Beating back the Stormont House Agreement Time for plan B! The ICTU March 13 day of action was an
important opportunity to demonstrate our opposition to the catastrophe
facing the working class in the North:
But the major weakness is political. The union strategy is to lobby politicians to change their mind. Yet it is evident from the Sinn Fein U-turn that failure to agree will lead to the suspension of Stormont. There is no scenario where the local administration will act in the interest of workers. ICTU ignore the political elements of the deal - yet Stormont House involved a sectarian carve-up that will be used to prevent a united working class response. The Stormont set-up was supposed to deliver peace and prosperity. What we have is austerity and constantly accelerating sectarian division. It's time for plan B What we need is a campaign that unites unions, community and political groups in a broad democratic movement and an agreed programme of unrelenting opposition to austerity. Rather than lobbying politicians, the focus will be on organising workers in the workplace and in the community, acting together to resist the coming attacks. We are unapologetic in calling for the closure of Stormont, a corrupt sectarian monstrosity. Better to face the Westminster organ grinder than deal with the Stormont Monkey. The water charges campaign in the 26 counties
has shown us the power of working people – we should look to unite across
the island to advance an alternative, socialist society.
|