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Rebuilding the Resistance The following leaflet was distributed at the CAHWT march in Dublin on 13th April 2013. The resistance against austerity, 5 years into the wholesale smash and grab aimed at wages, jobs and services, faces even greater threats directly before us. The bail-out has been extended until 2054, €3.1 billion is being slashed from public services, €1.1 billion is being slashed from wages and a reform agenda plans the sell-off and privatisation of all public resources. In the background developments in Cyprus, Portugal and Spain show that the crisis has not been resolved and that further attacks are in the pipeline. The bitter truth that we must face is that the resistance strategy has failed. It has been divided between political action in the Dail and protest action on the streets. The political activity around the ULA has become increasingly focused on a reformist programme in the Dail. As a result sectarian squabbling has fragmented the alliance. On the streets the CAHWT never succeeded in implementing a broad anti austerity policy. It remained focused on an non-payment agenda that was not by itself sufficient and has been out-manoeuvred by the government. Meanwhile the class struggle has continued. The labour party is in crisis because they have broken all their pledges and are the target of a burning hatred from the working class. ICTU is in crisis, with unions opposing Croke Park ll discussing a break with congress. These are the issues that we should be taking up. We should stop being the left fringe of fairer ways to pay the debt. Instead we should be demanding the repudiation of the debt and the expulsion of the Troika. We should be trying to sabotage the offensive - immediately this means a political campaign to force Labour out of government and thus bring the government down. Opposition to Croke park ll is an issue for all the workers. We need more than an alliance of left union leaders. We need action committees in the NO unions, in opposition in the YES unions, organized across the unions and in the communities. Repudiate the debt!
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