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DCTU – MARCH AGAINST AUSTERITY – 26th November November 26, 2011

Posted by WorldbyStorm in Class, Economy, Irish Politics, The Left.
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Leaflet can be downloaded DCTU Pre Budget Demonstration 26 Nov 2011 Leaflet 3

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1. Paul Doran - November 24, 2011

It is an awful pity how this march is not being advertised much throughout towns around Dublin.Any views on this

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WorldbyStorm - November 26, 2011

Good point.

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2. LeftAtTheCross - November 26, 2011

Heading up from Meath now.Hope there’s a good turn out.

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WorldbyStorm - November 26, 2011

Might see you there then.

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irishelectionliterature - November 26, 2011

Wont be going in (sick child) … if there’s any leaflets about….. you might seek them out for me wbs 🙂

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LeftAtTheCross - November 26, 2011

Sorry WBS, didn’t see you there unfortunately, was up in the middle with the WP contingent, which was pretty good in itself. Good turn out from the teachers alright but otherwise not a great union presence unfortunately. Met some neighbours from down here in the bog that I wouldn’t have necessarily expected to get involved in a protest march, so maybe a small bit of evidence that some people at least are getting agitated by the austerity measures. Here’s hoping.

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WorldbyStorm - November 26, 2011

I was keeping an eye out for you and sorry to miss you. I was on the corner opposite the Ambassador when the march started out, and saw SG and others with the WP, but not yourself. Joined it a bit after that for the walk down O’C st and then around D’olier st and back. Hung around down towards Easons when the speeches were on.

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LeftAtTheCross - November 26, 2011

Was talking to Mark P briefly who mentioned he’d seen you alright. Garibaldy tried ringing you but with the noise I guess you missed the call. Catch you next time though 🙂

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3. Anonymous - November 26, 2011

[…] […]

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4. WorldbyStorm - November 26, 2011

Not a bad march. Turnout could have been better but a broad range of formations. I was at the very back close to the TUI banner and a truck broadcasting reggae.

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smiffy - November 26, 2011

And Morrissey (although not the racially questionable stuff, which mightn’t have gone down well with the Congolese guys following immediately behind).

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5. Blissett - November 26, 2011

Was a decent march. Trade Union presence was very poor given that we had heard thta it was to be supported by ICTU Siptu, Mandate, and Unite. Siptu could have had a lot more, Unite I didnt see at all.Funnily enough the teachers showed up in good numbers.

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WorldbyStorm - November 26, 2011

Yeah, I think the teachers were the single largest component of the march on the union side.

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Rell the Cyclops - November 26, 2011

Unite were right at the front, not too many of them though.

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Jack Jameson - November 25, 2012

There was a sizeable Unite contingent near the end of the march, complete with flags, etc.

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6. Shay Brennan - November 26, 2011

Thought a couple of thousand. Hard to get people to keep marching when there seems little positive results. A year on from the ICTU demonstration (70-100,000?) is this evidence of people accepting IMF rule, or other reasons? Not enough work done beforehand etc…

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Mark P - November 27, 2011

I thought about 4,000 at its peak, but didn’t do any sort of count to back it up.

It’s important to note though that there is a big difference between the mobilising capacity of the DCTU and the mobilising capacity of the main union structures. DCTU doesn’t have the resources to do much more than put out a call and lay on a PA system. Most of the postering, for instance, was done by various left groups and individuals. ICTU and the actual trade unions themselves gave formal endorsements but didn’t lift a finger to mobilise, with the exception of the INTO and ASTI. When the bureaucracy actually uses the resources of the official union structures to get people out on the street, the resources available are of a completely different order of magnitude.

I looked up the political party the Congolese contingent seemed to be supporting, by the way. It’s definitely a right wing party, affiliated to the International Democratic Union, which is to say the international of parties including the British Tories.

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smiffy - November 27, 2011

That’s interesting. The paramilitary get-up was a bit of a giveaway.

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WorldbyStorm - November 27, 2011

Clear Tory links then! 😉

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CMK - November 27, 2011

That’s a tad unfair Shay. While there’s a lot in what Mark P says about the differing mobilisation capabilities of DCTU and ICTU I think there has been a huge change in perceptions of what’s possible.

Last year’s march was pre-bailout; a whole different paradigm, we’ve had a solid year of being battered with ‘this country is in receivership’, ‘if we don’t do what we’re told the country will .be bankrupt’, etc. A substantial portion, perhaps the majority, of the population have accepted this. Keep our heads down and our mouths shut and our masters might favour us by buying our bonds in a few years time.

An anecdote might illustrate the consequences of this. Last year our union in the workplace organised a pre-mobilisation meeting for members and the turnout was approximately 40 people. This year we organised a similar meeting, with the same effort put into publicising it etc, and the turnout could be counted on one hand, including the organisers.

It’s not defeatism because people haven’t fought and been defeated. It’s more subtler than that, and more invidious for that. Union members, and workers generally, were ‘had’ last year by the union leadership. There was a huge mobilisation, but no follow through and a week to ten days later the IMF landed to take control unopposed. A thinking trade union leadership would have called a general strike immediately upon the arrival of the IMF, not least to fire a shot across its bows and set down a few ground rules. The union leadership didn’t, wouldn’t and won’t. For that this generation of trade union leaders deserve all the infamy and ignominy that future generations can throw at them. As an aside the forthcoming 2013 Lockout commemoration will be, to paraphrase Connolly, a carnival of nausea as O’Connor and Begg deliver their speeches and clench their fists and raise their banners in the midst of the greatest setback for Irish workers ever.

So, I think there’s an air about probably similar to any other population under occupation by overwhelmingly forces. Resistance is futile, if we ingratiate ourselves, do what we’re told, maybe we’ll come through it in one piece.

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LeftAtTheCross - November 27, 2011

Pessimistic but plausible.

The analogy of a population under occupation is a good one.

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7. ivorthorne - November 27, 2011

Anyone think that the Irish Times’ report of the march was pretty poor?

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2011/1126/breaking8.html

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WorldbyStorm - November 27, 2011

Very much slanted in a certain direction.

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8. DCTU March… « The Cedar Lounge Revolution - November 24, 2012

[…] between 8k and 10k, but I’d have put it higher, and more so than last year (and to judge from this, many many more so).. Some nice visuals on the spectacle side of things. A very visible ULA presence. […]

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