For Immediate Publication
Time to Get the Country Back to Work
- Statement by The Job Seekers Union
- Statement by The Job Seekers Union
"Joblessness and the economy must remain top of the political agenda, irrespective of the outcome of the latest local, European and by elections and regardless of who wins or loses".
This is the message coming from The Job Seekers Union, a new organisation set up to help the unemployed come together, to help themselves survive the global economic recession. Speaking in the aftermath of the weekend elections, founder of The Job Seekers Union, David Jones had this to say:
"The headlines might be all about the elections; the landslide that is George Lee and Fianna Fail’s bloody nose but let us not forget the other big story - over 400,000 people on the dole. This is a human tragedy that’s gets worse every month. Regardless of who is in power, this is the issue that will have to be addressed. Joblessness affects people's livelihood. People from all walks of life are affected. It makes no difference who you are."
The Job Seekers Union is a new organisation of job seekers and the unemployed who are organising to fight back against the economic ravages. "All over the country we see examples of people who are not taking the current situation lying down" says David Jones, "they are starting their own businesses, building networks, organising jobs clubs. The Job Seekers Union is providing organisational support for these initiatives, but it also intends to lobby for a positive approach towards job creation."
The Job Seekers Union, which wants to build a movement for change in the society and the economy upon which it is based, has just announced the launch of a membership drive. Members of the public are invited to join The Job Seekers Union by visiting their website where they can enrol. Membership is free, participation is voluntary and you don't have to be unemployed to join.
Members of The Job Seekers Union can keep up to date with news and developments and also receive practical advice on matters such as coping with unemployment, re-skilling, CV and interview preparation, finding a job etc. All of this and more can be found on their website - www.TheJobSeekersUnion.com.
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The other day I woke up in the middle of the night (between 2am and 3am) and just couldn't get back to sleep. So I came downstairs, made myself a cup of tea and watched TV for a while. This is one of the few 'pleasures' of unemployment - you don't have to worry about getting up early in the morning or driving to work half asleep.
ReplyDeleteThe thing is though, on this occasion I felt it was very quiet outside - nothing was moving, 'not even a mouse'. I looked outside and what I realised is that, of late, there hasn't been the same to-ing and fro-ing into the early hours of the morning that was characteristic of a few years ago. No taxis pulling up to drop off party-goers, nobody staggering home after extended hours in the pub, nobody leaving to work their night shifts. It's almost like the country isn't working - at least not in my area.
I live on a housing estate on the northside of Dublin. I actually grew up in the country though and one thing I recall, when I was younger, about staying with relatives who lived in towns and cities, was the sheer volume of constant noise that is always around. I actually used to find it very hard to sleep on these occasions. You just don't get that in with country living, or you didn't used to.
Of course I've since got used to city dwelling and nowadays I could probably sleep through an earthquake as long as I wasn't thrown from my bed. What I can't get used to is how quiet everything has become though.
You're right Oscar. It's the same with the traffic - where's it all gone? Anon
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