A member of the League for the Fifth International reports from the picket lines at University College Dublin during a successful public sector strike against government cuts in services and jobs
An estimated 250,000 public sector workers went on national strike yesterday. The numbers would have been bigger except the strike was deferred in certain parts of the country due to the freak floods that hit us last weekend. I joined the picket at my university yesterday morning at 6am. There were pickets at all entrances to the university which is a tough task considering the colossal size of the campus. Those present on the pickets included lecturers, researchers, admin staff, library staff, IT and cleaners, who were joined by a dozen or so students during the day.
A meeting of the SIPTU education branch on Monday decided that the pickets shouldn’t be rigorously enforced, so a lot of cars were allowed to pass once after we told the drivers we were on official strike action. We only convinced a handful not to cross the picket. A French lecturer pointed to the gates behind us and said, “In France, we would lock them and build a barricade”. Most of the workers agreed the pickets should be enforced but unfortunately they’re short on confidence and experience. They said they were under orders not to organise large pickets. For many, including the more senior comrades present, it was their first strike. The last strike in UCD was a cleaners’ strike sometime in the mid-80s.
There were a lot of horns honked and thumbs-up given from drivers and pedestrians on the road, despite the concerted effort of the media to demonise public sector workers. I admit the high level of support and solidarity surprised me. Some of the student drivers were really obnoxious and aggressive. One of them even clipped Vincent but he wasn’t hurt. A handful of drivers on the main road flicked us the finger but we gave as good as we got. I also challenged Michael Cheika, the Leinster rugby coach, when he tried to cross the picket (Leinster train on a synthetic pitch near our gate). He told me he was a “left-winger at the best of times”, but I pointed out not on this occasion when it mattered. We went at it for a while but he drove in anyway, giving us a patronising ‘honk’.
The mood overall on the pickets was positive and spirited. There was a good awareness of the dire situation facing us and it was easy to conduct a political conversation. I handed out our leaflet once I had a proper chat with workers on the picket. I was told directly after the meeting on Monday that one of the organisers was worried about ‘Marxist students’ on the picket, yet all the staff were happy to take the leaflet. I also spoke to WSM and PBPA comrades at various points but neither organisation were handing out a leaflet.
Before the picket finished at 5pm, we received word that there’s another pre-budget strike planned for December 3rd. All the workers present welcomed this announcement, showing there’s an appetite for struggle amongst the rank-and-file. They want to fight. The union leadership continues to dither but the membership are more undoubtedly more confident and emboldened after yesterday.