Whose side is Eamon Gilmore on?

national | anti-capitalism | opinion/analysis

Sunday February 22, 2009 22:08

by Dermot O'Byrne

Is the Labour Party led by Eamon Gilmore on the side of the working class?

The Labour Party held an economic conference today. One of the speakers was Alan Ahearne of Galway, NUI.

This is a quote from Ahearne, writing recently on the Irish economic crisis.

"The task for policymakers, therefore, is to convince the Irish population of the need for a cut in wages (and living standards), thereby positioning the economy to benefit from that recovery."
http://www.eurointelligence.com/Article.599+M5d2ad5bde8....html

So an economist who has said that the task for policymakers is to persuade the workers to accept a cut in wages and living standards is invited to address a Labour Party conference a day after a massive protest by workers against the government's economic policy.
So what is Gilmore's agenda?

Gilmore also commissioned a report from businessman Greg Sparks on how the Labour Party should be reorganized for the 21st century. Among other things it recommended that the Labour Party should reduce the power of organized labour in the party's structure.

Sparks is a property developer in business with Ulick McEvaddy. McEvaddy has hailed the Anglo ten as 'heroes'.
http://www.independent.ie/business/european/mcevaddy-he....html

So is looking to Eamon Gilmore, and the Labour Party, as the saviour of the working class in the present economic crisis another false hope?