Socialist Worker supports the fight of the Otis engineers to defend their right to a decent voluntary redundancy payment. Even after the Labour Court’s recommendation that voluntary redundancy packages should be offered where necessary, Otis Ltd (who also operate as Irish Lift Services) refuse to comply.
11 workers volunteering for the redundancies but the company insist on 13 different members of staff, all of whom have worked for the company for a long time and are strong in the union. Two weeks ago the company tried to get away with sacking 17 members of staff, who were reinstated pending talks with the unions. As nothing but the amount of jobs to go was decided, 65-70 workers downed tools in solidarity. Up until recently the company had a ‘last in, first out’ rule but has done away with that to smash the union and gain more profits.
This is a company that is still making profits!

IBEC and the bosses in general in this country are determined to use this crisis to destroy all agreements with the working class from declaring Joint Labour Commissions and Regulated Employment Agreements to be too ‘inflexible’ for them to savagely attacking workers rights in general. These devastating budgets we’ve seen are another brutal kick in the teeth for the workers of this country, the targeting of all the services we rely on. But not only that, the cruel cuts against the old, sick and the unemployed are designed to terrorise workers into accepting any pay and conditions rather than end up on the dole.

The crisis is exposing to more and more working class people the unity with which the Political and Economic rulers of this country are acting to undermine our livelihoods and yet we didn’t create this crisis. The Bankers, Developers and Corporate Directors of Ireland, the top 1% who still have €40 Billion in cash, created this mess and they should pay for it!

Three weeks ago Brian Cowan attended a banquette for the bosses. This banquette cost members of IBEC €1300 a table. Cowan’s attendance there was a clear indicator that the state has turned their backs on the workers and is supporting the bosses.

With the top 1% of Ireland’s financial elite in the pockets of the political elite, it is up to the workers of this country to stand together and fight against these cuts. We need to build solidarity for this dispute in the surrounding local communities.
Workers all over this Island are getting organized and standing up for their rights. Last year we saw strike after strike, occupation after occupation. Their refusal to give in until they got justice has shown that militant action is the best way to get it.