IRELAND'S LABOURFianna coannon overnment ciccica d anuary has witnessed : very short honeymoon period.
Until last November Fianna Pail had been in coalition with the right-wing Progressive their erstwhile colleagues and called a snap general election. hoping to form a new government with an overall manne Fail majority.
But the election turned out to be a disaster for Fianna Fail, who lost a substantial number of votes to Labour, the latter having spent most of the campaign attacking the record of Fanna Fail over the last five years.
Shock
It was therefore something ofa shock when Labouragreed to form a coalition with Fianna which many rai, d party Labour voters saw as the class enemy. But at a special conference on 11 January only 50 Labour delegate out of 1,500 voted against the coalition.
Within six weeks of coming the new coalition to power government faced a crisis of credibility. By 1 March, an opinion poll found 46 per cent dissatisfied with the new government against 45 per cent satisfied.
Unemployment, now (at 300,000) ( fifth workforce, was the i main source of complaint. Labour's opinion poll rating has fallen from a 71 per cent approval rating at the election, to 36 per cent today But while Labour's opularity has fallen, Fianna all's rating has actually cent.
What these figures signify above all ese is Labour's fallure to capitalise on its election performance. The result of the November election was a breaktarousa Labour, recording its highest ever vote in the history 'of the Free State, returning 33 TDs to EVACUATiON INSTRUCTiONS IN CASE AER LINGUS RUNS OUT OF MONEY DURING THE FLIGHT...
the Dail (Irish parliament), more than double the previous total. But unless radical measures are taken urgently the chances recovery economy look even more remote. realistic option for tens thousands of youth, given the level of unemplovment in Britain and other advanced capitalist countries. With 30 per cent of the population under the age of 15, 30,000 jobs would haveto be created a year to keep unemployment at its present level Hammer blows Any illusion that a coalition Labour would be able to stimulate recovery were economy was dealt a series of hammer blows. First the value of the Irish punt plummeted as it came under slege from speculators; resulting in 10 per cent devaluaThen came lae news that the state airighly skilled maintenance section would be laying off workers, and would ask for a 10 per cent wage cut. The response from the was predictable. SIPU. the largest national union, and the largest union in Aer Lingus, back demands for an all-out strike, backins omy a one day stopi page In February the American computer company Digital anits manufacturing operation in with the loss of 780 jobs out of a workforce of 1,150.
the end February the coalition government delivered its budget which included a temporary one per cent tax levy on carnings of more than IRE9,000 a plus the introduction of VAT on clothes, shoes and newspapers.
Instead of defending the working class against such cuts in living standards, the Labour and willing accomplices.
When faced with the possibility of up to 40 firms renegins on the tal prase or par increases agreed under PESP and Social Partnership) Peter gress of Trade Unions) said: 1 don't think we should panic. 1 don't think there can be a wage freeze'!
The devastated condition of the Irish economy is caused by the failure of governments to myest a u rastructure, jobs and services, instead relying on multinationals and private industry to create jobs.
Rapid growth
What is even worse is the knowledge that in GNI terms Ireland is only outstripped in growth rates by japan; last year IRE24.252 billon. But this rep- per cent to recents nuce pronts taken ou of the country by transnational Guinness, Jafferson-Smurfett and Apple Only the working class movement can break Ireland from this impasse. It means demanding that Labour break from the coalition and ends its of the working class.
Instead there must be direct working class acton, including occupations, to stem the food of redundancies.