Public sector strike – a premature suspension, but the fight isn’t over
Solidarity TD, Ruth Coppinger and Solidarity Councillor, Kate Relihan on the picket lines in Dublin 15.
The pandemic and the deepening mental health crisis
By Adam Dudley Before any of us had heard of Covid-19, one in 10 people globally lived with a mental health disorder. Ireland, North and South, has consistently registered levels higher than the average (around 15%) and some of the highest prevalence
Review: Vasily Grossman’s “Stalingrad”
Reviewed by Manus Lenihan Vasily Grossman’s Stalingrad was originally published in the Soviet Union in 1952 under the title For a Just Cause, an epic novel about the pivotal battle of the Second World War. The narrative ends a few weeks into
Duncan Smith, the Labour Party and revolution – some home truths
By Dan O’Rourke In a recent viral Dáil debate on the topic of new Covid legislation and its potential effect on workers, Labour TD Duncan Smith attacked the Healy-Rae brothers for their “common-man” pretenses and their disingenuous concern for the working class.
The “skills gap” myth- State must invest in jobs
By Leon Fitzpatrick Simon Harris, the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, last week announced what was billed as a lifeline for anxious hospitality workers impacted by the destruction caused by his government: skills! In what was hardly
Covid crisis: Suppress the virus – health before profit
By Finghín Kelly Last week while being interviewed about Ryanair’s near €1billion loss Michael O’Leary arrogantly attacked the Covid-19 measures, calling for a complete re-opening of society (and crucially for him the airlines!) once over 50s have been vaccinated. Should his demands
Organise to fight Amazon’s regime of abuse & exploitation
By Peter McGregor Amazon has decided to set up shop in Ireland. It plans to create a new ‘fulfilment centre’ at a 650,000sq ft unit in Baldonnell. The purported reasoning behind this is to avoid delays on the delivery of products and
Cancel the Leaving Cert: Fight for a real alternative to the points system
By Keishia Taylor, Shane Finnan & Conor Tormey In 2020, as the first few months of the Covid-19 pandemic raged, students campaigned using coordinated social media actions, petitions and huge online rallies, to cancel the Leaving Cert and won. Now in early
Covid, the capitalist market and the housing crisis
By Summer Conneely At the end of December 2020 there were 8,200 homeless people across Ireland. This number is an increase of 232% from when figures were first published on a month-by-month basis in July 2014. These numbers don’t include ‘hidden homelessness’
Covid-19 and healthcare crisis — end the two-tier health service
By Robert Cosgrave In the week ending 5 February there were 177 people suffering from Covid-19 in Intensive Care Units – well above half the total ICU capacity in public hospitals. This has put massive strain on hospitals which already suffer from overcrowding
North: Unison members’ backlash – how should trade unionists respond?
One hundred and ten British Army medics have been deployed to Northern Ireland hospitals to assist with the Covid crisis, operating as regular NHS staff. In the aftermath of this announcement, many Unison members and branches reacted angrily to a statement issued