Resist Public Sector Cuts -Organise!

union bureaucrats are organi sad, there [sno organised opposition within the trade union movement. The economl st left. wlth their beilef that the only wey fo Padicallge workers Is on issues of wages, Jobs and conditlons are easy meag for the bureaucrats who can outflank them on the general pollijical and social questions, The bureaucrats under— stand only too well the fragile nature nature of economic unity set agalnst ped thc and social divistons. This Is why antl-lmperlallsm is the only solid bedrock for opposition te the trade union misieaders. [ft Ls the only perspective which of fers a coherent, overall] alternathve to the Peformiam of the bureaucracy —= by challenging partiti-on, There is a burning need for anti= imperialists In the trade union move-= ment to come pogeiher to hammer out a strategy for 4 working class fightback. This can be best.done around existing struggles, for example by bullding suppert far the de Lorean occupation or the Burling ten sirlkers, Antisimperiallst trade unionists could organise 4 national tour for militants fram these strug gles which would provide ¢inanelal as well a5 moral support and be a start In building links between workers on both sides of the boarder, Demonstrations againget unemployment eould Ge bullt North and Seuth, with workers crossing the border to give support, Such Initlatives would help to end the Isolation of the trade unions from community Iffe and being inte the struggle the hundreds of thoveands of working people, malniy wonren afd youth, Stil unorgantsed in the mayvement, IN JUWE 71991 ¢ J Haughey addressed the nation in the following terms: "Fianna Fail has always been a perty with an active commitment to the welfare of the poorer and weaker sections of the com fmmnity . . . We have protected them from the worst effects of the current recession: and. we Will steadily improve their standard of living in the better times that lie shesad." Just over a year later, in July, 1942, C J Haughey's forernment haa launched Slasting attack on the social welfare system and the whole public service sector, The cut of £720m in government epending will affect every han woman and child in the 26 Counties ae food subsidies disappesr and health and. educational services shrink, With inflation running at 20% already the civil. service understaffed by 7% and nurses and teachers overstretched, the one million people who live below the poverty line are in for severe punishment. So much for Heughey's policy of "Caring for Ireland's Future, A GENERAL ATTACK Haughey believes that the 26 Counties? future is now in jeopardy because the governent is spending too much. He eannot afferd ta berrew since the foreign debt now totale found, ear fwes —c three times the EE public sector doringe mission on Taxetion's report, can he reise extra money through increased taxes, So he has to @ut spending -- hence the £1200 blitz, This will. be enough to intensify the migery of the poor population, but it will make Tittle impact on the Sh op a a spending deficit.

government needs te save £2710 ao the new cuts will leave a further £15%m to be In reglity there if more ta the attack.an public apending than the gize.of the governmerit's deficit. A further purpose of the wage freeze and job cuts is to lay the groundwork for similar action against workers in the private sector. Politicians and earns et alike have been claiming tha recent pay awaris to public gervice workers have fuelled excessive wage demands elsewhere in the economy, If the gains of the public service workers can be driven back, they resson, then wage demands in general can, be held. in.check.

PUBLIC EMPLOYEES MUJST FIGHT This argument lea based on freud Some workers in the public sector have recently won aboveeverape increases. But on the whcle wage settlements Tor public eervice employees have been below the average. This reflecta the well-documented trend of declining wages” inthe the A97Gaemployees are definitely atthe back of the crowl when.1it come: ta the push to weep up with rising costs..of..living, It ds clear that the tactic of employers, and government is to single out the most isolsted and demoralised section of workers afd attack them’first. So far, leaders of trade union: in-the public sector have responded in a militant tone to the new gute. But if ‘the exper jente of the past decade is anything to go by this will amount té nothing but rhetoric The sorry plight of public workers i8 the result of the Week=kneed anc compromise etratesy af these leacera, If there ia.to be: any real resistance to Heughey's on= Blaught then the rank end tile wlilvhave ta take a lead. Whar is needed, in the first place, ia for militant activiste in the public. sester to unite across the board to prevent a sell out bythe buresucrate, in the TCT Public Sermrdices Com nittee. Secendiy, private sector workers Must be oonWiniced that solidarity with the fight sgeinet, the cute ie in their own beat interest. This will be a task not only far public service militants “but: for militant “trede unionists everywhere.

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