Public meeting - Defending Omagh's Communities from Cutbacks

tyrone | worker & community struggles and protests | event notice Monday January 24, 2011 13:36 by PRO - SIPTU

Ireland's leading Trade Union SIPTU have organised a public meeting in Omagh that will discuss pending Tory/LibDem Cutbacks to the Assembly Budget, the devastating impact these cuts could have on local communities and the need for communities to campaign together and organise against any cuts to frontline services.

The public meeting 'Defending Omagh's Communities from Cutbacks' will be held in the Strule Arts Centre at 7.30pm on Thursday 17th February, and everyone is welcome.

Encouraging people to come along to the meeting, Omagh community activist and SIPTU member Gerry McCusker said,

"Local communities deliver a vital service to society, delivering a diverse range of projects like childcare, senior citizen clubs, disability support, suicide prevention, drug and alcohol awareness courses, youth clubs, summer schemes, adult education and preparing long term unemployed back into work. While socially invaluable and extremely cost effective, many are already surviving on a shoe string budget and relying on the exemplary commitment of their workers and volunteers to survive."

"It would be completely wrong for cutbacks to jeopardise such crucial services to our community, which in many cases would leave a deep void and tear the soul out of many local areas and leave a lot of vulnerable people neglected. SIPTU have already met with a wide range of Community groups across the north including Tyrone, we will be doing a presentation to Omagh District Council on Tuesday 1st February, and we have called the meeting in the Strule Arts Centre to bring together community workers and people from the community who want to make a stand against any cutbacks to the vital services which they rely on daily. It's your community, your future, your meeting, come along!"