Key trade unionists call for the Right to Work

A number of key trade unionists have joined community activists and others to establish a Right to Work Campaign. These forces have called a protest on the Dail for May 11th (click here for details) to protest at the ban bail-out and are to hold a founding conference on May 22nd. The initiative is backed by the Ireland region of UNITE, as well as a number of councillors.

Here is the text of the sponsors letter, a pdf version can be downloaded and freely distributed here

National Conference to establish a
Right To Work campaign
UNITE Hall 55-56 Middle Abbey Street, Dublin 1
12 noon, Saturday May 22nd

At present nearly a half of a million people are unemployed on this small island. The spectre of mass emigration has also begun to return. The lives and talents of our young people are being wasted as nearly one in three is thrown on the scrap heap.
Despite billions spent on banks, governments on both sides of the border protest that they can do little to create jobs. Their only message is leave everything to the market and promote competitiveness through wage cuts and reductions in social welfare.
We disagree.
Cutting wages and incomes has only deepened the recession. Each month brings more reports of falling tax revenues, lengthening dole queues and economic failure. Income cuts mean people have less money to buy goods that keep others in work. Every job loss, wage cut or social welfare cut contributes to further job losses.
We are, therefore, calling for a major Right to Work Conference to bring together trade unionists, community groups, unemployed organisations, anti-poverty campaigners and concerned citizens. Our aim is to build a broad movement that uses people power to reverse current economic policies.
We invite you to support this conference and contribute your ideas and experiences to getting such a movement going. We suggest the following as some of the basic principles that might inform the campaign:
1. For a public works programme to provide jobs at proper pay rates - Instead of bailing out bankers, we need to create jobs.
2. Open higher education to the unemployed. Oppose the government attempt to deprive those on the Back to Education Scheme of grants.
3. No repossessions of the homes of those made unemployed.
4. Stop cut backs in social welfare, social services, community and arts programmes – defend the minimum wage.

UNITE the Union, Ireland Region
Jimmy Kelly (Regional Secretary, UNITE the Union).
Tom Hogan (President Waterford Council of Trade Unions)
John Kidd (SIPTU Convenor Dublin Fire Brigades)
Jim Wyse (Ex-Hunger Striker & TEEU Shop Steward, Green Isle Foods)
Declan Shannon (Ex-TEEU Shop Steward, Green Isle Foods)
James Loughman (MTL Strikers and shop steward)
Antoinnette Shevlin (ex shop steward, Thomas Cook)
Paul Hansard (ex shop steward building industry)
Sean O’Brien (Carroll Joinery shop steward)
Jobseekers’ Union
Eugene Mc Donagh (Ex NBRU Executive)
Niall Smyth (INTO Personal Capacity)
Siobhan O’Donoghue (Migrant Rights Centre Ireland)
Vanessa O Sullivan (Youth Against Dole Cuts)
Billy Memory (Ballymun Unemployed Action Group)
Professor Kathleen Lynch (School of Social Justice UCD)
Kieran Allen (Author Ireland’s Economic Crash)
Dr Karen Smith (School of Science and Social Studies DIT)
Cllr Richard Boyd Barrett (Dun Laoghaire)
Cllr Declan Bree (Sligo)
Cllr Brid Smith (Ballyfermot)
Cllr Hugh Lewis (Ballybrack)
Cllr Joan Collins (Crumlin)
Cllr Gino Kenny (Clondalkin)

Right to Work
A Conference of Resistance and Solidarity
Saturday 22nd May
Who is it for?

Over the past year, we have taken a battering. The employers and the government have used the media to divide public sector and private sector workers. They want us ALL to accept pay cuts, worse conditions and to work longer for a pension.
These disastrous policies have only added to the dole queues.
Now it is time to come together to spread resistance. This conference is about building solidarity between trade unionists, community activists, the unemployed workers, students, migrant workers, pensioners and those campaigning for green jobs.
It will be a brilliant chance to learn from each other and spread a fight back. There will be plenty of opportunity for discussion, so there will be workshops where you can have your say.
It won’t be a talking shop either. We want to organise initiatives from the conference. For example, some people have suggested that we all come together for a huge demonstration and day of action to express our anger.

To contact Right to Work Campaign phone: 087 2604143 or E Mail: Righttowork@live.com