PLEASE NOTE: Placards can be collected from 37 Parnell Square on Saturday 21st February (The door before The Teachers' Club at 36 Parnell Square and 2 doors before the INTO at 35 Parnell Square.)

Update on logisitics of demonstration 18/2/09

'Act Now!' Irish Congress of Trade Unions Flyer Download

The general secretaries and presidents of the four teacher unions met this on Monday to co-ordinate teachers’ participation in next Saturday’s demonstration organized by the Irish Congress of Trade Unions. The meeting was held in the offices of the INTO in Parnell Square in Dublin.

Speaking after the meeting a spokesperson for the group urged all teachers to attend the national demonstration to be organized by ICTU in Dublin next Saturday.

“It is very important that the government listens to what the trade union movement has to say. Government will have to listen to a good, strong message from Irish workers represented by the trade union movement under the banner of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions.

Three of the teacher unions have already taken a decision to ballot for whatever action is necessary. Nobody wants to rush into any form of industrial action. Industrial action is always an issue of last resort.

The ball is in the government’s court. The government has the option to respond positively. If they do not then other measures will follow.

We would urge all of those who are in a position to do so to attend.

The Irish Congress of Trade Unions has a well written, well researched ten point plan to tackle the economic crisis under the title ‘There is a better, fairer way’.

There is nobody, least of all in the trade union movement in denial about the scale of the economic crisis facing this country. But the reality is that we only can solve it if we work together. The only thing that will work is to get around the table, discuss the issues, hopefully using the ten point program as a guide, and achieve an overall solution.

Everybody knows that the clock is ticking day by day on our economic circumstances. The government is proposing to bring in economic measures from 1st March. The reality is that we need to get into talks immediately.’

We are hearing from members that what has happened to date has been one sided and ill- thought out. They feel they have singled out. If, the anger of ordinary trade unionists and their families is reflected on the streets of Dublin there will be a very powerful and historic demonstration.’