Union Protests are for an approach to the recession that is in all our interest

Posted on November 02, 2009 at 02:22 AM

Labour T.D. Sean Sherlock was reported in the Sunday Tribune today saying that he is “vehemently opposed” to the idea of a strike or national day of protest by trade unions.  He said that those events would be “an affront to anybody that does not have a job and is struggling”. He also told the Tribune he was uncomfortable with unions spending money to fight cuts and that some of this money should be used to help the unemployed.

Firstly I disagree with my fellow Labour T.D. on his stance on strikes or national days of protest being an affront to those that have lost their jobs. It is in the interest of those without jobs that the Government is strongly challenged about its approach to our economic recession.   Secondly there are a number of assumptions that Sean is apparently making in the Sunday Tribune article that are flawed.  Thirdly the protests and strikes are being planned to try and achieve change for the better. These tactics are legitimate and a sign of a strong Labour movement.

Sean by presuming the protests and strikes will be an affront to the unemployed is making an assumption that unemployed people won’t be involved in these actions. I would anticipate many unemployed people will join with the unions on the day of protest. As it stands many unemployed people are members of unions. Many unemployed people support the policies that the trade unions wish to see implemented to rebuild our economy and they would benefit from them.

Sean correlates membership of a trade union with being a public sector worker when he says “It is incumbent on the Labour Party to represent all workers, both private and public”.  However, trade unions represent public and private sector workers and private sector workers make up the majority of trade union members. Many workers that are not in trade unions support the aims of the trade unions. Last February when the march organised by ICTU took place in Dublin I met people on that march who worked in the private sector. The Trade Union in promoting its aims is not doing anything that is any threat to workers in the private sector.  Their policies would bring about a society that would benefit all workers and the unemployed. It is those that would undermine the rights of all workers that are most vocal in trying to pitch public sector workers against private sector workers, and trade union members against non unionised workers.

Protests and strikes are core tactics of the trade union movement and workers have a right to be in a union and to take part in these activities.  Yet in our media there is a view being expressed predominantly by both journalists and commentators that there is something inherently bad about strikes. That is an affront to those that have fought for the rights of workers to be members of trade unions over the years, including during the lock out of 1913.  Sean spoke tonight on the ‘Week in Politics’ about how negotiations were preferable, and of course they are, but not if those negotiations have only one possible outcome, namely the Governments plans.

The reason I will join the Unions protest is because there is a need to be loud and clear that there is a better approach to our economy than the one that is holding sway with the Government and most commentators in our media.  ICTU are highlighting an alternative approach and the philosophy that underpins ICTU plans is very much in keeping with the philosophy that underpins Labour policies.

ICTU’s plan is here:

http://www.getupstandup.ie/

Labour’s plan is here:

http://www.labour.ie/policy/listing/1222692679607558.html

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