[Peace-discuss] Irish labor: "no country for young men"..."we must default"

[Robert Naiman]

Thousands of marchers — led by a traditional pipe band — crowded along
the banks of Dublin's River Liffey, banging drums and blowing
whistles. Banners carried slogans including "It's not out fault, we
must default," and "No country for young men," a reference to the
squeeze on jobs.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101127/ap_on_bi_ge/eu_ireland_financial_crisis

Irish labor unions mount Dublin march against cuts

By DAVID STRINGER and SHAWN POGATCHNIK, Associated Press
28 mins ago

DUBLIN – Some 10,000 labor union supporters marched through Dublin
Saturday in Ireland's biggest demonstration yet against severe
budget-cutting plans and a looming EU-IMF bailout.

The crowd seemed lower than organizers had anticipated. The march
began peacefully as organizers tried to keep confrontations to a
minimum.

Union chiefs who represent a third of Ireland's 2 million-strong labor
force had predicted that tens of thousands would parade along the
River Liffey to the capital's central thoroughfare, O'Connell Street,
to hear calls for Ireland's 2011 budget to hit the rich and the banks,
not average citizens already struggling with reduced wages and rising
bills. Police said the crowd numbered "at least" 10,000.

The rally is the first major demonstration since Ireland last week
opened negotiations with European Union and International Monetary
Fund experts on a likely euro85 billion ($115 billion) loan to save
the country from bankruptcy.

"People are very unhappy, and this is their last chance to protest
before the budget," said Pat Kenny, a 45-year-old postal worker and
labor union official, distributing bright blue banners as the march
began.

"But today is just the start of a campaign against the plan. This
government doesn't have a mandate to govern, they should allow for a
general election and let the public say if they are in favor of the
four-year plan."

Thousands of marchers — led by a traditional pipe band — crowded along
the banks of Dublin's River Liffey, banging drums and blowing
whistles. Banners carried slogans including "It's not out fault, we
must default," and "No country for young men," a reference to the
squeeze on jobs.

As part of the crisis negotiations, Ireland published a plan this week
to slash euro15 billion from its deficits over the next four years,
with the harshest cuts and tax hikes earmarked for the next budget
being published Dec. 7.

Prime Minister Brian Cowen admits that the slashing will lower the
living standards of everyone in this country of 4.5 million. But he
insists Ireland has no choice given that the nation's 2010 deficit is
running at 32 percent of GDP, the highest in Europe since World War
II.

Saturday's rally coincides with Irish media reports that the EU-IMF
fund could charge interest rates of up to 6.7 percent, higher than the
5.2 percent that applied to Greece's euro110 billion bailout in May.

Irish government officials insisted that the rate would be
significantly lower than 6.7 percent, while analysts said the package
was likely to include a range of interest charges dependent on which
countries or organizations were providing particular funds.

The union umbrella group organizing Saturday's protest march, the
Irish Congress of Trade Unions, said it would lobby up to the last
minute for the government to minimize its planned cuts to welfare,
pensions and other benefits. Its activists distributed protest
newspapers along Saturday's parade route bearing the simple message
"Stop!"

"It's difficult to see any justification — either economic, social, or
indeed moral — for what the government proposes to do, and we'll
oppose them in every way we can," said David Begg, general secretary
of the group.

Cowen's 2011 budget will seek euro4.5 billion in spending cuts and to
raise an extra euro1.5 billion in taxes.

He has pledged to dissolve parliament and hold an early national
election in February or March — but only once all the spending cuts
and tax hikes have been passed. Labor union leaders and opposition
leaders are demanding an election first.

Gerry Adams, leader of the Irish nationalist Sinn Fein party, said
reports of high interest rates on the international bailout taking
shape demonstrate that Cowen's government "cannot be trusted in any
negotiations with the EU and IMF. They have no mandate to negotiate
such terms and impose such a burden on ordinary Irish taxpayers."

Some have expressed surprise that Ireland's public so far has staged
few rowdy protests. Greece suffered street violence in the run-up to
its own bailout, and Portugal — rated as most likely to follow the
Greeks and Irish in taking bailout funds — this week suffered a
daylong strike that paralyzed many public services.

Irish commentator and author Fintan O'Toole and Irish folk singers
Christy Moore and Frances Black were due to address the crowd on
Saturday.

Begg insisted the city center protest — a march to the General Post
Office, headquarters of the leaders of Ireland's 1916 rebellion
against British rule — would be peaceful.

But a commander of the security operation, police Chief Superintendent
Michael O'Sullivan, said officers would be on guard for trouble. A
police helicopter would keep watch and riot police would be deployed
on standby.

"There are individuals and groups who seek to exploit such events for
their own ends," he said.

--
Robert Naiman
Policy Director
Just Foreign Policy
www.justforeignpolicy.org
naiman at justforeignpolicy.org

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