With only three shopping weeks left in the Christmas shopping season, the Pavilions shopping centre in Swords, Co. Dublin experienced its first bout of ‘Workers Action’ today with Argos employees, who are members of the Trade Union Mandate, abandoning their tills and making for the picket line.

Talks, which lasted until late last night, were held between Mandate and Argos management at the National Implementation Body, ended without agreement being reached resulting in today’s action.

The Retail giant which has 680 stores dotted around the UK and Ireland, last year announced profits which exceeded €8.1 billion, profits are also up 50% for the first half of this year. Yet they are unwilling to increase their workers wages by 10%. With most workers earning €9.00 an hour a 10% increase would raise their hourly rates to €9.90.

• Start of Interview with Mandate Shop Steward 0.99 Mb
• Interview with Mandate Shop Steward 4.22 Mb

Related Links: Mandate Trade Union | Support the workers against the bullying bosses at Dublin Bus | Attack on Trade Unionists on the rise world wide | Cultural Workers Take on Galway Property Tycoon | Strike At Dunnes Stores Cork |Postman Pat says ‘stuff your pay cut”| Our Workers' Issue Archive

A meeting with representatives of the Rossiter family, the Wheelock family, the maloney family and the families of Rossport Co. Mayo who ask an audience of more than 200 people why the Garda Síochána are above the law.

Tonight at the Royal Dublin Hotel more than 200 people turned up to support the Wheelock family, the Maloney Family, the Rossiter family, the besieged people of Rossport and to voice their fears and feelings regarding the fact that An Garda Síochana are a law unto themselves and that they act without fear of punishment or condemnation.

The Panel 8.57 Mb The Audience 15.14 Mb

Related Links: Recent UK Doc Featuring Police Brutality Down West | Political Policing Continues | Motion for Wheelock Inquiry Passed by Dublin City Council | Community and Family March on the First Anniversary of Terence Wheelock's Death. | The Wheelock Family move out of Summerhill after continuing Garda intimidation | Campaign of intimidation against family of Terence Wheelock continues | June 2006: Justice For Terence Wheelock Protest at Store Street Garda Station | Fighting for Justice; Fighting for the truth: an interview with the Wheelocks May 2006: Wheelock Family Attacked by Gardai | Another death caused by Garda Hospitality? - The parents of John Moloney demand an independent inquiry

Looking back at Shells history of brutality and looking forward to the comemmeration actions in Mayo on November 9th

Related Links: Rossport Still Resists | Rossport Five Man wins Goldman Prize | Gardaí Baton Fest in Rossport | Irish African unity for justice in Nigeria and Rossport | 14th Sept at Bellanaboy | Shell pipeline letters handed back | Rossport Solidarity Camp Eviction Report | Norway profits while Irish people face jail | Community outrage over unjust sentencing | NGO Report Slams Garda abuse in Mayo | Indymedia Rossport Archive |

Derry Anti-War Coalition visit to Lebanon
Over the past week I accompanied 12 members of the Derry Anti-War Coalition (DAWC), including the Raytheon 9, to visit communities in southern Lebanon which were devastated by the Israeli war last summer. We visited Bint Jbail and A'ita al-Chaab near the Israeli border, both of which received heavy bombardment from Israeli airstrikes and incursions from armoured bulldozers, tanks and troops, reducing civilian infrastructure to dust and pebble, their hearts to shock and fear, their eyes to tears for their lost loved ones. In addition to this, the DAWC protested outside the obliterated Palestinian refugee camp Nahr-al-Bared near Tripoli in Northern Lebanon.

“We’re marching in the park, but we should be marching in the streets but we’re fenced in like animals, while the other animals are outside. We are here to support our brothers and sisters of Latvia with the atrocities they have to go through in a homophobic society.” Audio interview.

There are three audio recordings. The first is a collection of peoples thoughts and descriptions of the experience of the day, the second and third are an interview with Anna, a spokesperson from Mozaika, who kindly shared some time to tell some more of the story of Human Rights in Latvia.

Related Links: List of events for Riga Pride and Friendship Day | Belong2 Ireland | An interview with Zappone and Gilligan | A personal account of this years Riga Pride | ILGA-Europe | Last years Indymedia Pride Feature | 2006 Polish Equality Parade Attacked By Far Right | Cork's First Ever Pride Parade A Success | Dublin, June 2005 Gay Pride Parade | Gay Pride Weekend in Cork, 2004 | McDowell Attacked by Ancient Order of Hibernians and Mother and Child