSU Press Release
Draft Letters

PDF of Draft Letters 0.05 Mb

Bands playing are:

Seven Deadly Skins
Cheeko From King Sativa
Disfunktional
Dograck


Info Stalls on : Anti Fascist Action , Vegan/Vegetarian Health , Red Ink Bookstore plus more ..

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This BTW was the first Indymedia Ireland story uploaded all those years ago onto the site as we warmed up for the 'official' launch of open source news in Ireland.