On 20 March the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) published the final instalment of its Sixth Assessment Repor t, an eightyear-long collaboration of hundreds of scientists. Its findings tell us little we didn’t already know, but do reemphasise how incredibly dire the climate crisis is and how its getting worse faster than we thought All of which makes the inaction by ‘world leaders’ all the more criminal Here are some impor tant snippets:
already, with 1 1 degrees c of global temperature rise, changes to the climate system are now occurring in ever y region of the world, from rising sea levels to more extreme weather events to rapidly disappearing sea ice any additional warming will increase the magnitude of these changes every 0 5 degree c of global temperature rise will cause clearly discernible increases in the frequency and severity of heat extremes, heavy rainfall events and regional droughts Similarly, heatwaves will likely occur 4 1 times more frequently with 1 5 degrees c of warming, 5 6 times with 2 degrees c and 9 4 times with 4 degrees c –and the intensity of these heat waves will also increase massively
about 50% of the global population currently contends with severe water scarcity for at least one month per year, while higher temperatures are enabling the spread of vector-borne diseases, such as malaria, West Nile virus and lyme disease climate change has also slowed improvements in agricultural productivity in middle and low latitudes, with crop productivity growth shrink ing by a third in africa since 1961 and since 2008, extreme floods and storms have forced over 20 million people from their homes ever y year even at 1 5 degree c just under 1 billion people across the world’s dr ylands will experience water stress, heat stress and deser tification, while the share of
the global population exposed to flooding will rise by 24%
another report that came out this year looked at climate change from the point of inequality Differences in greenhouse gas (GhG) emissions are extraordinarily high, not only between countries but to an even higher degree within each country the poorest half of the world’s population owns only 2% of the world’s wealth, are responsible for only 12% of emissions, but suffer 75% of losses the richest 10% are responsible for 48% of emissions, but incur only 3% of losses another repor t from 2022 found that the super-rich are the real
polluters, e g it would take 26 years for a low earner to produce as much co2 as the richest do in a year, according to an analysis of income and GhG data from 1998 to 2018, which found that people earning £170,000+ in 2018 in the uK were responsible for GhG emissions far greater than the 30% of people earning £21,500 or less in the same year
climate policies in at least 170 countries now consider adaptation, i e taking measures to deal with the effects of climate change But such measures are also way behind where they should be, largely due to lack of funding according to the iPcc, ‘developing countries’ alone will
need $127 billion per year by 2030 and $295 billion per year by 2050 to adapt to climate change But funds for adaptation reached just $46 billion in 2018
limiting global temperature rise to 1 5 degrees c is still possible, but only if the world acts immediately as the iPcc makes clear, we need to peak GhG emissions before 2025 at the very latest, nearly halve GhG emissions by 2030 and reach netzero GhG emissions around mid-century, while also ensuring a just transition What the iPcc doesn’t say, but is patently clear, is that this is not possible as long as capitalism exists to save the planet we have to end it, and there’s not a second to lose
IRISH POLITICIANS and media
pundits are buzzing with excitement o ver the planned visit of US President Joe Biden. Media coverage is dominated by the most urgent questions: where Biden will go, and how long he will spend in each place, and which air por t he will fly into, and who he will meet – yes, the things you ask your fr iend when they tell you they ’ re flying home from Australia for a week
It ’ s as if Biden isn’t currently in the most powerful political position in the world, from which he’s actively making the wor ld a worse place to be, whether by escalating tensions in the Cold War with China, approving a disastrous new oil drilling project in Alaska, or bailing out another huge bank with public money while living standards and infrastructure in the US deteriorate All of this makes the stupefied excitement of the Ir ish media and politicians all the more embarrassing
Warmonger in chief
Af ter speculating that Biden may fl y into tiny Knock Airport, the Irish Independent conc ludes: ‘ it may be that US officials deem S hannon Air por t more secure It handles flights for more than 65,000 US troops annually ’ How
is this appropr iate for a state that c laims to be ‘neutral’?
This month marks the 20th anniversar y of the US-led invasion of Iraq The US government lied to the wor ld and laid waste to a nation They lef t hundreds of thousands dead with nothing to show for it except massive profits for militar y contractors, and the r ise of ISIS from the ruins Joe Biden did not just support the invasion of Iraq; he was one of the leading pro-war voices in the Democratic Party He has blood on his hands that will ne ver wash away S o does the Ir ish state, which provided Shannon as a pit stop for the war machine
And then there was the ser ies of equall y disastrous inter ventions in S y r ia, Libya and Yemen while Biden was V ice President How can the Irish state in good conscience roll out the red car pet for him? Q uite easily, it would seem Ireland ’ s capitalist establishment has a long histor y of welcoming the leaders of the US empire, with var iations only in the degree of sycophancy
The Troubles
Another part of the media commentar y is focused on the 25th anniversar y of the Good Friday Agreement, and the politicians of Britain, Ireland and the United S tates all slapping each other on the back and indulging in nostalgia
The rich and powerful extend themsel ves limitless credit for peace in Northern Ireland Exactly what indispensable role was played by Clinton, Ahern or Blair, let alone Joe Biden, is never made c lear On the other hand, the role of working-c lass people in Nor thern Ireland is ignored, e ven though strike action and mass demonstrations against sectarian attacks were essential
In light of Biden’s record as a warmonger, it will be pretty grating to hear
him speaking about ’25 years of peace ’
Globally, these have been years of unchallenged US wor ld domination – or, to use the polite term, ‘ a rules-based international order’ – and these years have proved Biden to be someone who knows how to start wars (and how to lose them), but not how to be a peacemaker
Not welcome
Biden has been at the heart of US politics since the 1980s If any individual
c an be held responsible for the many pathologies of US politics, it ’ s Joe The burning toxic train wreck in Ohio is a fitting symbol
O ur leaders and pundits are making a show of us as usual But people in Ireland should repeat to Joe Biden the sociopathic words which his V ice-President Kamala Harris said to refugees from Central Amer ic a: ‘ Do not come Do not come If you come to our border, you will be turned back ’
ACCO RD I N G TO a recent repor t published by T he Land Development A genc y (LDA), the gover nment has the capacity to build 67,000 “affordable” homes on public land
In 2018, the LDA was tasked with fully utilising state lands to build public homes After five years and €3 5 billion not a single home on state land has been delivered All 270 homes they delivered in 2022 were acquired from some of the biggest developers in the countr y, essentially gif ting public money to private hands yet again The LDA report states that it will take another five to ten years to deliver 9,760 of the homes identified in the report Many of these will actually be stalled or unviable housing projects purchased from private developers
Reliant on the private market
The annual staff bill for the agency is €2 2 million with an average salar y of more than €93,000 John Coleman, the chief executive of the LDA, is paid €200,000 per annum The fat wages and deep pockets of these bureaucrats and the c lass of capitalists that feed off housing as a commodity is the cholesterol blocking the deliver y of homes for ordinar y people No state agenc y c an actually construct homes without hav-
ing to go through the pr ivate market which requires profit to function This pushes up rents, house prices, building costs etc , making a home into a commodit y that is beyond the reach of most ordinar y people
Given that over 11,700 are living in emergency accommodation, inc luding 3,500 children, and that 4,500 eviction notices fell in the final quarter of 2022, you would imagine that high up on the list of priorities would be the need to use public lands to provide additional homes But this would require quite a different politic al ideolog y that puts public interest before private greed
What can be done?
There are 166,000 vacant homes in the state; 50,000 have been derelict for over six years There are massive amounts of public land that are suitable for building public homes As well as this, private de velopers are engaging in land hoarding for speculation purposes The political parties that represent the interests of the land lords and developers are determined to defend the profits and wealth of this cabal at the expense of ordinar y people
We need a serious grassroots movement on housing, invol ving workers and communities in all cities and towns around the countr y centered around the following demands:
l Organise actions outside local councils to demand that they do not enable evictions! They should refuse to withdraw HAP payments from people facing eviction
l O rganise to resist e victions Many will have no choice but to stay in their homes Form a network of neighbours to stand in solidarity with all those facing e viction and bac king up anyone who decides to resist by overholding
l Immediate investment is needed to ensure all emergenc y accommodation
have all they need to provide suitable and decent accommodation for all who are homeless Workers in these centers should pressure unions to take action and link with housing campaigns
l Convert vacant dwellings into social and affordable homes Pinpoint vacant council houses and derelict buildings in your area and demand action Constr uction workers should br ing this issue into their unions and demand democratic say over construction projects, as well as pay and conditions
l The trade union movement organises hundreds of thousands of workers, many of whom face high rents, the threat of evictions and all the other injustices of this housing cr isis They should take the initiative to mobilise a mass fightback on housing
l For a massive state house-building programme, with direct employment of construction workers For democratic public ownership of the major construction companies, so their projects can be based on public need not profit
NEARLY
A decade on the housing cr isis continues with no end in sight under the policies of successive F ine Gael / F ianna Fáil gover nments In fact the go ver nment is intent on creating an even worse crisis with its lif ting of the eviction ban on 1 Apr il Even dur ing the lifetime of the ban thousands were ser ved with notices of eviction – in the last three months of 2022 alone 4,329 notices were ser ved according to the RTB, a 350% increase on the same per iod in 2021. A tsunami of evictions is already under way and the go ver nment is going out of its way to throw people in its way
At the same time the politic al and media establishment want you to know who are the ones really suffering at the minute: the poor and downtrodden ‘small land lords’ We are told, and then told again and again for good measure, that the small land lord is being forced out of the market by ‘excessive tax and regulation’, ‘terrible tenants’ and, worst of all, the eviction ban The only solution then is to make it open season for tenants, let land lords charge what they want, evict when they want – as though this doesn’t already happen – and more tax breaks than you can shake a stick at Gambling on the market
T h e re ’ s t h e go o d re a s on a n d t h e n
there’s the real reason These land lords a re l i k e a ny o t h e r c a p i t a l i s t – a l b e i t less successful ones than the big corporate land lords And like any capitali s t , t h e i r i n t e re s t i s i n ge t t i n g t h e
maximum profit on their investment
If they are selling up now it ’ s bec ause
they think this is their best shot at a b i g p ayo u t , t h e s l i g h t s l owd ow n o f h o u s e p r i c e s h a s c l e a r l y go t t h e m spooked
The polic y of successive governments has been to treat housing a commodit y and this housing disaster is
where it has led us It is a policy which creates these bubbles and all sor ts of people coming in looking to make quick and easy money
Just look at the numbers, average rent in the last quar ter of 2022 was €1,733 per month, and €2,300 in D ublin! The reliance on the pr ivate market for housing provision, which means private profit from social need, has been an absolute disaster for working-class renters, but for landlords – inc luding small land lords – it has been ver y profitable indeed
T H e e v I C T I O n ban was shamefully lifted on Saturday 1 April. Already in the midst of a severe housing crisis, the lifting of the eviction ban is going to make countless more homeless fine G ael/fianna fáil politicians have peddled sob stories about landlords and how they are the vic tim in this situation – this is farcical the real and only victims here are tenants
Facing evictions
S ocialist Par t y member and fingal count y councillor John Bur tchaell has been contac ted by a number of families who have been ser ved with notices to quit or feel threatened that they could receive one at any point one stor y comes from a woman living in har tstown who has received notice to quit by 1 June. this woman has no place to turn to and at this point in time cannot find any where that she can afford and is therefore seriously facing the prospec t of homelessness another woman in Water ville, who was already forced to leave her home and uproot her young family once before, has a lease coming to an end at the beginning of next year and is understandably ex tremely anxious there have been a few hints that a notice to quit could be coming She is fear ful that one wrong step will have her put out of the house and having
to under take the mammoth task of resettling her young family for the second time in six years
Overcrowded accommodation
John was also contacted by some other people who aren’t facing eviction but whose living conditions highlight how deep the crisis runs for example, one man, a doctor, and his family are living in a three -bed house with 15 other people! the landlord is charging an astronomical fee of €1,400 per month for one room in this house the government is standing over its cruel decision despite k nowing the havoc it will wreak anyone who is facing eviction should refuse to leave their home – there is a process before you can be evicted and staying in your home gives you more power Workingclass communities need to get organised to fight against this ban, including mobilising to block evictions by landlords and support tenants who refuse to be forced into homelessness
T H e d e C I S I O n to lift the ban on nofault evic tions on 1 April laid bare the right-wing, pro -landlord and anti-working class charac ter of the Fianna Fáil / Fine Gael / Greens government. While the government likes to talk about how there are no easy solutions to the housing crisis and how they are doing ever ything they can, this was a conscious decision to make thousands of renters homeless, by a government that is packed with landlord members. The class contempt underlying this decision was highlighted by Fianna Fáil Td Barr y Cowen’s comments that the eviction ban was like ‘making sweets free for children’
Public outrage, political skulduggery
While the government k new the likely consequences, it didn’t necessarily expec t the level of public back lash and political pressure that it has faced having already lost its formal majority in the Dáil, Green Par t y tD Neasa hourigan also jumped ship, voting against the government on this issue o ther Green tDs, whatever concerns they might have expressed, shamefully voted to end the ban and even hourigan went on to vote her confidence in the same government that made this decision just a week later
i n the Dáil vote, the government was rescued by a significant number of right-wing i ndependents, some of whom posture as populists or opponents of the establishment to be sure, they ex trac ted some “concessions” in exchange for their suppor t but these concessions consisted mainly of more handouts to ireland’s struggling landlords! this episode shows the hollowness of the “independent ” label these tDs are cer tainly not independent of the landlords and developers and now they are not even independent of fi-
anna fail or fine G ael the real question is not whether a politician is an independent, but what they stand for ; are they on the side of work ing classpeople or of the wealthy elite?
Despite the widespread public opposition, the government pressed ahead and lifted the ban it has tried to move on the discussion by attack ing Sinn féin’s housing spokesperson eoin o Broin for t weeting a piece of ar t which accurately depicted the Gardaí facilitating evic tions i t successfully pressured Sinn féin into a climbdown,
with Mar y lou McDonald saying that:
“we have to be ver y clear that the Gardaí have to do their job”
Radical change needed this decision pours petrol on an already raging fire – ten years of a housing emergenc y with no end in sight the real issue now is building a fightback against evictions and to demand housing for all Many who receive notices to quit will simply have nowhere to go and will choose to stay in their homes past the evic tion date rather
TH E S O C I A L Democrats have made a substantial effor t to present themselves as the socially progressive alter native to business as usual politics. T heir new leader, 33 year-old Holly Cairns has been posed as an antidote to the political status quo, and heralded as a Repeal activist. An early Apr il poll shows that she is already the most popular par ty leader in Ireland and in some polls has doubled the suppor t of the Social Democrats since her assumption of the leadership position All of this paints a prett y, if indistinct, picture of what they offer. But who are the Social Democrats, and what sor t of politics do they actually represent?
Attacking the left
The Social Democrats are rooted precisely in that ‘old style of politics’ they now seek to distance themselves from Roisín Shorthall, one of the three cofounders, was former ly a junior minister in Enda Kenny ’ s government, which presided over a bank bailout and imposed further austerity measures on working-c lass people In a tele vision appearance on The Week in Politics in Januar y 2011 she justified the F ine
Gael / Labour coalition and in doing so dismissed the anticapitalist lef t as a ‘ragbag ’ and misfits
Holly Cairns, in her first speech as party leader echoed this sentiment, warning of ‘the most extreme voices’ dominating To most this recalled the far right, but implicit in this warning was a distrust of the socialist lef t For all of their veneer of social progress, the unwillingness of the Social Democrats to actually put for ward left positions makes them indistinguishable from the old boys club politics of Ireland ’ s capitalist establishment
The vagueness of the Social Democrats allows them to maintain their unearned lef t-of-centre reputation They don’t say much of consequence, and this is intentional L et ’ s take for instance their founding mission to Repeal the 8th amendment They never went beyond this most basic proposal Like a Rorschach test, lef t and right leaning suppor ters could glean what they wanted about what would replace the constitutional abor tion ban onto this simple Repeal position, because the Social Democrats didn’t c larify In fact, it wasn’t until the Citizens’ Assembly put for ward a pro-choice recommendation
in 2017 that they ever supported prochoice legislation Their efforts now to reinvent themsel ves as the par t y of women ’ s liberation rings hollow
This ambiguity continues today The most looming fear when it comes to the future of young people is the climate crisis It ’ s clear to millions that if capitalist profiteering is allowed to continue, human existence itself is at risk W hat do the Social Democrats propose in the
than become homeless o verholding is not a criminal offense, it just puts you in dispute with your landlord the information on overholding needs to be promoted, but crucially, net works of solidarity should be built which can stand in solidarit y with anyone who chooses to resist their eviction.
a mass housing movement is needed on the streets, in work places, colleges and communities to demand a reinstatement of the evic tion ban, the conversion of the huge numbers of vacant buildings into public housing and a massive state programme to build public housing on public land the trade unions are a key force which could build this movement, with hundreds of thousands of members, many of them hit hard by this crisis the government has been weakened by these events, and for many it will underline again that we need fianna fáil and fine G ael out of office this is essential, but a new government will not bring real change unless it breaks with the capitalist framework which has dictated this government ’s approach to housing in this capitalist system, housing is treated as a commodity for the profit of landlords and developers, not as a human need and right We need socialist change, bringing the abundant wealth of this tiny elite into democratic public ownership, and using it to provide decent homes for all
Radical socialist politics needed Even when it comes to the future of the planet, they demonstrate an unwillingness to put for ward something definitive or in any way challenge the logic of c apitalism In order to tac kle the c limate crisis, and the housing crisis, the seizure of private assets and wealth for public need is absolutely essential That means the major construction and energ y companies must be nationalised under democratic workers’ and community control, which is the only way we c an tr ul y reduce emissions and to build homes for all There is not even a whisper of such demands in the programme of the Social Democrats
face of c limate catastrophe? “Active travel to schools;” “Reduce transport fares;” and “Give public transport greater priority in the National Development Plan ” They call for ‘ no more privatisation’ but stop short of demanding that all transport be brought back into public ownership, and that a free, reliable public transport system is established It is the vanilla-like, anodyne politics of Labour and the Green Party repackaged
The milk toast approach of the Social Democrats, which accepts the logic of the market, is completely out of sync with the sc ale of the c apitalist cr isis Modest reform that doesn’t tackle profiteer ing onl y offers a continuation of the same suffering we currently see on display As Malcolm X said “A man who stands for nothing, falls for anything ” Vague assurances won’t do, the exploited, the oppressed and the planet need urgent antic apitalist action and socialist change The scale of the multiple crises of capitalism calls for nothing less
The social Democrats radical alternative orThe S oc D ems are the k ind of opposition the establishment likes, politically weak The lif ting of the evic tion ban shows once again why this government must go
ON THE 25th anniversar y of the Good Friday Agreement (GFA) it looks likely that Stor mont will not be sitting T he DUP is set to continue its boycott of the institutions over the continuation of the “Irish Sea Border”
The new Windsor Framework is proving incapable of satiating concerns
DUP at a crossroads
Jeffer y Donaldson, leader of the DUP, finds himself trapped On the one hand there is pressure to keep Northern Ireland “ open for business” and restore Stormont Businesses in Northern Ireland issued an open letter backing the ne w frame work wholehear ted l y On the other hand the opposition to the protocol emanating from working-class Protestant areas pre vents the D UP from reentering the institutions This pressure is illustrated in some opinion polls O verall they show that twothirds of people in Nor thern Ireland bac k the frame work but near l y three quarters of DUP voters oppose it European and British capitalism can reach agreement when it comes to managing trade arrangements At the moment it is in their interests to do so
However, the issues surrounding trade and checks on goods do not go to the hear t of opposition to the protocol Rather, it is the placing of a border that divides Northern Ireland from the rest of the UK Nor thern Protestants feel they are being pushed towards a united Ireland against their wishes
This tension between the interests of big business and the support base of the DUP places it in a weak position As it attempts to straddle these competing in-
terests the space for more hardline forces to develop is growing The L oyalist Communities Council has warned of being unable to “hold back” a younger, militant section of paramilitaries And the increase of paramilitar y violence is becoming more apparent day by day
There is an urgent need for workers and young people to build an alternative that can challenge these organisations
Women in West W inds, Newtownards organised a “walkabout ” in protest over the UDA feud in that area Such initiatives show the potential of communities to challenge paramilitaries and those who wish to drag us back
No hardening of borders
Unionism's alternative to the framework centres around proposals from the Westminster think tank ‘Center for the Union’ backed by the DUP, TUV and key loyalist figures Its solution amounts, in effect, to moving the responsibility of checks onto the southern government This would create a border between north and south This is no solution either It would act only to enrage the Catholic population, to see a phy sic al manifestation of them being beleaguered inside the Union
The truth is that placing a border anywhere, either in the Irish Sea or on the island, is a recipe for increased tensions and conflict
Working-class unity
The unity we have seen on the picket lines demonstrates where a solution can be found Thousands of workers have stood together united in common cause against the employers and the government This power should be harnessed and channelled to challenge the forces of sectarianism
The trade union movement should not wait for further escalation by sectarian forces Unions currently engaged in str uggles should organise anti-sectar ian conferences to discuss how we can build an alternative to the sectarian status quo, inc luding c lear ly opposing any ‘solution’ to the border question that would inflame sectarianism
Most importantly, it means there is an urgent need to build a cross-community party based on workers and young people in all working-c lass communities, with anti-sectarian and socialist politics Only in this way, on the basis of mutual respect and solidarity, can we find solutions to issues that divide people
By Paddy Meehan
TH E D I S P U T E invol ving the Communication Workers Union (CWU) which organises in England, Wales, S cotland and Nor ther n Ireland and the senior management of Royal Mail has entered a cr itic al phase. Talks have drag ged on since December as management refuses to budge on their smashing of terms and conditions, a cost of living pay increase and ten thousand proposed redundancies.
O ver 100,000 CWU members have taken near ly a month's worth of strike action in the last year with loss of pay in the context of rapid l y r ising bills This resulted in thousands of pic ket lines across ever y major city, town and village Union negotiators have been behind closed doors for months now in semi-secret negotiations that have now broken down
Failure of privatisation
The threat by the company senior managers to place the company into administration – basic all y dec lar ing that an essential state ser vice is economically unviable – is a c lear indica-
tion of the failure of the privatisation of the utility in 2014 by the Tor y / Lib Dem government In realit y it ’ s a last ditch attempt by this deeply unpopular and union-busting management to destroy the workers’ union
O ver £400 million in profits were handed over to pr ivate speculators in 2021-22, while last year the company was renamed on the stoc k exchange and its most profitable arm hived off to push their agenda of asset stripping and
give the impression of near collapse
The CWU have correctly called for the books to be opened to end any doubt as to the actual intention of the company ’ s senior bosses Likewise negotiations should be opened up and mass for ums of postal workers c alled across Britain and Northern Ireland to discuss and democratically decide how to take their struggle for ward, inc luding with mass public rallies and further strike action
By amy fergusonF O l lOW I n G T H R e e days of strike action, Kingspan Water and energy workers have won a one year pay deal of 10% across all grades, backdated to Januar y, as well as a £1,000 one -off payment. This workforce, made up of multiple nationalities, and organised by Unite and Socialist Par ty member neil Moore, fought an impressive battle against their bosses’ divide and rule tactics.
Not only did the company tr y to treat office staff and shop floor workers differently, but they also tried to fly in scab labour from Poland Many of these workers would not have heard of the dispute. in response, the workers put out a message appealing to the Polish workers (in Polish) to not cross the picket line, to see that a victor y in the dispute would be a victor y for all workers the point was made that their struggle for a fair livelihood in Poland was the same as that of the workers on strike: to fight against the greed of the capitalist class that is the cause of so much hardship among the work ing class, no matter where we live or are from
Similarly, National express West Midlands bus strike came to an end with the acceptance of a one -year 16 2% pay increase and improvements to the drivers’ accident pay and christmas pay rates, as well as a guarantee to implement terms and conditions that were agreed to last year these workers also had to put up with bullying, intimidation, and divide and rule tactics by their employer, including dragging individuals into one -to- one meetings to tr y to break down their suppor t for strike action, undermining democratic processes, and threatening strikers with no future over time the workers stood strong in their resolve and maintained unity by setting up a unionbusting hotline to assist all workers who were subjected to such tactics as workers are getting organised and tak ing action, the capitalists are rattled in the near future we will likely see more divide and conquer strategies being unleashed upon workforces Such tactics can be overcome, and genuine pay rises won, with militant organising strategies, including those mentioned, as well as coordination between workforces and sectors
A N E X P LO S I V E revolt in France began on 19 Januar y 2023, M YR I A M P O I Z AT repor ts. The French government announced its proposal to raise the pension age from 62 to 64, and with that hundreds of thousands of working- class people took to the streets in an outpouring of furious opposition. In the context of a deepening cost of living crisis, this reform was but the tip of the iceberg. A bitter struggle against Emanuel Macon, the infamously titled ‘President of the rich’, was under way.
F O R M I LLI O N S facing worsening working conditions and living standards globall y, lessons should be learnt from this movement, now entering its four th month.
An injury to one is an injury to all
W hile only 10% of French workers are unionised, the anger and pressure from below forced conser vative union leaderships into forming an inter-union structure to coordinate actions This helped organise the significant strike of 3 5 million on 7 March – a number that officially qualified it as the second biggest strike since 1968
Confidence among workers quic kl y grew as striking energ y personnel took ‘Robin Hood ’ actions which coordinated the distribution of free gas and electricity for schools, hospitals, social housing, public sports centres and public interest associations across the countr y S uppl y was also restored to users disconnected due to unpaid bills, and the workers offered a reduced rate of up to 60% for small traders – help they would have never received from a government protecting the big companies’ rising prices and profits
These workers’ actions gave a glimpse of the type of society that could be built through democratic workers’ control of resources But they were also par t of
building real solidar it y among all sections of the working class, as the responsibility for the current crises was shif ted away from oppressed groups towards a regime and a system that ser ves only the interests of the ruling c lass; sexist, racist and transphobic attitudes have been challenged concretely
International Women’s Day
This led to unions and feminist organisations joining forces on International Women’s Day to c all a feminist str ike This significant action exposed the disproportionate impact of the pension reform on women – with gender roles of ten forcing them to work part time or interr upt their c areers to c are for children or elder ly relatives, and the precarious and lower-paid jobs in female dominated sectors As a woman on strike reported to the media: “I started working two years before my husband, but I will have to keep going af ter he ’ s retired
That ’ s why I’m angr y ”
But the 8 March strike went even further with demands against the rightwing bac klash, the increase in gender-based violence and the attac ks on abor tion rights wor ldwide The reason is simple: the struggle concretised the crucial need and real potential to challenge backward and misog ynistic attitudes within society and within the movement to unite all
working-c lass people in a common str uggle against a common enemy and win change for all
The Macron government ’ s weaknesses were quickly exposed Its inability to rely on the support of traditional parties to back it up forced it to utilise, for the 11th time in less than a year, Artic le 49 3 of the French Constitution This infamous ar tic le allows the government to pass legislation without taking a vote in the National Assembly
Such an authoritarian move unsurprisingly added oil to the fire, inflaming the social movement, to which the French state responded with escalating police brutality A protester from Sainte-Soline is currently clinging to his life in intensive care after cops savagely beat him and stopped paramedics from inter vening Many women have reported being verbally and physically assaulted, having their hair pulled during protests, and experiencing molestation during arrests
In times of crises and instability, c lass str uggles like the one taking place in France are a real threat to the system In response, particularly in the French state, we often see increased state power being centralised around one leading political figure This has led protesters to portray Macron as the wannabe King of France and reference L ouis XIV ’ s notor ious statement ‘ l’Etat, c ’est moi ’ (I am the state)
Yet, determination in the struggle is not backing down If anything, the increase in undemocratic measures and violence from the French state has reinforced the movement by bringing more young people out onto the streets S tudents, who were at the forefront of explosions like #metoo and #blm, rejecting oppression and police brutality, have now begun organising in their schools and colleges in support for the workers’ struggle against the Macron regime
This is a significant step for ward In the absence of c lear strateg y from the union leadership, a perspective for victor y c an be questioned Howe ver, the growing presence of young people, the most radical section of society, can add confidence for workers to put pressure on their union leadership, move away from negotiation processes with the government and into further escalating actions in the workplace and the street
For a workers’
Like the ones organised by energ y workers and binmen recently, all other workers should coordinate rene wable str ike actions and build towards rene wable general strikes To do so, it is vital that they organise ‘anti-Macron’ strike committees in all schools, universities, communities and workplaces that can form local, regional and national assemblies to democratically discuss the demands and next steps of the struggle Such committees could also lay the basis to scrap the undemocratic F if th Republic of the rich and create a truly democratic revolutionar y Constituent Assembly
This is a necessar y step towards a socialist government and socialist policies that seize the resources from the superr ich and big business and br ing them into democratic public ownership under workers’ control and management A democratic, socialist France would be a beautiful beacon of hope for revolutionar y change in a world of exploitation, climate catastrophe and oppression n
NO S O O N ER had Israel’s ne w far-r ight coalition, headed by Benjamin Netanyahu, been elected at the end of December than it introduced proposals to curb the powers of the Israeli Supreme Cour t. By allowing the Knesset (Israeli Parliament) to o ver tur n decisions of the Cour t by a simple majority of 61 (it has 120 members) and g iving it a g reater role in the appointment of the Cour t ’ s judges, Netanyahu and his cronies hope to centralise g reater power at its expense
This has led to an unprecedented explosion of protests in Israeli society Since the beginning of the year, weekly street protests involving hundreds of thousands have taken place, including militant tactics such as the blockade of roads, all of which culminated in a historic general strike on Monday, 27 March This strike resulted in Israel’s ports being shut down, planes being cancelled, and universities, shopping centres and Mcdonald's restaurants c losing Strike action was even taken by staff in the Israeli state’s embassies across the globe
The significance of such polarisation within a state that is such a key ally of US imperialism, and one that metes out such brutal oppression to the Palestinian people should not be understated
The Biden Presidency has put pressure on Netanyahu to drop his plans fearing the instabilit y that c an undermine its “strategic asset ” in the region More generally, it is indicative of a wider po-
litical, economic and social crisis facing the sy stem of c apitalism globall y in what is now an age of permacrisis
Attack on rights
The Israeli Supreme Court is not an institution of humanitarian progress, contrar y to the view expressed by its liberal capitalist supporters both within Israel and beyond It is part and parcel of the Israeli ruling c lass and the state’s apparatus of oppression, particular ly against the Palestinian people It has given legal cover to housing demolitions, tor ture and the building of colonial settlements on occupied Palestinian land Yet Netanyahu and his allies in the government see this court as an obstacle to implementing its policies of attacking the r ights of LGBTQ people and refugees, and going further in terms of the expansion of settlements and annexation of Palestinian land Many of the protesters have drawn comparisons between Israel’s new government and farright regimes that have taken power in Hungar y and Poland in the last decade, which have trampled on the r ights of women and LGBTQ rights
Increased oppression
The scale of the protests and the 27 March general strike forced the Israeli government to temporarily suspend its proposals However, it now has plans to set up a new “National Guard”, at the behest of the Italmar Ben-Gvir, the deeply racist National Security Minister This will act as a kind of paramilitar y
and pogroms of Palestinian towns such as Nablus and Jenin Last year saw the highest number of Palestinians killed since 2002 in this part of Palestine
However, this has been met by mass resistance from a ne w generation of Palestinian youth, with the c alling of general strikes and mass protests in the Occupied Territories as well This offers a real potential to organise a grassroots movement from below based on democratic councils of struggle organised in workplaces, universities, towns and cities Such a movement could organise a revolutionar y struggle that offers a real challenge to the occupation
Socialist change needed
organisation to quash any potential opposition to the racism, dispossession and discrimination meted out by the Israeli state towards Palestinians living within its pre-1967 borders Ben-Gvir is a prominent spokesperson for Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank and East Jer usalem and has been charged with incitement to hatred against Palestinians within Israel’s “ green line”, its officially recognised borders
On S unday, 2 April a general strike took place in the major Palestinian towns within Israel in the wake of the cold-blooded murder by Israeli police of the 26-year old Mohammed Khaled Alasibi, a Palestinian Bedouin at the entrance of the Al-Asqa Mosque in occu-
pied East Jerusalem This saw the shutting down of schools, post offices and banks, combined with mass protests in Galilee, the Triangle and the Negev The murder of Alasibi is a by-product of the increased repression that is doled out to Muslim worshippers annually at the AlAsqa Mosque, the third holiest site in Islam, during Ramadan On Wednesday, 6 April, Israeli police brutally raided the Mosque and arrested hundreds of Palestinian worshippers
There has also been a marked stepping up of repression of Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, 94 have been killed by the Israeli Defence Force and colonial settlers in 2023 alone This has been combined with the increase of raids
Socialist Struggle Movement, our sister organisation in Israel/Palestine, has participated in the histor ic mass protests that have overr un Israeli societ y We have argued that this movement must be independent of the “ liberal” section of the Israeli ruling c lass and argued it must stand against the occupation of Palestinian land and the oppression of Palestinian people generally
The working c lass and oppressed within Israeli society have no interest in maintaining Palestinian oppression and should break with the Israeli r uling c lasses’ Zionist chauvinism and its rule generall y National liberation, justice and democrac y will onl y come about with the overthrow of Israeli capitalism, and the economic and political order of capitalism and imperialism generally in this region n
By Br yan Koulouris, Socialist alternative uSS O C I A l I S TS C e R TA I n ly won’t shed tears if Trump sees the inside of a prison cell. Trump, along with other billionaires and presidents (from both par ties), should be tried for his countless crimes against humanity. Trump won’t be in jail for the 2024 elec tion, and the rightwing fer vour he’s come to represent will continue The legal system won’t save us from Trumpism; we need a mass working- class movement against the billionaire class, racism, and sexism that can challenge both par ties and the capitalist system they represent.
at the same time, we need to keep a close eye on these trump indic tments (there will be more!) because they will affec t the terrain of u S politics Pro - capitalist liberal media outlets like The Economist are running headlines titled “Prosecuting Donald trump over Stormy Daniels looks like a mistake ” they claim the legal charges against trump are weak in this case, that no legal indic tment will stop trump from running for President again, and that this puts trump’s republican rivals in a difficult position they have all rallied to suppor t trump against the legal system an indic tment around trump’s business prac tices (which could ac tually cut across his base somewhat) would be difficult for both par ties because most politicians are connec ted to corrupt corporate dealings, from insider trading to collec ting funds from taxdodging billionaires
The biggest crimes trump has been committing crimes for decades, from the serial sexual assault of women to his shady business prac tices he hasn’t seen jail time because the legal system is rigged in favour of the super-rich and against workers, the poor, and especially Black people the daily criminal ac tivity of the wealthy and power ful is “per fec tly legal” as they destroy the environment, exploit workers, wage war, and dodge taxes in the pursuit of ever- growing piles of cash trump bungled the onset of the pandemic, denying it had even come to the u S , resulting in the needless deaths of thousands he also encouraged a widespread increase in racist and sexist attacks, whipping up hatred and laying the basis for the dismantling of abor tion rights and anti-immigrant policies, all ‘legally ’
While trump’s anti-immigrant rhetoric was worse than other modern presidents, his policies were ac tually a continuation of obama, who depor ted more immigrants than any u S president ever even when Democrats opposed trump, they always feared a movement in the streets and in the workplaces that could ac tually defeat the right wing as they held back struggle and tried to push it into “safe” channels like elec tions and legal proceedings. this failing strategy led to the over turn of roe v Wade and countless other terrible right-wing policies at the federal, state, and local levels they ’ve declared “vic tor y ” over trump countless times now, only to be blindsided by the resilience of his suppor t among his hard- core base
Failure of democrats
We need an ac tive movement to fight against right-wing attacks, particularly those against trans people who are currently being targeted by reac tionar y politicians We need to rely on the strength of work ing people, not the politicians and the cour ts since both ultimately protec t the interests of big corporations With Democrats in power, right-wing populism can ac tually grow as people become disaffec ted by an administration (and their “ lef t-wing” apologists in the S quad) that breaks potential strikes, oversees runaway inflation, and only offers shallow “woke” words instead of defending oppressed people trump should be tried for his real crimes, ones that he’s been getting away with for years, and the most heinous crimes that are per fec tly “legal” in a rigged system Bush should have been tried as a war criminal instead of being paraded around by liberals as a “good” rich republican Democratic warmongers like lyndon Johnson should have been punished for their countless atrocities against people in asia the list could go on and on because this whole damn system is guilty as hell the cour ts won’t stop trump or trumpism they are only prosecuting him now because sec tions of the ruling class are afraid of the instability it could bring to their system if trump got back into the White house While we should analyse the implications of this indic tment and the ones to come, we want trump and his likes to be punished and the system of exploitation and oppression that gives bir th to them relegated to the trash heap of histor y
TH E RI G H T- W I N G offensive on abor tion r ights reached ne w heights in the US, as a Texas Cour t g ranted a hear ing to far-r ight, antichoice coalition seeking to challenge federal approval of Mifepr istone – a medic ation listed on the Wor ld Health Org anisation’s ‘ Essential Medicines’ list and used in 98% of medic al abor tions in the US – more than two decades af ter it was g ranted
Because abor tion pills are safe, easily accessible and require minimal assistance from medic al professionals, they are a key tool to fight bac k ag ainst the r ight-wing assault on abor tion r ights
Any injunction, e ven temporar y, would immediately curb access to lifesaving healthcare to millions, particular l y in states where abor tion pills obtained across state lines remains the onl y viable option to circumvent mounting hurd les to accessing care
A dangerous judge
The challenge was carefully curated by the far r ight, launched in a distr ict presided over by Matthew Kacsmar yk, a Tr ump appointee who has c alled being transgender a “mental disorder ” The first federal judge to have gone directly from a religious liberty law firm to the federal judiciar y, Kacsmar yk has already done much to vitiate protec-
tions for women and gender non-conforming people, inc luding halting a federal program that allowed minors to receive birth control without their parents’ consent and blocking the enforcement of r ules that sought to protect transgender people from healthc are discrimination
Kacsmar yk has taken unprecedented steps to obfuscate the public ’ s ability to mobilise in response to the hearing, refusing to publicise the date and time until it was leaked in the media Despite Kacsmar yk best efforts, hundreds of activists mobilised, inc luding some dressed as Kangaroos in protest of the “ K angaroo Cour t ” presiding over the c ase, with women and pregnant people’s lives hanging in the balance If this is any indic ation of what ’ s to come, there is much to be concerned about
A nationwide movement needed The nationwide ban would leave women and pregnant people with significantly reduced access to safe medical abortions by pills – in some cases limiting options to surgical abortion
e ven where abor tion is entirel y legal Misoprostol-only (the second abortion pill) abortions are possible, but they are less effective and are more phy sic all y painful Q uelle sur pr ise, the misog ynists want women to suffer!
This lawsuit is yet another limb of the far-right ’ s nationwide strateg y to gut abortion protections at ever y level –
from local restrictions to complete bans with no exception, including for rape, already rolled out in 13 states Even in states like New York (NY ), where abortion is protected by the state constitution, Republicans continue to introduce anti-choice legislation at the local level – awaiting an opening to repeal statewide protections Just this month, the U S Court of Appeals reversed a NY District court decision, allowing an antiabortion organisation to challenge a NY law prohibiting employers from discriminating against employees based on their views on abortion – a decision that would open the door to employment
discrimination and healthcare car veouts in ever y state in the countr y
Attacks like these clearly illustrate the deep vulnerability of abortion protections in post-Roe America Only a mass, nationwide movement fighting for free, safe and legal abortion for all can yield changes that guarantee bodily autonomy to people of all genders W ith the antifeminist backlash in full swing as part of the maelstrom of crises facing the capitalist system, it ’ s c lear that this movement must be inextricable from the broad and urgent working-class and socialist struggle to save the planet and liberate humanity as a whole
By Brian Mccar thy
On 27 March in the Mexican border town of Ciudad Juárez at least 39 mig rants held in an immig ration detention jail died in a fire af ter guards refused to help the men trapped inside. T his massive loss of mostl y young lives illustrates the racist hor ror that under pins capitalism in Mexico and the US T he state is now seeking the ar rests of those deemed culpable In realit y though, the state itself is guilty
There has been an unprecedented migration of people to the US border with Mexico in recent years as they flee economic collapse and violence in Central and South America However, due to T itle 42, a racist law disguised as a public health measure brought in by Trump during the pandemic, hundreds of thousands have been barred from their right to asylum Joe Biden promised to reform immigration in his 2022 state of the union address, but many migrants are now saying things are worse, and T itle 42 isn’t due to be lif ted until ear ly May
Racist immigration laws
The US Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) has introduced an app for migrants to arrange an inter vie w about their asylum request but reports say the app is basically useless Only a few slots
are released each day meaning weeks or even months waiting in limbo with no information, which leaves the migrants at the merc y of exploitative shelter owners who charge them for ser vices in overcrowded accommodation
The loc al immigration author ities are also notor iousl y corr upt with assaults, robber y, kidnapping and rapes being repor ted while the xenophobic government turns a blind eye The racist laws of the US, coupled with the no less racist treatment of migrants in Mexico have led to this situation and recent protests against these intolerable conditions have been used as an excuse for persecution Juárez mayor, Pérez Cuéllar, vowed to crack down on mi-
grants, c laiming the protests were a threat to the city's economy, and Secretar y of Public Security, César Omar Muñoz Morales said that young women travelling alone ‘feel intimidated by migrants’
The state's culpability
On the day of the fire, immigration authorities were sent out to busy intersections to detain migrants tr ying to earn some money by c leaning windshields They were moved to an overcrowded detention centre, with 68 men being held in a cell designed for 50 without drinking water In CCTV footage since released smoke can be seen billowing from the cell, then three of the staff can
be seen walking just metres away and exiting the building leaving the men locked in, leading to the deaths of 39, with many more injured Mexico’s president Andrés Manuel L ópez O brador blamed the migrants, c laiming they set their mattresses ablaze in protest If so, the desperation of their situation drove them to it; but guards knowingly leaving them locked in the packed cell is nothing shor t of mass murder He also vowed to bring those responsible to justice, and while arrest warrants have been requested for eight of the staff this will be used to deflect from the state’s own culpability
Global attack on refugee rights
Worldwide we are seeing unprecedented migrations of populations as c limate change, war and poverty force people to tr y and seek a better life The response of governments has been to keep them out with policies such as Fortress Europe which has caused tens of thousands of deaths in the Mediterranean For asylum seekers that do arrive, the provisions are criminally inadequate
The capitalist system uses racism to tr y and keep the working c lass divided and weakened, in the fight for socialist transformation of society and an end to racist discrimination we must stand together in full solidar it y with all migrants and refugees Blame the system, not its victims!
By isidora Duran Stewar tI n T H e wake of International Women’s day 2023 which saw women, queer people and their siblings in struggle in the labour movement take to the streets globally, over 40 socialist feminist activists from Ireland attended the first-ever ROSA international conference on 18 and 19 March. They joined activists from over 20 different countries who are fighting against the deeply misogynistic capitalist system and the recent right-wing backlash to discuss how best to bring our struggle for ward, more urgent now than ever before Discussions ranged from historical analyses of socialist feminist pioneers such as clara Zetk in and eleanor Marx to the inspiring feminist movements of Woman life freedom in iran and Ni una Menos in latin america, to the trans struggle for liberation from the rigid gender binary, to ongoing struggles against war and imperialism, gender-based violence and attacks on abor tion rights, to tactical debates on how to bring more work ing- class women into trade unions and build for effective feminist strikes as a vital component of our movement
Inspiring event
While each delegation contributed valuable insights from their own struggles, it was clear that our movement requires nothing less but deep international solidarit y this was felt throughout the weekend, in formal and informal discussions alike at the social event on the Saturday night, poignant music and poetr y of struggle filled the room, with roSa ac tivists singing and dancing along to Nina Simone’s ‘feelin’ Good ’ and rallying song of resistance ‘fascists Bound to lose’ roSa in ireland recently celebrated its 10 year anniversar y and since then, it has been established in many more countries and has been enriched on the streets in struggle around the world the 2023 roSa international conference brought this to new heights and was concluded with the intention to grow our revolutionar y feminist movement and, with the solidarity of all of the exploited and oppressed, pose a real socialist feminist alternative to the rotten capitalist system
SU S A N F I TZG ERA LD, a longstanding member of the Socialist Party has been selected as the new Reg ional S ecretar y of Unite the Union in Ireland. Unite the Union has over a million members across Br itain and Ireland Susan brings tremendous exper ience, knowledge and skills of org anising both Nor th and S outh to this role
As a committed socialist, Susan’s politics are based on a confidence in the abilities of working-c lass and young people to change society Susan believes it is essential to bring workers together in united struggles for better pay and conditions, but also in campaigns in wider society to fight for our health and education ser vices as well as against cuts in all the essential ser vices that working-c lass communities North and South desperately need Susan understands the vital role that the trade union movement plays in uniting workingclass people across the sectarian divide Susan is the first woman to hold this post and as a socialist feminist and supporter of ROSA will bring her tenacity to fight to end all forms of sexism, transphobia, racism and any other form of oppression, and for LGBTQIA+
r ights both inside workplaces and in society generally
A peerless record
Susan has an important public profile as a leader of workers, for example during the Har land & Wolff occupation which saved the shipyard, or the campaign by former Regina Coeli workers for homeless ser vices Undoubted l y
S usan will use her position to tr y to further assist workers in their struggles and campaigns, to build solidarity and challenge the conditions that the capitalist market imposes, the antics of the bosses and the attacks of the political establishment North and South O verall the trade union movement in Ireland, and internationally needs to be reclaimed and revitalised by workers
themselves, and turned into a growing and fighting movement in the best traditions of the pioneers who built it, such as James Connoll y and J im Larkin
This is all the more so in the current and impending economic context of the persistent cost of living crisis Unite in Britain and the North of Ireland has been distinguished in being a trendset-
BOARd GAMe manufacturer Cartamundi, which received over €30 million in dividends from the Irish state in recent years, has decided to shut down its operation in Water ford with the loss of over 230 jobs. Company accounts for Car tamundi Ireland ltd, which were signed off on only last October, described a profitable and cash generative business, which paid out €5.7 million in dividends to its parent company in 2022 alone despite a slight decline in profits – due to increased manufacturing costs associated with inflation and high energy costs the factor y in Water ford has been in operation since 1977, originally as MB games which was later acquired by hasbro in 1984 with car tamundi tak ing over the facility in 2015 this fac tor y has been a profitable enterprise throughout its existence in fact, it made record profits over the course of the pandemic as sales of board games and card games soared.
this is a prime example of the failure of the private market: hundreds of workers who are generating millions in profits annually, can be thrown on the scrapheap at a moment ’s notice simply because private investors and shareholders want to pull out and invest elsewhere in the hope of even higher profits.
Workers’ control and management the Socialist Par ty calls on the state to step in to nationalise this factor y, save these jobs and maintain manufactur-
ing at the Water ford facility clearly there is a demand for the goods being produced, and therefore the state should assume control, with the workforce democratically tak ing over the management in this way the factor y can continue, or even be repurposed to utilise the sk ills and equipment in the fac tor y to provide other goods needed in society
SiPtu, the trade union representing the workers, should be fighting for the maintenance of these jobs unfor tunately SiPtu accepts the distor ted logic of the free market that hands all power to the bosses and private shareholders, and leaves workers in these situations scraping the barrel for redundancy payments the logic of the market is always in the interests of capitalists, which is never really in the interests of workers – even when a company is profitable workers can be shafted on a whim this is why workers and unions need to build a fighting movement to defend jobs, even if that means rejecting the model of private ownership, and put the needs of workers, communities and wider society first
By Matt Waine, unite construction Branch (personal capacity)ON 10 March, plumbers, fitters and welders who are members of Unite the Union took str ike action demanding a cost of living pay increase in the for m of the restoration of the first hour of travel time Hundreds of workers placed pic kets at eight loc ations in what was the first official str ike by mechanical workers since the 1990s Since then, however, the employers have won a temporar y inter locutor y injunction, preventing fur ther str ike action from taking place T his is a ser ious assault on the democratic r ight of workers to take str ike action
Across the wor ld, the last fe w months have seen a growing wave of industrial militancy as the inflation crisis spirals, and there is little doubt that the South too will see a growing desire from workers for action
The granting of the injunction centres on two issues: 1) that Unite did not ballot all its members employed by MEBSCA companies (Mechanic al Engineer ing and Building S er vices Contractors Association), and 2) that Connect Trade Union did not ballot its members (who are also covered by the MEBSCA Agreement) If upheld, this essentiall y means that the abilit y of a trade union to take action to defend its members is dependent on decisions by organisations they are totall y independent of – an affront to the constitutional right to association
ter in the trade union movement in fighting for ser ious pay r ises In the South of Ireland Unite has been to the fore in the construction sector in particular; taking the fight to the employers to recover what was taken from workers in the course of the last crisis – without a fight on the par t of the other unions which predominated in that sector in the past
Revitalising the movement
Vast swathes of the pr ivate sector in Ireland, North and South, remain unorganised The serious attack on jobs in the tech sector is a salutar y lesson for any workers who thought that union organisation was unnecessar y in modern workplaces
The majority of trade union officialdom, in the S outh especiall y, remain wedded to a perspective of a return to some form of social par tnership with the bosses under some future ‘ union fr iend l y ’ government This is the approach that greatl y weakened the movement to begin with S usan and likeminded officers and activists in Unite are committed to providing an alternative lead to workers based on a fighting and organising approach
Unite has appealed the granting of the temporar y injunction It has also issued a new fresh c laim for a cost of living increase of 11 2% for all mechanical workers covered by the MEBSCA agreement This is a bold move by Unite It is a statement that it won’t back down and that a cost of living pay increase is the bottom line – one that all other unions should follow The trade union movement as a
whole must recognise the threat posed by this injunction Yes, it c an be opposed in court, but the key to winning is to mobilise all workers in a united campaign of industrial action to deliver pay increases In Britain, the Tor y government is tr ying to implement further attacks on trade union activity and the r ight to str ike Militant action is the only way to defend trade union rights and deliver pay increases for workers
is a threat to all workers’ rights
Save jobs – nationalise board game manufacturer CartamundiSusan Ftzgerald, a workers’ leader and a lifelong socialist Union busting methods must be opposed
SE T I N a r ural coastal village in Ireland in the ear ly 1990s, God ’ s Creatures, star r ing Emma Watson as Aileen and Paul Mescal as her son Brian, gives an interesting insight into violence against women, familial loyalty and tensions, and the Irish state’s inability to protect sur vivors of sexual assault
The stor y begins with Brian returning from Australia unannounced af ter several years there The happiness expressed by Brian’s mother and sisters is contrasted with the tensions between Brian and his father
The small village is sustained through its fishing industr y in which the men fish on the seas, and the women work in the factor y sorting, cleaning and packaging fish and oysters – managed by Aileen Fungus halts labour for a period of time, as it destroys the regular oyster production Similar to Brian’s surprising return – there is confusion as to why the fungus has returned now
A claim of an assault is made against Brian, and when his mother is called to the station, she quickly gives him an alibi The lies quickly impact relations in work, in public and within the family
S arah, the person who made the claim and a work friend of Aileen, is the real victim of small-town mentality Her claim, when brought to court, is quickly thrown out due to insufficient evidence and the alibi provided by Aileen The proceedings are over as soon as they began, which ser ves to highlight the speed at which these serious cases pass through the Gardaí and courts
The sexual assault takes a physical and mental told on Sarah, and as a result she misses work and is subsequently fired In addition, she is not welcome and refused admission to the local pub – as she leaves the men at the bar make sexist jokes and taunts We get a vivid depiction of this ‘ lockerroom talk’, as the men even go on to say they ‘ better not follow her now ’ , referring to an aspect of the c laim made Not only is Sarah let down by the state, but also by the community around her who come together to protect an abuser, rather than the abused
Mar xist journal of the Socialist Par ty :
includes ar ticles on:
l one year of War in uk raine
l capitalist crisis Deepens, fascist threat rises
l extended review : Marx in the Anthropocene by Kohei Saito
l the Good friday agreement 25 years on
l Big tech in turmoil
l the General Strike today
l the toxic ideology of the Manosphere
l reviews of Marx’s Literar y Style, The Book of Desire, Rotten Prod and It ’s Okay To Be Angr y About Capitalism
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Brian displays no signs of regret or remorse at what he done and continues to work, socialise, and even attempt to get with other women Haunted by her own guilt, at an intense boiling point, Aileen questions him on whether he feels anything about what he did
There is a c lear contr ast bet ween how the men and women view the situation Br ian’s sister Er in is horr ified by both her brother and mother ’ s actions towards the situation S he tel ls her mother she would vie w it diff erently if she heard S arah’s side S arah’s friends are disgusted by the assault and make it known to Aileen in the workplace without directl y mentioning it The realit y of the role she has played, the person her son is and the impact it has had on her family and work relations has a degener ating impact on Aileen
The film is a good insight into the real-life domino effect sexual assault can have on the people c losest to the crime The silencing of the victim, the unwillingness to step for ward and the tragic ending for Aileen’s conscience shows the turmoil and harm that protecting abusers has
The terms far right, right populism and fascism are of ten used interchangeably in public discourse today, but while all are connec ted and share par ticular features, fascism is distinct as the most extreme variant of far-right ideology
Most dictionaries will describe fascism as a political movement or regime that’s racist, ultranationalist and stands for an autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader These are all aspects of fascism but more explanation is needed.
Fascism is a form of capitalism –its most dangerous form – a system in which the bulk of the economy is privately owned and based on competition and the exploitation of the labour of the working class
When economic crises bite, the ruling class feels impelled to slash wages and social services to restore profitability in the hope of a recovery. But if the working class is organised, it can make it difficult for bosses to simply heap more hardship upon it Freedom of movement, the right to vote, strike and organise unions, by strengthening the position of the working class, can impede capitalism’s drive for profits The ruling class is cautious when attacking these democratic rights, as it risks provoking an explosive social movement
We’re told that capitalism and parliamentar y democracy go handin-hand, but when the threat of mass revolt or revolution appears, sections of the ruling class are happy to dispense with democracy, and in cer tain circumstances have suppor ted the formation of militar y or fascist dictatorships
The leadership of the German and Italian workers’ movements failed to seize the oppor tunities for revolutionar y change in the period of intense class struggle between 1918-1923 This led to widespread demoralisation With the apparent failure of the forces of socialism; the middle class i.e. the smallbusiness owners, professionals, managers, small farmers and the most disenfranchised section of the unemployed working class became more open to the nationalist and racist rantings of the fascists
These middle -class layers had been ruined by economic depression. The fascists’ ability to
exploit their despair and mobilise them against the workers’ movement made a fascist-led state an attractive prospect for the ruling class Big business saw no other way to suppress the working class.
To achieve a mass appeal, the fascists actually used a lot of antibig business rhetoric; but not against Italian or German bosses; the enemy was foreign capital and there was a lot of conspiracy theor y nonsense about “Jewish bankers”. Because socialists expose the class nature of society, they are despised by fascists who view them as “traitors” and “a threat to national unity ” Fascism directed its fire first against socialist and trade union activists. Irish Blue Shir t fascist, Eoin O’Duffy, who had ser ved for a period as Garda Commissioner and as the first leader of Fine Gael, wrote in 1938 that trade unions are “power ful political Jewish-Masonic organisations, directed by the Communist International ” Germany had strong trade unions and mass left-wing par ties before the Nazis took power in 1933 Ten years earlier, German Marxist Clara Zetkin described how: “ The bourgeoisie, whether industrial or agrarian, openly sponsored fascist terrorism, suppor ting it with money and in other ways.”
Upon coming to power, the fascists eliminated all other political par ties and smashed trade unions out of existence Militar y dictatorships, such as those that ruled Chile, Brazil and Argentina in the 1970s, have a more narrow suppor t base than classical fascism, whose mobilisation of the middle class allowed these regimes to more thoroughly destroy the labour movement – which is fascism’s primar y purpose – and all its hard-won material gains and democratic rights
The chronic crisis of capitalism today is bringing more and more instability, and the far right who are adept at exploiting crises are gaining momentum. This is serious cause for alarm At the same time, these developments are producing mass struggles against the system and all its rotten manifestations The far right and fascism have to be smashed Only the working-class and socialist movement can do this. If we fail, the consequences will be catastrophic
By Manus lenihan
“over 7,000 households face eviction within next three months” (Irish Independent, april 4th).
“couple in 80s cannot find place to live” (Westmeath Independent, april 4th)
to perhaps some sort of colonial force of the past ”
ANYONE
WI T H a hear t will be angered by the dail y head lines showing the cr isis that looms as the government lifts the eviction ban. But establishment politicians and journalists are ang r y about something completely different: a painting
Evictions then and now
Ar tist Mála S píosraí (S picebag) has channelled popular anger with a painting about e victions It ’ s a notor ious scene from Irish histor y : a hungr y family being thrown out onto the roadside by a rich landlord Only in this updated version, the cottage is surrounded by private security guards and the yellow high-vis jackets of An Garda Síochána
The ar twork has been met with a chorus of rage from ministers and journalists S inn Féin T D Eoin O’Broin bac ktrac ked af ter shar ing the image online and apologised to the Gardaí, an indication of his party ’ s eagerness not to offend the status quo Minister Simon Harris got up on his high horse: “I think the image shared is an awful attempt to tr y and compare the Garda
That ‘colonial force of the past ’ was the Royal Irish Constabular y (RIC) It, too, was supposed to be apolitical and neutral, and to attend evictions merely ‘to prevent a breach of the peace ’ Also, we can be 100% certain that back in the day there were ar tworks that showed the RIC doing bad things, and establishment figures getting angr y about such awful disrespect
Naturally, Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil and the Greens would rather we didn’t see the similar it y between the cr uelt y of Br itish land lords bac k then and the equal or worse cruelty of the big investment funds today – the funds which
F ine Gael, F ianna Fáil and the Greens favour with their housing policy
Are the Garda neutral?
Establishment politicians and media figures are tr ying to establish a rule that we all have to tiptoe around the Guards and be careful not to ‘disrespect ’ them in any way Under this rule, we all have to pretend that the Gardaí are neutral and that they never do bad things Deviate from this party line, say by pointing out that Gardaí facilitate evictions, and they will regard you as a threat to democracy
This attitude was on display when journalist F ionnan S heahan lectured and barracked Mála Spíosraí on a TV debate panel The most striking thing
was Sheahan’s apparent conviction that Mála Spíosraí is a bad and sinister person because of his belief that the Gardaí are not neutral But in working-c lass communities, this is not a controversial opinion T h e i m a ge o f G a rd a í a n d p r i v a t e secur it y is drawn from a famous e vic-
t i on i n D u b l i n C i t y C e n t re i n
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1 8 M o s t o f u s a re a n g r y t h a t t h i s h a ppened; our c apitalist establishment is merel y angr y that it ’ s being depicted in ar t W i t h t h e e n d o f t h e e v i c t i on b a n , p e o p l e a re b e i n g m ad e h om e l e s s b ec a u s e t h e y c a n’t p ay t h e i n s a n e re n t s
AKA Posie Parker, had planned to bring her transphobic “Let Women S peak” tour to D ublin on 15 Apr il. Parker ’ s speaking tour has been attended and suppor ted by neo-Nazi g roups, e vangelic al extremists and she has previously worked with Proud Boys in the US Her recent speaking event in Melbourne attracted the suppor t of the National Socialist Movement, a far-right group which proudly ‘seig-heiled ’ on the steps of the Australian par liament Chaos ensued when Parker attempted to br ing her hate rallies to New Zealand, with her 200 supporters being met by a crowd of over 2,000 counter protesters and Parker herself being doused in tomato juice and having to leave her own e vent and Ne w Zealand ear ly
Hate and hypocrisy
It is al way s wor th mentioning how these events are marketed as “freedomof-speech” spaces to let women voice their “ concerns about gender ideolog y ” (i e the existence of trans people) However, just like with so many other “freedom-of-speech” events, this is simpl y a trojan horse to allow far-r ight, transphobic and homophobic politics enter the consciousness of those attending Parker, as with all far-r ight bigots,
believes she should have free rein to call for violence against trans people, such as when she c alled for armed men to enter the women ’ s bathrooms to “ protect ” cisgender women from trans women, and yet we should not have the freedom of speech to oppose her In fact, at another e vent in Australia, a woman from the crowd began speaking positively about trans people and was quic kl y removed by Parker ’ s secur it y, with one of them placing his hand around her neck So much for “ letting women speak”
This is, of course, a common tactic used by the r ight wing, and one also used in Ireland Here, far-right agitators are calling for mass deportations of immigrant men, women and children under the guise of “freedom of speech” while simultaneousl y accusing antiracist campaigners as being ‘ censors ’ as we counter protest them
Resistance works
Bearing all this in mind, the recent suggestion by F ine Gael to have an “ open debate” about trans issues is particularly
sinister As has been repeated ly stated, the timing of this suggestion coincided perfectly with the lifting of the eviction ban and with thousands of families facing homelessness, and yet F ine Gael would rather debate the rights of an already extremel y vulnerable minor it y which makes up approximately 0 08% of the population This “ open debate” will do nothing for our community and instead increase the vitriol and violence we are subjected to on a daily basis
So how do we fight this right-wing backlash? The only way is through solidarity and by getting organised Posie Parker was forced to c ancel her hate rally in D ublin in large part due to the outpour ing of solidar it y for the counter-protest organised by Trans and Intersex Pride D ublin This was an important victor y and an example of the power we have when we come together, and it begs the question: what could be achieved on a larger scale?
This is not merely a thought experiment, it ’ s a matter of necessity We need to harness our power and connect and unite with all those who suffer oppression and exploitation under this system
A united, multi-ethnic, multi-gendered working c lass has the power to change society by taking the power out of the hands of the 1% who benefit from our oppression and exploitation Onl y when we build a system that prioritises the needs of the many over the private profits of the few can queer, trans and women ’ s liberation be achieved
t h e go ve r n m e n t h a s a l l owe d t h e i r p ro p e r t y - p o r t f o l i o - ow n i n g m a t e s t o c h a r ge, a n d b e c a u s e t h e go ve r n m e n t won’t build public housing S o those who are angr y about some painting are just tr ying to change the subject Most people are not angr y about a painting, but about the br utal realit y it depicts
FOllOWInG IRel And’S under 15 boys teams back-to-back 6-0 international friendly wins over latvia recently, a torrent of vile online racist abuse ensued against some of the players Jim Crawford, the men’s under 21s manager, has spoken out against the abuse. The FAI have also condemned the attacks and said the situation is under investigation the age of the players adds to how disgusting this attack was and how low these trolls will stoop it is essential that the investigation is thorough, and includes the victim’s families in the process online trolls like these have only become more emboldened in the current context of the rise of reaction in ireland, with horrific anti-refugee protests taking place recently online abuse is extremely harmful and can have detrimental consequences to victims, but of course it is also true that the current rise of racism has consequences on the streets the fai needs to send a clear message that abuse like this towards players is completely unacceptable and set a precedent going for ward surrounding online abuse towards players
“ The day has passed for patching up the capitalist system; it must go.”
James Connolly was right The immense social, political and economic crises that dominate life in the 21st centur y all testify to this truth, but the climate emergenc y gives added urgenc y to its meaning That’s why the Socialist Par ty stands for revolutionar y socialist change, and why we are organising to bring it about. We suppor t ever y right and reform that can improve life for working- class people, while fighting for what’s needed We say: if capitalism can’t afford to provide for our needs then we can’t afford capitalism.
Workplace
• All workers need double -digit wage rises
For a €17 an hour minimum wage
• End precarity and bogus self-employment For guaranteed hours with permanent contracts for all workers
• A four-day work week with no loss of pay
Reduce the pension age to 60 A guaranteed decent pension for all
No layoffs Open up the books and take large job shedding companies into public ownership under democratic workers’ control and management, with compensation paid only on the basis of proven need
• Repeal the Industrial Relations Act For the
right to organise and effective action
For a fighting trade union movement that organises the unorganised and mobilises the power of its membership All officials should be elected, subject to recall and live on the wages of the workers they represent
Housing
Reduce and freeze rents at affordable levels Reinstate the eviction ban
For a major programme to build public homes Take the big construction companies into public ownership Seize vacant proper ties and unused land being hoarded for profit
• Provide culturally appropriate accommodation for Travellers
Nationalise the banks and repudiate the odious debt Reduce mor tgage payments to affordable levels
Public services
• End church control of schools and hospitals – full separation of church and state
For a major public works programme to build public schools, hospitals and childcare facilities
• For a one -tier, national health ser vice free at the point of use Bring all private hospitals, nursing homes and pharmaceutical companies into public ownership
• Free publicly-run childcare scheme for
ever y community Extend fully-paid parental leave to two years and provide high quality early-years education
For 24-hour free counselling ser vices and education programmes to begin to tackle the mental health crisis
• Free education and training for all Abolish the Leaving Cer t system and provide a Third-level place for all who want one, with a living grant for all students Build affordable, accessible student accommodation
Environment
• For substantial investment in an expanded, reliable and free public transpor t system
• End the reliance on fossil fuels keep them in the ground For extensive state investment in renewable energy, retrofitting homes and public buildings, and green jobs
For a just transition to a zero carbon economy, with no job losses or regressive carbon taxes
Take the fossil fuel companies, big agribusinesses and corporations into democratic public ownership to stop the destruction of our planet for profit
Equal rights for all
• Oppose all forms of racism, sexism, homophobia and transphobia
• For LGBTQ-inclusive, consent-based sex education in schools Fully fund trans healthcare
Reduce the voting age to 16
• Defend the right to asylum End Direct
Provision Abolish all racist immigration laws
• Black lives matter! Oppose far-right division
• Fight to end gender-based violence, abuse and harassment in all its forms
• For a socialist feminist movement that unites the whole working class in the struggle against oppression
For workers’ unity in Ireland
• For the unity of the working class, Protestant and Catholic, Nor th and South, in opposition to all forms of sectarianism, paramilitarism and state repression
• For a socialist Ireland, with no coercion and the rights of minorities guaranteed, as par t of a free, equal and voluntar y socialist federation of Ireland, Scotland, England and Wales, as par t of a socialist Europe
End the rule of the billionaires
• Take the wealth off the 1% For real progressive taxation on incomes assets and profits to fund public ser vices
• Stop tax avoidance and evasion by the wealthy
• Double corporation tax End corporate welfare policies
• No to all forms of privatisation in health, education transpor t housing energy sanitation, water and broadband provision
For socialist change
• Capitalism produces inequality, environmental destruction and war We need an international struggle against this system Solidarity with the struggles of workers and oppressed peoples internationally
Oppose all imperialist powers, wars and occupations No to NATO and EU militarisation US militar y out of Shannon
• No to corporate “free trade” agreements No to the bosses’ EU and “For tress Europe”
Build a new mass par ty that organises workers and young people in struggle against all injustices and for a socialist alternative For a working-class movement to bring about a left, socialist government that breaks with capitalism
• Take the key sectors of the economy – the monopolies in banking, industr y, ser vices, agriculture and big tech – into public ownership under the democratic control of the working class
Replace the capitalist market with a democratic socialist plan of the economy based on the interests of the over whelming majority of people and the environment
What the socialist Party stands for: