The lessons of history
Neil Forde's best and worst of 1998
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Were history what it ought to be, an accurate literary reflex of the
times with which it professes to deal, the pages of history would
almost be entirely engrossed with a recital of the wrongs and
struggles of the labouring people
James Connolly from Labour in Irish History
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1998 is not yet gone and An Phoblacht is writing its history. The
disadvantages in doing this are that it is perhaps too early to get a
true perspective of where 1998 fits into the greater scheme of Irish
history. The advantages are that by recording the key events of 1998
now we can remember the crucial lessons before time and other factors
dilute their potency.
1998 was a benchmark year for the Irish economy, for Irish workers
and the Irish nation as a whole. In terms of the peace process there
is still the promise of positive steps forward. However, in terms of
the economic rights of the Irish people it was a case of several
steps backward as a result of the Amsterdam Treaty referendum and the
agreed inclusion of the punt in the single currency.
In the broader struggle for economic rights workers across Ireland
have stood up for those basic rights and the rights of the Irish
people with a steely resistance in 1998 which must be admired and
applauded.
So here are Neil Forde's best and worst of 1998 awards for those at
the revolutionary coal face and those who for now still own the
mines. It is one small way of making sure we do not forget the
important lessons of contemporary history.
Most Disappointing Failure
January started with a bang for the trade union movement. The ICTU
awoke from slumber and began a campaign in favour of a minimum wage
of £5 an hour. Billboards went up around the 26 Counties and the ICTU
talked tough on the tens of thousands of workers ``struggling on £2
and £3 an hour''.
After that the ICTU disappeared. In Dublin the DCTU took up the baton
and have made substantial efforts all year to keep the just demand
for a fair minimum wage on the political agenda.
The ICTU, supposedly the leaders of the trade union movement, have
had another quiet year. They were silent on the health and safety
crisis on building sites, silent on the abuses of the Industrial
Relations Act by employers. They were silent on the imprisoning of
workers but found their voice when it came to slagging off farmers
exercising that very basic right of marching to Leinster House.
The ICTU have been such a disappointment in recent years that this
year's victory in the Most Disappointing category allows them to keep
the trophy - a framed copy of previous partnership agreements.
Biggest Whiners
This award goes to Whineair, sorry Ryanair, who have maintained
almost a year of whining. They whined about the striking workers
whose union they refused to recognise. Since then Ryanair has whined
about: Not being able to build their own airport; Dublin airport's
landing charges; Aer Rianta's unjust monopoly.
Ryanair didn't whine about their £37.1 million profit in 1997. They
took full page ads in newspapers to gloat in the same month they
charged a Belfast pensioner £8 to use a wheelchair at Dublin airport.
Other airlines do not charge for this. So now we know how Ryanair
made their millions, apart from the low wages.
Best book of 1998
Many fine books were published this year including Mike Allen's the
Bitter Word and Denis O'Hearn's Inside the Celtic Tiger, but the book
of the year has to be the Communist Manifesto, 150 years old last
March.
At 12,000 words long it is hard to find a more readable, accessible
book that offers the best analysis possible of the reasons why the
global economy has tottered and teetered over the past two years.
Best Workforce
This year this award is a three way tie between the Building and
Allied Trades Union, the SIPTU workers at Dublin airport and the INTO
teachers. BATU members throughout the 26 Counties have been on the
picket line in 1998 from January to November fighting for the most
basic of rights - the right to be a taxed full-time employee and the
right to a safe workplace.
SIPTU workers at Ryanair took on an employer this year who refused to
recognise their right to be represented by a union. Not only did
Ryanair refuse to recognise the SIPTU baggage handlers, they also
refused to recognise the industrial relations legislation of the
state.
INTO teachers in disadvantaged schools throughout the 26 Counties
staged a series of one day stoppages to highlight the reduction of
teacher numbers, thus shaming the Department of Education who were
cutting back services in a period of unprecedented tax revenue and
billion punt budget surpluses.
Best Bank Robbers
This award is a two way tie between National Irish Bank (NIB) and
AIB. It was revealed at the end of March by former NIB executives
that management at the company had devised an ingenious system of
stealing money from its customers. They called it interest loading.
It seemed the NIB had a clear run for this award until October when
leaked documents showed that AIB could owe £80 million in unpaid tax
and that they had been actively participating in the opening of bogus
banks accounts to enable customers to avoid paying tax on their
interest.
Biggest mistake by government
Pressures of time and the multitude of Dublin Government errors,
oversights and cock-ups prevent me from over-elaboration. Suffice it
to say that Charlie McCreevy shares this award with his other cabinet
colleagues.
Mistakes etc in 1998 include: A complete failure to act on the
housing crisis; failure to act on the Enterprise Oil rip off of our
oil and gas resources; failure to see the Fruit of the Loom crisis
coming and subsequent failure to act quickly and decisively; Mary
Harney's Employment Action Plan; failure to deal with building site
safety, 15 workers died in 1998; support for the Euro; Support for
the Amsterdam Treaty; backtracking on the promise of a state bank;
failure to deal with hospital waiting lists. Need we go on?
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