McCann stands up for Derry postal workers

The Chief Electoral Office for the North has refused to intervene in the Derry postal dispute which may prevent free delivery of election material in the Foyle constituency.
Answering a letter from People Before Profit candidate Eamonn McCann, electoral chief Douglas Bain said that: “The entitlement of a candidate to have election literature delivered free of charge for postage is not a matter for which I have any responsibility.”
Mr. McCann said that he was “very disappointed” by the response.
Derry postal workers have voted not to deliver election communications because they have been offered less money for the job than workers elsewhere. Said Mr.McCann: “My argument to Mr. Bain was that the dispute put parties committed to trade union principles at a disadvantage and that this went against equality laws.
“We will not cooperate with Royal Mail’s plan to hire a private firm using casual labour to do the disputed work. I am now asking for an urgent meeting with Royal Mail management in Belfast to discuss the implications of their stance for the election in Foyle.
“If there is no change, we will refuse to have our material delivered under an arrangement which undermines the CWU workers. People Before Profit will be calling on other parties to join us in taking this stance.”

Read More »
April 12, 2010

CONNOLLY SHOES, DUN LAOGHAIRE CONDEMNED FOR TREATMENT OF EMPLOYEES & PROVOKING STRIKE

PBPA CALLS FOR BOYCOTT OF CONNOLLY SHOES UNTIL DISPUTE IS RESOLVED AND SACKED WORKERS ARE RE-INSTATED

 

In a statement today Cllr Richard Boyd Barrett of the People Before Profit Alliance (PBPA) pledged his support for striking workers at the Connolly Shoes store in Dun Laoghaire , who are now entering their second week of strike action against the company and condemned as “shameful” the company’s treatment of its employees.

Workers at Connolly shoes in Dun Laoghaire were forced to take strike action after the company refused to comply with a Labour Relation Commission (LRC) ruling and subsequently intensified harassment of its workers and sacked two of them.

The two sacked workers have worked for the company for over 30 years each.

The dispute began when the son of the now deceased, long-time owner of the firm, took over the running of the company and sought to impose drastic cuts in pay and conditions on the workforce, while refusing to consult with them or talk to their trade union, Mandate.

The new owner imposed a 10% pay cut, reduced workers to a three day week, removed parking rights in the shops car-park, and simultaneously sought to increase significantly the employee’s workload.

While the workers accepted the inevitability of cutbacks and changes, they asked for some reasonable consultation on how these could be implemented, which the Company’s owner point blank refused.

The Company has since refused to pay monies owed to the employees as adjudicated by the LRC and in a clearly vengeful manner imposed further changes to conditions and subsequently sacked two of its longest-standing employees.

Read More »
April 12, 2010

PROTEST TODAY CALLING FOR RE-OPENING OF SALLYNOGGIN LIBRARY

A protest calling for the re-opening of Sallynoggin public library will take place today at 5pm outside the April meeting of Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown Co Council. This follows the decision to of the Council to close the library just before the Easter break.

It also follows the recent announcement by the Impact union that represents the library staff in the Council that they will not co-operate with the Council’s plan to establish a volunteer-run book service in Sallynoggin as a substitute for a library run by trained librarians.

Cllr Richard Boyd Barrett and Hugh Lewis of the People Before Profit Alliance will attempt to raise the issue with an emergency motion calling for the re-instatement of the library.

Read More »
April 12, 2010

Election Manifesto: Eamonn McCann, People Before Profit Alliance, Derry

PEOPLE BEFORE PROFIT ALLIANCE
Election Manifesto 2010

We are told that the credit crunch means we have to tighten our belts. But the bankers who brought on the crisis are pocketing billions in bonuses. If these resources were properly used there’d be no need for cut-backs and closures. We’re up for a fight to make this happen.

This view of the world is behind our radical vision for the development of Derry. We challenge the consensus that basing everything on attracting private investment is the only way forward.

We stand for the interests of the working class, the marginalised and oppressed. We believe that it is through organising in communities, workplaces and colleges that we can best advance. We will use the platform of a Westminster seat to support and speak up for grass-roots organisation.

We go beyond Orange versus Green to speak for the common interests of all who have been left behind by the peace process. We are united with People Before Profit in the South. Campaigning for progressive change across the island is the all-Ireland dimension we believe in.

***************************************

If elected, I will use the position of MP to:
* campaign to transform Derry into a vibrant city that is focussed on its people and on public services.
* help organise united action by communities to solve common problems, instead of competition between communities which can flare up at any time.
* encourage grass-roots resistance to the spending cuts imposed by Stormont and Westminster which hit hardest at the most vulnerable. And expose parties which vote for the budgets behind the cuts and then protest against the cuts when they come.

Read More »
April 4, 2010

COUNCIL DECISION TO GO AHEAD WITH LIBRARY CLOSURE SLAMMED AS AN OUTRAGE

In a statement, Cllr Richard Boyd Barrett of the People before Profit Alliance (PBPA) has slammed the decision of Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown Co Council to go ahead with the closure of Sallynoggin library.Despite overwhelming public opposition and a number of protests, the Council closed the doors of the library yesterday (Weds 31st March).

The Council’s only concession to public anger is a proposal to open a volunteer based book collection in the Holy Child School nearby, which will open to the public for only six hours per week, as of April 20th. However, PBPA say this is no substitute for a proper library, run by librarians and with all the other services and proper opening hours and may well collapse altogether if volunteer numbers decline in the future.

PBPA condemned the government for imposing cutbacks that are undermining vital services and called for these cuts to be lifted. PBPA also condemned the Fine Gael, Labour coalition that controls the Council for singling out Sallynoggin for closure.

Cllr Boyd Barrett has put down a motion for the next Council meeting on Monday April 12th calling for the closure decision to be reversed. A public protest will also take place outside the Council meeting. The protest will assemble at 5pm outside the Council offices on Monday April 12th.

Read More »
April 1, 2010

Browse

Press Releases

Eamonn Casey:  Hypocrisy And Rape

Revelations about Eamonn Casey point yet again to the gross hypocrisy of the Bishops.These are mostly elderly males who think they have every right to

Sign up For Our Newsletter

Get our Weekly newsletter with all of the latest from People Before Profit

People Before Profit

Join
Donate