Ireland: Thomas Cook workers released… What do the events in Grafton Street mean for the working class?

The Thomas Cook workers who occupied their shop for four days have now been released by the High Court having “purged their contempt”. But it’s going to take more than that to purge the contempt that many workers will feel for bosses who were prepared to use the law courts and, 80 heavy handed gards who turned up at 5am – when they thought there wouldn’t be an audience, to manhandle the 27 workers down to the courts. If ever anyone needed convincing of the way that the state apparatus acts in the interests of the bosses then this is a perfect example.

Thomas Cook made millions during the good years, its chief executive got 7 million sterling last year, but the company claims they cannot pay decent redundancy payments. These workers have been very brave and fought back. The state chose the non negotation path. Although we are sure no one will be prepared to stand up and say “we refuse to negotiate with travel agents”. Those arrested were charged with contempt of court. Contempt that is for bosses law in a bourgeois court.

Unite has called this morning’s removal of workers from the Thomas Cook store “a dark stain on the history of industrial relations in Ireland.” Jimmy Kelly said, “These are ordinary working people standing up for their rights ... They have a right to be treated with respect and for their employer to hold to a standard of engagement that in this case has merely been cast aside."

But as we have pointed out in numerous articles the events in Grafton Street reflect the new, changed outlook of the ruling class in Ireland and internationally. The old days of “social partnership” and of relatively social peace have gone the way of the Celtic Tiger. If the bosses are prepared to send Gardaí snatch squads into Thomas Cooks on Grafton Street then surely its time the trade union leaders wake up to the idea that the only way to stop the bosses onslaught is through militant trade union action. Militant action to defend workers living standards and livelihoods.

Jack O’Connor made some very telling points the other day when he said that the trade union leaders had allowed themselves to be humiliated by the government in the never ending “talks about talks about talks”

Even in the good time companies don’t act on good will, rather they act according to getting as much money in the pocket as they can. If they are in a position of power they will squeeze the workers, paying the minimum wage, or even less if they can get away with it. The first thing that employers say when there is a strike is that they won’t negotiate until the workers go back to work. That is what union busting manuals say. So, don’t listen to the union busters.

The working class have demonstrated time and time again that they are prepared to stand up for themselves. The struggles at Thomas Cook, the Dublin Port, the civil servants, The bus drivers, Galway council, the Bin workers, Waterford Crystal, Swissco and of course the Electricians are fine examples of the capacity of working people fighting back. The monster demonstration in February against the ditching of the national pay agreement and the levy demonstrates the potential strength of the working class if it is united in generalised action.

We’ve argued that the working class was immensely strengthened during the period of the celtic tiger, the economy doubled in size between 95-2007, That means that potentially the working class is far stronger than it was. But if that power is frittered and wasted away by prevarication and dithering on behalf of the trade union leaders and Eamon Gilmore’s Labour Party leadership, then they are preparing the way for a series of defeats. Weakness invites aggression and given the crisis in the state finances and the general instability in the economy then the bourgeois will be lining up to heap more and more pressure on workers.

The trade union leaders are going to come under enormous pressure, Jack O’Connor’s remarks show that already, we need to keep up the pressure, and patiently explain our ideas to the most self sacrificing and ardent trade unionists and the youth. Only the mass organisations of the working calss armed with a clear socialist programme will stop the bosses in their tracks.

• No job cuts. Nationalise any company making redundancies immediately under workers control and management.
• No wage cuts, make the bosses pay for the crisis, they caused it.
• Nationalise the banks under democratic workers control and management
• For a massive scheme of public investment
• For a socialist plan nationalise the major companies

August 4, 2009

Source: Fightback - Journal of the International Marxist Tendency in Ireland