Unions to hold march on refuse charges

MANY thousands of workers are expected to take part in an official trade union march against bin collection charges in Dublin this coming weekend.

The protest follows last night's meeting of the Dublin Council of Trade Unions (DCTU) where delegates voiced their support for the anti-bin charges lobby.

A motion put forward by the Technical Engineering and Electrical Union (TEEU) calling for co-ordinated action by unions against service charges was passed without question. The motion also won the support of SIPTU, the biggest trade union in the country.

The DCTU executive, which met last week, convened last night's special delegate meeting to discuss if concerted union action should be staged against the charges.

The march will take place on Saturday, October 11, at 3pm from Parnell Square to Mountjoy Prison. It will highlight calls for the release of socialist TD Joe Higgins and Councillor Clare Daly. The DCTU has unions representing almost 300,000 workers affiliated to it.

SIPTU general president Jack O'Connor, said: "The bin tax is unjustifiable on the grounds of equity not only because the levy varies from one local authority area to another and it disregards the principle of ability to pay, but also because these charges are being imposed to make up for cuts in government grants to local authorities while the same Government gives massive tax breaks and allowances to the wealthy."

Describing a broadly-based trade union campaign "as precisely the correct approach to tackling the issue", he went on to say: "If we are to succeed in reversing this unjust stealth tax, we have to engage the active support of a much broader range of people and not only in Dublin but throughout the country."

TEEU assistant general secretary Eamon Devoy welcomed the show of support from SIPTU and other unions for the motion.

"People have to take a stand against double taxation¨, he said, "especially as these new stealth taxes bear heaviest on workers in low-pay jobs.

"The Government is refusing to accept responsibility for its own profligate fiscal policies, which fuelled inflation during the boom.

"If they need more revenue they should target high income groups, big business and property speculators, who benefited most from the good times," he said.