National Conference: Right to Work Campaign

A National Conference to establish a Right to Work campaign is being organised for Saturday, 22nd May at UNITE Hall, 55-56 Middle Abbey Street, Dublin 1. Starts 12am.

According to the organisers:

"At present nearly a half of a million people are unemployed on this small island. The spectre of mass emigration has also begun to return. The lives and talents of our young people are being wasted as nearly one in three is thrown on the scrap heap.

Despite billions spent on banks, governments on both sides of the border protest that they can do little to create jobs. Their only message is leave everything to the market and promote competitiveness through wage cuts and reductions in social welfare.

We disagree.

Cutting wages and incomes has only deepened the recession. Each month brings more reports of falling tax revenues, lengthening dole queues and economic failure. Income cuts mean people have less money to buy goods that keep others in work. Every job loss, wage cut or social welfare cut contributes to further job losses. 

We are, therefore, calling for a major Right to Work Conference to bring together trade unionists, community groups, unemployed organisations, anti-poverty campaigners and concerned citizens. Our aim is to build a broad movement that uses people power to reverse current economic policies.

We invite you to support this conference and contribute your ideas and experiences to getting such a movement going. We suggest the following as some of the basic principles that might inform the campaign:

1. For a public works programme to provide jobs at proper pay rates - Instead of bailing out bankers, we need to create jobs.
2. Open higher education to the unemployed. Oppose the government attempt to deprive those on the Back to Education Scheme of grants.
3. No repossessions of the homes of those made unemployed.
4. Stop cut backs in social welfare, social services, community and arts programmes – defend the minimum wage."

For further information contact the Right to Work campaign. E-mail: righttowork@live.com      Telephone: 087 2604143. You can download the full text of the statement and conference booking form here.