Fellow Citizens,
The treatment of the workers at Vita Cortex sends us all an important message, the injustice done to them is done to us all, it must not pass.
One of the revealing aspects of this dispute is the manner in which the political party representatives behave, particularly those elected and in government. Without hesitation, they are all in ‘support’ of the workers in their just and legal demand… it’s just that there are ‘complications’ that make resolution difficult. But workers are entitled by law to redundancy, yet still this employer is somehow untouchable! The wealth created by these same workers is hidden away and protected, and the staff are denied their rights. The powerful vested interests will get their pound of flesh and the employer is left with substantial wealth but it seems our state is incapable of protecting the workers, despite the laws in their favour and despite statements of support even from the Taoiseach!
Now the workers are even threatened by court order, to criminalise their just struggle and further facilitate the employer.
If we hadn’t seen it before what we are witnessing is the selective application of law. When citizens interests are at stake there are ‘complications’, the law is ineffective and no one is to blame for it. When it is the powerful banks and other vested interests that need something done – laws, by-laws, statutory instruments, regulations and rulings can be created overnight.
What all this highlights sharply is that citizens rights matter very little.
When the state took over Anglo-Irish Bank they decided, without any legal obligation at all, that they would cover the outstanding debts, including those due to unsecured, nameless, bondholders. They decided to do this, mortgaging the future of the entire state, without even asking the citizens … there were no ‘complications’ that couldn’t be overcome.
Faced with the Vita Cortex issue, and the whole economic, social and political crisis – it is clear that lack of basic democracy is the fundamental problem in our country. Citizens have no say in deciding even the main questions of state policy, the system of political parties, ‘whips’ and vested interests continue to make decisions in our names, imposing their policy on us.
The issue at Vita Cortex goes to the heart of the matter, it shows that the will of the citizens is not what rules in this country – WE MUST CHANGE THAT.
The political parties, whether right, left, red, green or blue, are asking the public to support them, they will fi x the problems if only they get into power to implement their policy.
This is a lot of what is wrong in our country!
We citizens already have policies, we don’t need any private clubs (parties) telling us what they should be. Simply stated, citizens need to be able to conduct their lives, earn their keep, have health and social services, have care for our elderly and have a future for our youth – what we are lacking is the means to actually implement these policies, check on results, recall politicians who refuse to take mandate from their constituency etc. The political parties have set themselves up as brokers for our entitlements, but they only serve themselves and the powerful interests who are their real masters, at home and abroad.
