Irish workers take to the streets to protect jobs and wages
Saturday, February 28, 2009
By: Stefanie Fisher
In brief
Over 120,000 Irish workers marched through the streets of Dublin Feb. 21 to protect their rights and to protest the policies their government has implemented during the deepening economic crisis. The march was organized by the Irish Congress of Trade Unions.
Ireland, like many parts of the world, has been greatly affected by the global economic crisis. Similar to other capitalist countries, Ireland’s government has decided to "cure" the crisis by giving the banks more money and freedom while at the same time slashing away at workers’ wages and jobs.
A pension levy has been proposed and promoted by the government as a necessary and inescapable sacrifice that workers must accept. The levy would affect 350,000 public sector workers by cutting up to 6 percent of their wages.
One worker attending the demonstration accurately stated, "This isn’t a pension levy, it’s a pay cut and the Government needs to be honest about this."
A national strike has been called for March 30.
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