From Unity, 23 January 2010

Sold out

by Lynda Walker

The year is just beginning, but the fight against attacks on jobs is constant. A statement by the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) has confirmed that Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) would be pressing ahead with plans to axe two offices earmarked for closure in Northern Ireland. This drew an angry response from the PCS, who warned that the confirmation of the closures is part of 130 throughout the UK that could see up to 3,200 experienced and skilled staff forced out of a job. The closures are part of HMRC’s plans to cut 25,000 jobs and close more than 200 offices by 2011.
     Another section of the work force in dispute is the Fujitsu workers. Last week Roger Dane and Nick Smith, Unite representatives from Fujitsu, Belfast, addressed a meeting of the Belfast and District Trades Council. They are currently taking industrial action in defence of their pension scheme, against compulsory redundancies and for better pay. Their union leaflet points out that Fujitsu more than doubled its profit last year, to £177 million—the largest ever—yet they intend to impose a pay freeze, even though a deal had been made.
     In addition to Belfast, the company has more than 100 locations in England, with 12,000 workers. The Trades Council reported that this dispute needed particular support, and the council has organised an open meeting on Wednesday 27 January in Belfast Unemployed Resource Centre at 7:30 p.m.
     In Craigavon eighty-five workers at the American-owned carpet factory Interface FLOR intend to go on strike next week. They are planning to strike over pay and pensions. A spokesperson for Unite said that the pension scheme was ending and that a one-off payment to workers in a sister plant in England had not been given to the workers here.
      In addition to this, the news that Cadbury’s have sold out to Kraft brings disheartening to 6,000 workers in Britain and more than 1,100 in Ireland. “Jobs will go” was the prediction by one of the management at Cadburys. Cadbury Ireland creates direct employment at their factories in Coolock, Dublin, and Rathmore, Co. Kerry. Additional employment is created through the purchase of local milk, sugarbeet, packaging, and a wide range of other materials. A £11.9 billion deal has been done, and the chief executive stands to get £12 million, with £250 million being paid in fees to “City” advisers The company, which previously said that it would not sell, for reasons of loyalty, has decided otherwise. Money talks!
     The banking inquiry continues to dominate in the South, with property developers coming under the spotlight. Legal disputes surrounding Mr McNamara and Mr Caroll have highlighted yet again the bankruptcy of the capitalist system. The development of the 25-acre Irish Glass Bottle site in the Dublin docklands and a dispute with some of his investors led last week led to Mr McNamara acknowledging publicly the scale of his bank debts, which are likely to be taken over by NAMA.
     At the international level, the situation in Haïti is shocking, to say the least. That the USA can turn this earthquake disaster into an imperialist takeover comes as no surprise, and all governments must condemn it. The US has commandeered the small airstrip, preventing French, Brazilian and other planes from landing with much-needed aid. A UN spokesperson said: “There are two hundred flights going in every day . . . but most of these are US military.” The US has sent in 9,000 troops, with at least 3,000 more to follow. One could be forgiven for thinking that this is a practice run for their plans in Cuba “when Fidel goes.”
     A scheme has been put forward by the Catholic archdiocese of Miami to airlift thousands of orphans and other Haïtian children displaced by the earthquake to Florida, as they did in the mass exodus in Cuba fifty years ago. In the middle of the chaos the Obama administration has enlisted former Presidents Bush and Clinton to spearhead relief efforts. Words fail! Cuba, however, remains constant, giving practical and medical help.

Call for inquiries

As Unity goes to print, Sinn Féin and the Democratic Unionist Party are still in talks over the police and justice issues, with some promise that things are moving forward. In Belfast the politics of the day are still dominated by revelations of political corruption and allegations of the abuse of children. It will not be until the next election, due in 2011, that we will know the full impact that these events have had on the parties concerned. Individual leaders will be affected. Regarding Gerry Adams, the knives are out. He is being criticised because he knew of the alleged actions of his brother, and other issues are coming into the open, like his role during the hunger strike of 1981 and the alleged child abuse by the Sinn Féin councillor Breige Meehan. In the meantime, people are innocent until proved guilty; but public investigations are now required, and some will need judicial investigations.
     The most recent revelations regarding Iris and Peter Robinson are about the constituency office, which was transferred to them “in consideration for 1p.” A statement released by the DUP said: “Mr Robinson paid the full price, stamp duty and all legal fees.” However, questions are still being asked about the fact that “a company run by Mr Campbell acquired the office in North Street in July 2006 for £195,500 according to Land Registry documents.”. (Mr Campbell is one of the developers who loaned Mrs Robinson £25,000 towards the establishment of the Lock Keeper’s Inn.) The Robinsons then sold the office for £207,000. It continues to be a DUP constituency office, and the former Strangford MP and Assembly member claimed back £8,000 for use of the office between April and September. A thorough investigation by all the relevant bodies, not least the Standards and Privileges Committee, is required.

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