Dear SD,

I am writing to you because I am filled with rage at the betrayal of the ICTU and SIPTU bureaucracy.  The Croke Park agreement is a straight forward unconditional  surrender of every condition or gain workers have attained over generations. What makes it worse is that the basic elements of this deal were put on the table by the unions themselves last November/ December in the previous talks. 

The end of the 8 hour day, the 5 day Monday to Friday week and a free hand for the govt. to implement its wrecking plan for the public services were the unions proposals, the only major new elements are the rescinding of the right to strike or any way to protest the restructuring of the public sector plus the explicit blanket approval of government economic policies. These flow naturally from the nature of the unions proposals every since the crisis broke.

The no further pay cuts 'guarantee' is dependent on the government’s policies succeeding - that is bailing out Anglo and the rest of their cronies through NAMA. Presumably a blue moon and flying pigs could just as credibly have been included!

Clearly we are in a bad situation which pre- existed the latest deal. Even if there is a no vote we have a huge problem. The same union leaders who campaigned for the deal are virtually unchallenged by organised workers with many uncritically supporting the work to rule campaign which was waged to produce just such a result.

The unions have proved to be the main prop of the government and its bailout, both of which are opposed by massive majorities of the population. A government which should have fallen as a result of its total corruption, recklessness and rottenness is instead being feted in Europe for its success in waging naked class war against the working class and poor and indeed the middle class is touted in Europe's capitals as a model strategy for making workers pay the price of rescuing capitalism. The key element of this strategy is the underwriting of it by the basic defense organizations of workers.

As long as the union bosses collusion remains unchallenged the more the attacks will continue and such collusion will become more openly adopted by the trade union bureaucracies across Europe. 

Yours

Betrayed SIPTU member