TUAM: Support The Workers

“In no way is sugar beet an economic proposition if we look i it from a purely accountancy peant of view... We are going to provide employment." (Sean Lemass: Dail, 1933)

“There were other consideraom that would compensate for any monetary loss in the on ag of the Sugar Beet Trop." (Paddy Belion, Ptr, ciaiming crecii for bit forerunners as the party who inireduced beet production) “We come to open factories, Bot to close factories.” (AG election promise in Tuam) A fact-finding delegation from imerick’s radical paper the Bottom » recently visited Tuam and the town's s Which is earmarked for closure Gext year. JOE HARRINGTON, 6 member of the delegation sent the following report to Socialist Repubiic.

© politicians * promises could be fees af fece value then theese Bateeents would make Tuam | Beper factory one of the most ieee eaploymente in Ireland. Ineel, Tuan depends for its survival ae he Workers Action Committer tp by the Sugar Plant employees a Se coondinate the efforts being made Oo wer the jobs, The struggle of the workers to preeet the closure of their plant can ies bee deecribed as desperate ete a bol of talk about providing iste enployment in the town, Wes et poke to Vincent Gaffeny, eertery. and Jineny O'Meara of the Wortiers Achon : tchear that the Sorkers placed wo value om the Seelertakings being given to provide ata wedanires Wicee: (Gaffney told on “There ee oer? o Teo areal) plaunt who would be glad to avail of any alternative jobs. In fact, in the Tuam area (here are 2,200 jobless while 1 wabvance factories have stood idle in tural Galway for the past two yeirs.”

VIABILITY Aunicigel terwnspeopie we also foond 4 healthy suspicion of mulii-nationals. One person made the comment, “We could litt our sugar plant go for an IDA multi-national providing a. couple of hundred jobs only to-see it skip the country on the Clest midnight fight out of Knock,”

The decision to clos: ihe Tuam. plant Sane ad a Ser prise bo its workiorce, the onky consideration when setting dp the Taam factory and given the dependence ol the whok community on the plant it eeemed far-fetched to ages tht any @ertooment would p For Jobs are oF SToP Bein So Youll pave ws Botd PUT ou, Mary ABOVE: Joe Sherlock and Jim Kemoy.on their way to Leinster [Mouse been condenued by the workers for blaming their job loss on the farmers. Jim bas voled to chose thie sugar factory and support unemployment, Bae it the chop. On top of this, Sugai ranks.

When Michael O'Leary introduced “Workers Purticipstion” into atateSponsored bodies during the best Coalition government many heralded it as a hig step forward for workers. Yet, as far as the Tuam workers are concerted the workerdirechor experiment fell at its first and company secrecy, the worker directors failed to alert those they were supposed lo represent to the impending closure announcement.

The Tuam workers have protested shrommby. tee their over this, pointing out that had they known of the closure plans they would have been able to lobby cndugh support on the Board to prevent the closire decision being taken.

Joe has in Tarn.”

mpaoy enuplovess were represented on the Board by four worker-directors élected by the workera from their own records ahow this.

lirdle. Hound up by rules, regulations ua that they will fight to the bittes aid iokecp the factory open. They are drawing up plana aired at increasing the beet acreage In the area, while, at the sume dine, net comcecling that their plant-has to-hé econearnically vishie to justily ils con lined existence, They have heen far fron pleased with the hearing given te theircuse by the government, They inscribed to us their experience in the “corridors of power’ In unfaee milan and intimidating surroundings they pul forward their point of view to a Taciseach and Ministers who hadw't the manneré to even listen politely, who seemed to think it beneath them to tespond to the points mised and who were intent only on outlining their cen sehotion —clogure within a year, This decision, the workers feel, will ication. mut across their efforts to increase the beet acreage in the west os OPPORTUNITY farmers will be rebuctant to. become The workers of Tuam are fully inyeived in something which could aware of the significance the | be wrapped up dn 12 months time, At the time of our presence the Tuam workers were awalting the outcome af a Fianna Fail motion in the Dail The motion culled on the government = “to teke every slep necessary bo MULAN sigar beet production . ..

In the tone run, even if the motion had passed, Tuam jobs would still not be safe, Bodh the Coaldtisn ana Fianna Fail base thernselves on a private enterprise systern that puis Protits before peaple. Jeapite all che crocodile tears shed by Fianna Pail iis obvitws thet Mackharry, the Apricaliure Minister in Che Fianna Fail government, knew that the elomire was in the pipeline. Company In the Isat analysis the fare of Tuam rests with the Trade undan movement and the forces it can mobilise in support of the workers’ Plan. On one levol, the fight to save Taam can beewme a focus for a trade TON CUP EEEN apne UNE ploy een in to shift the robe of from one of helplesa bystanders te active oppanents of this “\prodies before people” policy.

Qn another jewel, the mounting cessful enterprise” highlights for the uo mevecerel, the obstacles lying in the path of industnulisation in brelsnd. Clearby. Coonolly’s claim that, under capitalign, Irish industrisligation depends on us becoming “the Macklegs of Europe” soil olds tue. It is equally clear that Lrish workers are not willing to acest this blackleg tag nor are they happy to remain vietima of a baekward ecomomy. The only way ou of this vicious circle is for the trade union movement to bepin drawing wp its can ecenianic plan -- one based on is rertbers’ needs —and Aghe for i using troops steeled in the battle to save oxisting jobs. Such a plan would hare to take tno accouot the imperialist domination of Ireland -- a domination acquiceced in by Irish capitalism and the major obstack: to industriaattempted closure of their plant holds for other workers: They were at THLins bo pest ct to us that af the Rovernment, any government, OL away wilh pulling the plug ana kong established coterprise like Tuam then this would open the way for even harsher peneral austerity measurce affecting pobs and wages. The Tiade Union Movement must, in its turn, grisp the sipnifieance ated ogporlunity of Tuam.

The Tuas case raises many questions ~ workers’ control versus workers’ participation, the relationship between srmnall farmers and workers, the ce of natural resiurces in the qgest for jobs. land and private property. And the Grigierialist cesnination of the [nish coonomy, These are questions which will be dealt in a pamphlet about Tuam being planned by a Dumber of Limerick Traces Unionists grouped around the Bottom Dog paper. We would hike to take this opportunity to ask readers of Socialist ideas, InTOrmALGOn OF any contobution to make on the subject te send them to 108 O'Malley Park, Southill, Liumerick, for our Rih