A-Infos (en) Ireland, Dublin, Dail protest, blockades and the bin tax campaign

[Worker <a-infos-en@ainfos.ca>]

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The opening of the Dail on Tuesday 30 September after the long,
long holidays the TD's get saw a somewhat disappointing bin tax
protest on the streets outside. Disappointing because while 4,000
or so marched last week only 10% of this number turned up for the Dail protest.
Pic: protest with Dail in the background
http://struggle.ws/pics/2003/dail30Sept/frombehind.jpg
[All the pictures: http://struggle.ws/wsm/news/2003/dailSEPT30.html]
However although many did not see the point in another protest so
soon after the last one blockades have continued and if anything
spread across the city area. Its harder to know what is happening
in Fingal but it appears there the campaign had been forced to
retreat for now from a general blockade of all trucks to blockades
in the estates where the campaign is strongest. Victory in Fingal
is thus dependent on what happens in the other three city areas as
non-collection is introduced there.

So far the Dublin city area appears to be the best organised and
most militant with many solidarity blockades across the city, a
couple are in progress as I write. However a lack of co-ordination
remains the major problem which is preventing escalation beyond
local solidarity blockades of an hour or so. Moves are afoot to sort
this problem out and in any case with the introduction of
non-collection in the city area objective circumstances should
force people to get their act together.

The Dublin Council of Trade Unions is holding a special delegate
conference to discuss a co-ordinated campaign of action to
oppose bin charges. Proposals include a trade union rally outside
Mountjoy prison on October 11. Union bosses like ICTU leader
David Begg have been busy stabbing the campaign in the back on
the media. No surprise there, their pay, conditions and lifestyle
are that of the boss class and two decades of social partnership
have killed any radical instinct they might once have had. Most
unions on the ground have policy in opposition to the bin tax, that
Begg can get way with ignoring this demonstrates that it is the
structures of the union that must be changed, radical resolutions
are ignored or contradicted by those at the top with the current
structures.

Thursday afternoon is to see a protest at the Grangegormon depot
in Stoneybatter. The trucks from here are the ones that collect the
commercial rubbish from the city centre, if a large protest stops
this collection then it is business interests rather then residents
that will face the rubbish pilling up. This protest starts at 5pm at
Grangegorman.


Pic: Gardai block the route to the Dail

Below Conor writes on the build up of the campaign in Dun
Laoghaire

Slow start in Dun Laoghaire
Meet and Greet Nonsense continues

About a dozen off us tailed a truck in Bayview/Cool early this
morning. The bin men where quite friendly and said they didn't
know what was going on but had been instructed to pick up all
bins. They believe that the grabbing of bins of non collectors
would begin from 10th October. We are meeting next Wednesday
at Tesco at 7.30 and hopefully this will grow in size !

Meantime the council have put it about that they are collecting all
bins because they have been "flooded with calls" from people
desperate to pay.

My own view is that 2 brief but well organised blockades in
Ballaly and Dundrum are what has stopped them for now. And
that further effective blockades would further slow them - For
now I am the only person with this view !


Pic: Party politics

I did give out leaflets on the Grange Gorman blockade (Thursday
night 5 pm Grange Gorman depot) and people thought it was a
good idea though I doubt any one will make the trip.

There were a similar number of people "tailing" trucks in a couple
of other parts of Ballybrack at the same time and there are more
organised from 11 today. As I was coming into work I noticed a
small group following the truck in Sallynoggin as well

There was also a rumour that bins of non payers will be swept up
in that small part of Bray that stretches into the Dun Laoghaire
Rathdown area - so there will be people trying to grab the bins
back - Garda intervention also seems likely

Conor

related link: http://www.stopthebintax.com


Pic: banner from Ringsend arrives at Dail protest

More on the bin tax



[A Personal report from a Workers Solidarity Movement members
of an event they took part in or attended, these reports are posted
to the Ainriail list when first written] Note: Pictures are ultra
compressed a week or so after they are uploaded to this site to
save space on the server.

Coppied from
What's new on Struggle?
www.struggle.ws/new


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