In a statement tonight People Before Profit Councillor Joan Collins condemned the decision of Dublin City Council to sack six engineers whose responsibilities include water and flood defence. With the backing of Councillor Brid Smyth a motion has been tabled for the next meeting of the Council calling for the decision to be reversed.

Tuesday saw 250,000 public service workers strike to defend their wages and conditions. Schools, courts, colleges, hospitals effectively closed down, across the country except for emergency services.

Above: Brendan O’Sullivan of District 14 INTO speaking to the thousands of teachers who gathered for the rally at the Department of Education on the first day of strike action on Nov 24th.

In Dublin over 2,000 teachers march to the Department of Education and Science and over 700 maintained a picket there throughout the day. In Sligo over 1,000 teachers took part in a rally. Elsewhere, pickets shut colleges, courts, local authority workplaces and more. Further action is now planned for DEc 3rd. The trade union leaders should get out of the talks and led the people in a real fight to get rid of this cruel and heartless government.