Charter

CHARTER

1913 to 2013 – A New Republic

A new Republic can be forged from the embers of the collapse of a value system which has placed individual greed over the common good. It must reflect our collective solidarity while respecting the integrity of the hopes and aspirations of all who live in Ireland today.  Everyone must have the opportunity to influence the blueprint for the future of Ireland.  It cannot be the preserve of the elite.

Almost a century has passed since the great Dublin Lock-out of 1913.  In that historic confrontation working people heroically resisted the attempt to smash their union.  By doing so they asserted their right to organise so that they could participate in the formulation of the future.  Despite the passage of 100 years, vindication of that Right remains elusive.  Freedom of Association is meaningless in the context of the workplace without the entitlement to Collective Bargaining.  This is enshrined in the Lisbon Treaty and in recent judgements of the European Court of Human Rights, yet it is still denied workers in Ireland. One hundred years is a long time to wait for a basic civil right.

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