Socialist Action (Limerick): no. 8, June 1985

ORGANISING SOCIALIST ACTION IN WARD 3

This bulletin has been produced by people who supported and worked in Joe Harrington’s election campaign. Our reasons for producing this bulletin are the same as our reasons for supporting Joe.

- We believe that, faced with a pro-capitalist government and opposition as well as a pro-capitalist City Council, working class people urgently need to fight for their rights and to defend themselves.

- Our record in this kind of activity is a good one. We are activists not just talkers and we’ve had some successes, like on the Water Tax issue and in the trade union movement as well as the occasional setback.

Joe Harrington's election was a breakthrough for our policy of independent working class action. We believe that direct, militant action in defence of their own interests is the best weapon working people have. Joe’s election success gave this policy a major boost and we intend to go on and build on this. We have now set up a committee in Ward 3 to work for the kind of policies advocated in Joe's election literature.

Part of our work will be organising a clinic in the Olympic Arms, Galvone on Wednesday nights at 7 p.m. But just as importantly we'll be aiming to build a campaigning movement in the interests of working class people. If you'd like to be part of our group contact us at the Otympic Arms on Wednesday nights or at 109 O'Malley Park.

Organising at local level won't solve every problem. The real power in this country lies in Leinster House, Westminister and the Boardrooms of the giant companies. Solving problems in this area means fighting the government and the empioyer class at national level too. Forunately we are not alone in this. Workers are getting together all over Ireland to fight against unemployment, service charges, factory closures, collaboration with British repression in the North etc. In many ways this movement is in its early days. We aim to build links with other workers in every way possible and to work out a common answer in the interests of working class people. We need your support. Join us in the fight back now.

A CANVASSERS VIEW ...

Any examination of the local elections reveals the price Labour had to pay for backing the party of the big ranchers and big business, Fine Gael. Locally, people displayed their anger at these policies by electing a consistant defender of working class interests and longtime socialist activist, Joe Harrington. The electorate dumped pro-Water Tax Councillor Frank Leddin and also signalled the beginning of the end of Frank Prendergast'’s political career.

We must learn from the Labour Party disaster. In modern Irish society working people can be heard if we are organised in a strong campaigning organisation (like the farmers). Many people didn't vote at all. While it is understandable that people become cynical about the whole exercise opting out plays into the hands of those who preside over cutbacks and mass unemployment.

“Keyes Park Supporter”. Joly 85 i A Message From Joe Harrington On behalf of Peoples Democracy, our canvassers and myself, I wish to thank all those who voted for me or supported our election campaign in anyway. Ours was a victory for independent working class politics. People are saying ‘enough is enough’ and want to fight back against the attacks of the rich and powerful and their political allies that govern the country. I look forward to working with tenants groups and trade unions in promoting this fightback a fightback based on direct militant action, the most effective weapon working class people have. In the Council I will oppose any attempts to make it a rubber stamp for government cutbacks etc. | will resolutely oppose any attempt to introduce double taxes such as Water and Refuse charges, regardless of whether they are imposed by government or introduced at local level. The answer to Local Government ’s financial problems is to tax the rich at national level and allocate adequate funds to local bodies.

1 am always available to help people with individual problems. I can also be contacted at my clinic. Olympic Arms (Side Door) Every Wednesday at 7 p.m.

SS Socialist Action 4.9 for a new irelend, United, Socieliet and Free!

THE NEW COUNCIL

Is the new City Council any different from the old one? Many people's hopes were raised when they saw so many of the longer established Councillors lose their seats.

However, after just two meetings, it’s clearly a case of old wine in new bottles.

Having presented themselves as opponents of the Water Tax during the elections, Fianna Fail, through its spokesperson, Jack Bourke, told the very first meeting that the new council would have to introduce local charges and that he was in favour of this. In a backroom deal Fianna Fail then proceeded to form a Coalition with Fine Gael for the Mayoralty. This went to Pat Kennedy, who already holds down two jobs and who later admitted that he had a school class sticking election envelopes for him.

The second meeting of the new Council was to elect committees and representatives on outside bodies. Here again Fianna Fail, Fine Gael, Frank Prendergast and Win Harrington placed their own political interests above the rights of workers and students to be represented on the various boards. An unsuccessful attempt was made to exclude the Trades Council delegate to the VEC which would have left the city’s young apprentices without a voice on that Committee.

Joe Harrington went forward for a seat on the Mid-Western Health Board. As a hospital worker he was backed by a petition signed by most non-nursing hospital workers in Limerick. (Unlike doctors, nurses, administrators etc. this large group of general hospital workers has no voice on the Health Board). Former trade union official Frank Prendergast joined with FF and FG to ensure that this undemocratic situation continued.

Teacher and student unions also lost out as the politicians put their backroom scheme into operation and grabbed every position and committee possible.

Like the old Council, the new one would prefer to carry out its anti-working class policies away from the light of day. However, Joe Harrington does not intend to allow them carry out their dirty work in peace. He is campaigning to have Council meetings held in various local community halls. Wouldn't it be interesting to see Jack Bourke or Ger Fahy argue for local charges in front of a crowded public gallery in Southill?

jewpoint 15 July 1985 International V IRELAND =—= F ourt 8 A win Peoples Democracy (PD) is the Irish section of a worldwide socialist organisation, the Fourth International. As outlined by Joe Harrington, during the debate on the Mayoral election, PD’s biggest difference with Jim Kemmy’s DSP is our position of unconditional support for Irish unity. INTERNATIONAL VIEWPOINT, the magazine published in Paris by the 4th International had this to say ...

h Internationalist s in local elections ———-> |

DEFEND ALL THE OPPRESSED

Abig factor in the recent horsetrading between Fianna Fail, Fine Gael and the Labour Party over the Mayoralty was their concem to exclude any voice which might be an alternative to their establishment point of view from any position of responsibility in the Council. Jim Kemmy was the most obvious victim of these dealings as he was once again defeated in his bid to become Mayor of Limerick. At the Council meeting where this happened, Joe Harrington, having bitterly attacked Fianna Fail and Coalition, went on to explain his differences with Kemmy.

The following is a short extract from Joe's speech ...

.- “While Jim Kemmy is seen as a radical socialist he falls down, I believe, on the main obstacle to the advancement of Socialism in Ireland. He refuses to oppose the rule of British Imperialism in Ireland. He refuses to stand firmly with the most oppressed sector in Irish Society to-day - the Nationalist population in the North. I fully support his desire for unity of Catholic and Protestant workers but I believe this can never be achieved outside of British withdrawal.

“On other questions I would have much in common with Ald. Kemmy. However, Jim Kemmy sees parliamentary democracy as the way of achieving workers rights and Socialism. | believe that workers will make no fundamental gains unless it’s through their own efforts.

“The Working class will make the Socialist Revolution, perhaps with the help of Socialist TDs. Socialist TDs on their own will change little. : “The DSP does not offer a fundamentally different strategy than the Labour Party for attaining Workers’ Power. It is often said that Jim Kemmy is the hardest working politician in Limerick but more than honest effort is needed in the struggle for socialism. We need a strategy of militant, direct, and independent action by workers.

The DSP does not propose such a strategy.

“However’, Jim Kemmy received a massive working class vote on the basis of being seen as a genuine alternative to the capitalist parties. So, while making no concessions to the DSP’s pro-loyalist, pro-British and parliamentary reformist policies | supported Jim Kemmy for mayor on this occasion”.

Irish politics in general has been afflicted by a cleavage between social and national fighters, since the national question has been identified historically with a military struggle and the prospects for winning that, let alone producing concrete gains for the working people, seemed remote. At the same time, because of the dominance of imperialism all attempts to achieve economic improvements by going around the national question have failed.

The result of this unresolved contradiction is that rather large right-wing sects have developed in Ireland that seek to avoid the national question by talking about “socialism” and “working-class independence.”

The biggest one on the national level is the Workers Party, which had its origin in a current in the Republican movement that turned in a right, economist direction. Unfortunately, in general, these elections did little to remove these cadavers from around the neck of the Irish left. But Harrington’s victory was a small but important gain in this respect... .... Harrington’s results show what can be achieved in the present conditions by leaders of local struggles. Politically, he is the most advanced. But there are many such fighters emerging across Ireland. In the present situation, a united slate of such fighters is probably the only thing that could offer a real alternative.