Mark Egan There are some many injustices in Endas Eireann these day youd be forgive for thinking the island was cursed. Cant say Id disagree. One thing that got us thru dark times in our history and is a strong element of our culture is the principle of standing up for the underdog who is right. That spirit is still there underneath it all, and it is awakening at a fast speed because more and more people are coming to the realization that they have become the underdog. Let it be the many failures of this government, take your pick really, but I want to speak about the Greyhound workers. These lads worked hard in all weathers taking your bins with a smile on their faces. Lads who worked hard and loved their job. Ordinary fellas that could be you, your husband, father or brother. Now imagine how you would feel if asked to take a cut of 35% in your wages and a change in conditions. Would you like it? Would you stand for it? So the lads got onto their union, SIPTU. They arrived to their depo the next day to find it decked out like Portlaoise Gaol, security that was never there before and the gate literally locked in their faces. Would you stand for that? Now imagine having 2months of having unqualified men doing your job, or worse, your close friends and colleagues turning their backs and becoming lower then then lowest, a scab? 2months of arriving to work, 2months of having the gate slammed in your face, 2months without your pay, 2months of non-stop pain and suffering. How would you feel? These lads being locked out could easily be you. The Irish have a great tradition of workers rights, it was one thing we always clung onto. From the days of Big Jim Larkin arriving off the boat in Belfast and unionising the docks, the great lockout of 13 when Connolly took on the bossman. We have always stood united with the workers of all professions, its apart of our DNA at this stage! The Buckley bastards thing they can break good decent men, we all have to stand with the locked out workers and prove them wrong! Do we want an island where 35%pay cuts are acceptable when people cant even put the basics on the table? This lockout needs to be ended and FAST. The workers need to have their original pay and conditions restored! We all must stand shoulder to shoulder with them until their way of living is restored!
Posted on: Wed, 06 Aug 2014 23:58:37 +0000
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