Bus Eireann management are about to ram in a draconian cost cutting plan, cutting drivers pay and benefits. If they succeed it will be a blueprint for ALL CIE companies; Dublin Bus will be next.

Martin Nolan Chief Executive Officer of Bus Eireann stated that the company is in a serious deteriorating financial situation, despite savage service cuts over the last 3 years.

Nolan claims there are losses of €16 million and extra fuel costs of €4 million , while the state subvention has been reduced by €6 Million.

Huge numbers of public sector workers have voted to reject the Croke Park 2 proposals. The decisive blow was dealt by the grassroots members of SIPTU who defied their union leaders. Brendan Howlin plaintively acknowledged this when he stated that ‘if 3 % more of the SIPTU vote swung Yes, it would have “got over the line”.

SIPTU grassroots activists welcome the No vote on Croke Park 2.

Kieran Allen from the Education Branch of SIPTU has welcomed the No vote of SIPTU members on the extension of the Croke Park agreement. He has taken part in the ‘SIPTU Grassroots’ campaign to reject the deal.

Kieran Allen commented:

When minister, Ruauri Quinn, took to the podium at the INTO annual conference dozens of delegates raised red cards and shouted 'off!' expressing the anger of thousands of teachers across the country who are sick and tired of this Government's attitude to workers.

At the TUI conference in Galway the bureaucracy were instructed by members to oppose any attempts by Congress to impose Croke Park II on those who have voted against it.

A huge majority of members of the TUI, Teachers Union of Ireland, have rejected the Croke Park cuts.

Such is the anger from rank and file members of the unions that the leadership of the TUI have even stated that they will go against the block vote of Congress.

TUI president Gerard Craughwell said the union would vote against the proposals at the meeting of the Congress public services committee.

“The TUI position is that it is not for the public services committee to determine working conditions for members of unions who have rejected the proposals,” he said.

This motion was passed by the Irish Executive Committee of Unite last week. It was first passed by the Dublin Activists Committee of Unite and endorsed by the Executive as Unite policy.

The Dublin Activists Committee and the Irish Executive Committee of Unite fully support the Campaign Against the Property tax on the basis that

- it is imposed on all home owners regardless of ability to pay

- it is being imposed in light of the massive bank bail out and the demands of the Troika

SIPTU members to ballot for industrial action at Bus Eireann.

SIPTU Organiser, Willie Noone, has said that the decision by the management of Bus Eireann, within days of Christmas, to threaten staff with pay-cuts and major changes to their conditions of employment may result in industrial action at the CIE companies.

The SWP is fighting to unite various campaigns on the streets to lead to a day of action against the cuts and the debt payments. We also need to fight in our unions for action.

Put down a resolution similar to the following:

‘We propose that the Irish Congress of Trade Unions organises for a single day of action during weekday working hours whereby members of the trade union movement engage in a day of civil disobedience.

Such a day should demand:

The Youth Committee of the UNITE trade union has added it's weight to calls for a campaign of industrial action as part of a more aggressive campaign against the ravages of austerity. It has also urged more young people to get involved with a trade union so that youth can have a stronger voice in determining a future based on hope rather than despair.

Representatives of the more than 5,000 UNITE members under the age of 25 have met with Regional Secretary Jimmy Kelly to urge greater action to stem emigration and youth unemployment that are raging out of control in Ireland.

IN WAREHOUSES and stores around the country, Wal-Mart workers are putting a new spin on the company's famous slogan "Save money, live better." Best of all, they're beginning to see some concrete victories.

In a high-profile battle in Elwood, Ill., southwest of Chicago, workers at the largest warehouse in the Wal-Mart distribution chain returned to their jobs victorious after a three-week strike. The 38 workers won promises that their demands about harassment and management retaliation will be addressed--and they will get full wages for the time they were on strike.