A new rank and file movement?

dublin | worker & community struggles and protests | event notice Thursday September 23, 2010 23:11 by Trade Unionist

UNITE candidate Jerry Hicks, Harristown bus worker Eugene Mc Donagh speak out Teachers Club, Parnell Square on Thursday 30th at 7-30

Jerry Hicks, rank and file candidate for general secretary of UNITE, will speak in the Teachers Club, Parnell Square on Thursday at 7-30 and open a discussion on the possibility of renewing the trade union movement and reorganising from within the rank and file. Must the unions always retreat and capitulate or is an alternative policy of fightback on the cards?

Jerry is standing on a platform of building rank and file control of the union, for the election rather than appointment of all officials; he has turned down an offer of a fulltime appointment on those grounds. He has also pledged, if elected to take an average members wage rather than the 6 figure salary the other candidates would take. He is an ordinary member of the union who was victimised for his trade union work in Rolls Royce while his opponents are all appointed full-time officials.

Is a new radical rank and file trade unionism possible? Will new defence movements spring up? Jerry argues that this will happen – that’s it’s up to all of us to make it happen.
Clearly his campaign is of interest to Irish workers and not just UNITE members. Our futures and that of our children have been snatched from us in order to rescue corrupt speculators and swindlers while our trade union leaders have worked hard to maintain confidence in the government’s economic strategy through campaigning for and endorsing the Croke Park Agreement. The agreement shows complete confidence in government strategy while opinion polls show only 10% of the public have confidence in the government and its budgetary strategy.

Eugene Mc Donagh shop steward for the bus workers in Harristown Depot will speak on his experience of resisting the plans of Dublin bus to drive down workers conditions in preparation for privatising the company. He was victimised and sacked with the complicity of his union officials.

Jerry Hicks will be speaking also in: Mid Ulster Monday 27th
Newry Bus Depot Tuesday 28th at 7-30
Jury’s Hotel Belfast Wednesday 29th at 7-30
Info; http://jerryhicks.wordpress.com/