Jack O Connor’s Mayday speech at Athy, which has been circulated to many of unions’ activists, follows his now familiar pattern.
The first part is filled with a radical rhetoric which denounces the evils of neo liberalism and ‘conservative policies’ which prop up a ‘wealthy elite’

The second part suggests that we surrender to the same ‘wealthy elite’ because it always could be worse.

The leaders of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions are trying to get you to vote for a disgraceful deal that will help this government. You should vote NO

Once again the ICTU leaders have called off industrial
action to enter talks with the government. Action against pay cuts in the public sector was due to
escalate from a ‘low intensity’ campaign to more strategic strikes, but the
ICTU has announced that it is entering talks. There is no commitment by the government to remove pay
cuts.

Public service trade unionists were shocked to hear Peter McClune, Chair of Public Services Committee, ICTU, announce that he was about to negotiate a cut of €1.3 billion in the public service pay bill as we left the picket lines, writes Paddy Healy.

November 24 was a display of workers' power.
All across the country, public sector workers showed how much society depends
on their efforts.
Schools, courts, colleges, hospitals effectively closed down,
except for emergency services. Just four strikers shut down Stephen’s Green in Dublin, for example, while more than a thousand teachers gathered outside the Department
of Education. Bus drivers and postal workers refused to pass picket while many
pedestrians shouted their support and cars honked their horns. For the first
time, public sector workers recovered their pride as they learnt that many
supported their struggle.

Over 100,000 marched throughout the country against wage cuts and attacks on public services. Here are some images and videos of the day.

Today saw a magnificent display of working class determination. At least 100,000 workers took to the streets today to show their anger at the government's cuts programme.

The Fianna Fail-Green government is planning a new round of
attacks on working people to pay for the bail out of the banks. These will include attacks on child benefit, pay reductions,
slashing of public services and the introduction of water charges.

The issue now is how to keep the movement going forward. November 6th will be a huge display of rage – but in itself it will not stop this government in its tracks.