Features
The courage and tenacity of the Debenhams workers has been a sight to behold. Eddie Conlon assesses the impact of the strike and argues that there are five key lessons to be drawn. The Debenhams strike has been truly remarkable and will go down in the history of the Irish,
Features
As calls come for unions to shake off passivity in the the face of recent workers’ struggle, one touted alternative is to break away to form more left-wing red unions. As part of our Power in a Union series, Eddie Conlon argues that while this desire is at times
Covid-19
A key demand of the Debenhams workers is the implementation of the Duffy-Cahill report. Continuing our Power in a Union series, Diarmuid Ó Seanacháin Dálaigh highlights the important precedent it would set while maintaining that being organised is the best weapon we have. Commissioned in 2016, the Duffy-Cahill
Covid-19
With phrases like “protect the vulnerable” & “underlying conditions” currently all around us, disability activist Ruth Flood looks at the horrendous treatment of disabled people under capitalism. The Covid-19 pandemic has been an absolute disaster for disabled people. From the cutting of services and the lack of particular supports
Covid-19
With the Association of Secondary Teachers, Ireland (ASTI) ballot on equal pay, conditions and Covid measures due to close this Thursday, ASTI member Mark Walshe (personal capacity) calls for an emphatic Yes vote. ASTI members are currently balloting on several issues. Prior to the lockdown in March, ASTI had decided
Features
Forty years ago, the PAYE revolts rocked Ireland. Paul O’Neill tells the story of this oft-forgotten period when Irish workers fought for a more progressive taxation system, while the establishment struggled to reign in the movement. From 1979 to 1983 Ireland witnessed a number of militant strikes, including
Covid-19
Hospitality has long been a highly precarious sector. As part of our Power in a Union series, Unite Hospitality activist Jerry Maguire argues that the pandemic has only worsened the situation, making it more important than ever to unionise. The Hospitality and Tourism sector, employing 60,000 people in Northern
Covid-19
In recent days, Sadhbh Mac Lochlainn spoke to four women workers at one of the many Debenhams pickets around the country. We mark 150 days of these pickets by publishing their inspiring voices here, followed with a shop stewards’ statement unequivocally rejecting as “pitiful” a deal made between their union
Features
Over 100 years ago, a small group of workers in Tralee embarked on the heroic Munster Warehouse Strike of 1915-1918. Kieran McNulty argues that this episode contains much by way of inspiration for the struggles of today. There is a long tradition, over the past 100 years, of shop
Features
Continuing Rebel’s Power in a Union series, James O’Toole explores the history of workers’ occupations both as a radical and effective tactic to win individual disputes but also as laying the basis for a different type of society – one based on direct democracy. “Occupy!” the shout went out,
Features
Ahead of a national protest in support of the Debenhams workers, Stewart Smyth argues that the blame lies squarely with failed management and dodgy accounting. And importantly, that with enough support from grassroots union members and the wider community, the workers can win. For over a hundred days now workers
Features
In first of a new series, Power in a Union, Eddie Conlon explores the nature of trade union leadership and how socialists in unions should relate to it. The COVID-19 crisis has demonstrated the brutality of the capitalist system. Across the globe employers have shown complete disregard for workers’