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Correspondence: Marking the 29 September European Trade Union Confederation day of action in Ireland 10 August 2010 Organising Meeting As you may already be aware, the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), the European wide umbrella to which ICTU is affiliated, has named Wednesday 29 September as the date for European wide action under the title 'No to Austerity - Priority for Jobs and Growth'. See http://www.etuc.org/a/7407 for details on their website. You will see from the link that a major protest is planned for Brussels that day and in terms of local actions a general strike will be taking place in Spain. It is likely that most other national trade union confederations who were party to the ETUC decision in naming this date will observe it with actions in their own country. For all the reasons that the CPSU officially endorsed the recent June Europe wide week of action against the cuts and bailouts initiated by Joe Higgins and other left MEPs, we feel international initiatives like this are a vital part of the fightback we need. In Ireland however there is no firm indication that ICTU will organise any action for the 29 Septenber. The Community Against Cuts campaign which is run by SIPTU and IMPACT will be holding a protest that day against the job cuts this sector will experience arising from the cutbacks. We support and welcome their decision. The CPSU Activist Group (a rank and file grouping that campaigns for a fighting and democratic union) and Joe Higgins MEP are jointly issuing an invitation to trade union activists, trade union branches, left parties and organisations to attend a meeting on Thursday 2 September at 7.00pm in the Teachers Club, Parnell Square to discuss the organising of action on the 29 September. The aim would be to mobilise as many trade unionists and working class people as possible to link up with the protest being organised by The Community Against Cuts campaign and thereby maximising the potential for getting big numbers out protesting on the day. We would be grateful if you could indicate to us in advance whether you will be attending the meeting on the 2 September and please spread the word to others who you think would be interested. Yours fraternally, Terry Kelleher, convener CPSU Activist Group Joe Higgins MEP, Socialist Party
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