Socialist Repub

Last year's plan ond this year’s badget herald on chormegs ascot on the living standards of public secior workers, The bodget'’s proposed 67) over 18 meanthe and a 7-menth pay poise would force the majority of work: ers caring bess than £100 a week below the poverty Hoe and expenditure cvthacks would cost many of them iheir jobs, LEADERSHIP?

Once again Lhiose anton leaders respensable for onorcdinating the defence of ther members’ living sandards, the public service committe: of the CTU, have imited themsclves to the cuslemary rhetorical condemnations but have done ithe or nothing. Public secioc unions have individuaily game through farcical ariitation and Labnar Court applications which have achieved na thing 2) cept io wasie FT te manihs almost exactly the lenath of rime of the proposed pay pata. ihe only Oommen purpose whith fhe unions lewlerships secim to share ts ie ane struggle and an inability te face reniitv, The gevemument has af course reinained wnimved by the ele gucnee of the trade union nego ators and has stood firm-on thei cullecks. When the endless rounds of thmwasting am stallIng fan oat, fhe iret groups. of workers. io chalhenee. the Coals Tion’s pay norms fouwikd them: aclycs al a severe disadvaniage. The. Central Hank workers: who fougiit a long strike through the Christirias period Aad to ge it done. Fine Gael with the support if the elected seubs-of the Labour Party and Fianna Fail poshed legislation through Leinster House bo alle Ue work of Ube Ceutral Bank to be done by other banks. The CTU stead aside as Hid other public sector unions whe face similar attacks. The strike was eventually setdled with ooly a marginal iapeovement on the tigrinal after, DUBLIN CORPORATION Uther groups of workers also back leadership. The tonin peneral ‘iperatives (0S) unem in Dublin Corporation. the Trish Municipal Trade Tinton’ (M4ETU) veted far strike action beginning the first week in Januar. This was: postponed several times ostensibly: Ger negotiations un ta allow for coordination with the avher ban Benen operative woos MPa and PY UL aod the craft onions. During this period the revised pay awired offer by Alan Dukes in the January budget was relected by The glen exerntiyes as it pave moimprovement on the bibtal offer. Strike plana were set for all tires unions for Feb. 11, The cTatt ubiens meanwhile yoted cverwlichmingly to support the OOS unies's application oa Con uress for an all out picket. Four days before the strike was due, the ail out picket wag pranted. However. it then became appa rent the lengths a0 which the trade union leaders were preparecto go toeavold a strike. The three upiens called general meetings for the eve of the strike to ballet ona new offer, the sob stance of which was a T60 lump sum, The confidence that the workers: had in strike wetmn, already shaken by lack of feformatin and the posipooemenis ot the strike mominte were shattered by treachery and wheeling And dealing in the days lending up ta the strike, The neweiaters from the three umons had oroeguested postponement of the all out picket for two weeks, citing “difficulties with a small section of members.

Of course postponing the all oui picket allowed Congress off the heak. They didat have io back their words with action and the delay increased the danger of allowing, the grumblings of a emall pumber to develop ‘into pet scabbing.

Ai the general meetings only one exccunve, the PW UT Corporation Branch, recommended sire éctich and it was supported by a3 fer P maaqorrity At the IMETU meeting Creneral Sectetary Sean Redmond and the rest af the executive made oo recommcndations and further confieed matters by allowing a vote io ee H-alene which “was passed This vote broke an aereenent with Congress be which an all ou picket would only be oranted LU the vores of all three unions: were eeerecated. That wirsa't the end ul the contusion, Before (he sittke bullet was-taken Redmond saw fit to wart his members that the imon hack aah three weeks sintke poy available. “Mot surpri singly the deal was acecpted by a irra mapeeriiy.

The TGWO branch secretary dint mince his words at their necting. Warning his. members that. they had mo chance of winnig a sintkes As they would he taking on the government he announced a lightweight: couldn't beat a heavyecight aod showed Ue depual fis sulidanty with the British miners’ strike by wasting tl ui an example of the difficulty The wend face The desired TES was wchieved, nm 2 to | maith acerpled the offer The now isolaved FULL held a further baila and reversed thicir strie derision.

The end result of this. scaled lewlership his been fo achicve absolutely nothing. “The Corpora. linn GOS"s have an agreement which meuns further cuts in their living standards, [tis alsodikely to be Che morn right actress the other fetal authortes in Lhe 2b counties where workers haven't the muscle of dublin Corporation WOTKETS, dined were not brought in toback up the dispute.

They fave struck o Blow apainat unity such as ir bee or powern ert would dare atten, leadership. Health Board cot bucks amount ta £40) millen jobs and> poorer sereices for evervome. The loudest voices against this hayc been the members of the vanious health board comimintces and local authorities councillors, On government plans to ‘reform: fecal aullbotities; agwio the wmrions dre len, LOCAL GOVERRMENT REFORMS mike sweeping chinges within the leeal sutherites. Dublin Corporation is ta be broken op FPUETHER ATTACKS itis precisely maxinuim unity which i essential im the pubic sector pow. Tie industrial “peaec’ which the trade unten leaderslip Seems Totent on achieving at the expense of members” iiterests is likely to prove wholly Wusory.

Massive culbacks ind attacks are in the pipeline far the public serviews in general, These are of Course he secrel und have been well advertised by the Coalition.

The ony peapgke who seem te act as if they are unaware of whats happening if the trade union LOE UNAS AL which cwuld mean a lass of 700 such a response There ate well advanced plans to charges sector is to limit the scope thar their lenders have for betraying theit interests. Trade wiloe offigigs oeed to be ted to policies which ensure that attacks by EOVeErmment and empiovers. are met with & united, coordinated trade onion response, Workers have to begin fglitimg in thes noiens for demaiids vhich ensure " ond two-ter picketing campaiges by refusing tr handle administration of the = An alternative plan foe expounding eoupoymcni and acrvbore The finance for such an alterna: live plan is available, E24 billign SEAXPAyErs Tle} Was SPEEA interest io the multinational bankers of the IME. Pight fora moratorium on these payments, Let ihe rich pay for their debts Fi 5 — Thamelenis of tuxpayers® LOH hoses.