WORKERS SOLIDARITY Paper of the Irish anarchist group, Workers Solidarity Movement No 43 Autumn 1994 (electronic addition) Part 5 (A rotten world?) 12K Interview with Italian anarchist Ireland..The land of a 1000 welcomes? Hicksons chemical spill 37% illegally underpaid ******************** AFTER BERLUSCONI'S ELECTION WOMENS RIGHTS, SEX AND THE POPE ITALY SEEMS all bad news these days with the new government coalition's that is a mix of the neo-fascist party National Alliance, the separatist Lega Nord and Forza Italia the party of the media tycoon, Berlusconi. What we hear less of in Ireland is the opposition to these forces. A member of the Florence affiliate of the Italian Anarchist Federation tells us of some of the problems facing progressives in Italy. "The annual anti-clerical conference organised by several anti-authoritarian associations and anarchist groups took place as usual in Fano, a small town next to the Adriatic sea in central Italy. With the elections it appears the clerical- authoritarian side of Italian society has won for the moment over the progressive/democratic side. "The new government is planning to attack all the laws concerning those civil rights that have been won in the last 20 years; sexual and racial discrimination, divorce, abortion and the No.180 Act, which prevented people in need of psychiatric help from being confined in mental asylums or jails. "There have been no laws against homosexuals and immigrants in Italy since WWII, however this may soon change. But, it's only since 1974 and 1978 that referendums were called by the people to have laws for free access to divorce and assisted abortion. (In Italy it is possible to get a referendum by collecting signatures.) "The 1978 referendum, concerning abortion rights, had been called mainly by the feminist movement together with anti- authoritarian movements, including the anarchist and gay movements. Initially the law was accepted as a necessary experiment in limiting the damages caused by back street-abortions, i.e. permanent personal injuries, haemorrhages and deaths caused by phoney doctors or doctors concerned only with money making. "Along with the abortion law Italy has seen the widespread growth of gynaecological advisory boards which, in a state heavily influenced by Catholic fundamentalism along with all its sex phobic taboos, offer chances for solidarity among women, medical examinations and advice about contraception. "In preparation for the UN conference on Demographic Growth which to going to be held in Cairo next September, the Catholic hierarchies are intensifying their campaigns against the right of women and couples to decide and make their own choices. However there are inner conflicts and differences within the Catholic world itself. When visiting Italy, Frances Kissling, president of the American association "Catholics for Free Choice" took a firm stand on the Pope's policy: "Vatican city is a state, the only town without women and children. But still on what concerns sexuality and reproduction it pretends to know more than the women it's supposed to represent." "The Pope's words are particularly destructive in his motherland and in Spain. In Poland it's still difficult to find condoms on chemists shelves, while we are still waiting for Lech Walesa to resign as promised on the enforcement of the 'pro- abortion act'. In Spain abortion is restricted to a very limited number of cases such as deformity of the foetus or serious danger of the mother's life. "In this international scene population control policies are being turned into instruments for political control. The Vatican appeal against contraception and abortion in the less developed countries means keeping millions of starving children and families under the ruling thumb of western economics. "As libertarians, we hope that no single child will become a new fetish in society of either straight couples or alternative communities. We hope individuals will always remain a loving deed born from free choice. We think it better to get rid of the bigoty of clerical hierarchies and of the boasting headlines of hired mass media which are turning a deed of love into a living oddity to be shown at the circus, to be peeped at on TV screens, even sold at markets." ****************** IRELAND : The land of 1,000 welcomes? Prior to the World Cup, supporters of the Irish football team were supplied with brochures which they were meant to pass on to people when they got to the States. This was a drive by Board Failte (Tourist Board) to encourage more tourism from America. For years Ireland has been portrayed as an unspoiled island with a beautiful coast, mountains and lakes. The hospitality of the people is renowned but sadly it is not reflected in the state's current immigration policy. If you end up in Ireland looking for more than a holiday you'll quickly find out how the Irish State operates. People who have sought political asylum in Ireland have met with little joy. In 1990 a Chinese Student, Ji Yao Lau arrived in Ireland seeking political asylum. He quickly ended up in Mountjoy Jail. This man was fleeing the Chinese authorities after the Tienanmen Square Massacre in Beijing. He was ruled ineligible for bail as he had committed no offence! He wasn't released for six months. This is not the kind of hospitality one reads about in the tourist guides. Eventually he left for another country where his case for asylum might get a sympathetic hearing. This case is not an isolated one. The Nationality & Citizenship Act of 1986 lays down a number of situations in which the Minister for Justice can exercise discretion and waive normal rules. This discretionary power also covers the granting or more likely the refusal of citizenship to refugees. Although the present Minister for Justice, Maire Goeghean Quinn, denies allegations of racism in the policy, the facts would seem to speak for themselves. On the 1991 figures, of the 9,400 people granted Irish Citizenship not one of them was from either Africa or Asia. When a person is refused citizenship they are not even given a reason or informed on what grounds they have been refused. The whole operation is shrouded in the excuse of "national security". However the Government is prepared to set out its stall to the world of commerce with catchy slogans like "passport for sale/investment". The rules surrounding Citizenship of Ireland and it's availability appear to change according to your bank balance. The Government recently was embarrassed by the revealing of it's 'Citizenship for Investment Scheme'. The basic outline is that if you are a businessperson and are prepared to invest a cool #1 million in Ireland then you can apply and receive your Irish Passport in the post. According to a consultancy firm which advises the wealthy about applications for Irish Citizenship "An investor of Chinese origin or from the Sub-continent is not acceptable. An investor of Middle East origins might be acceptable provided he/she was already legally resident in a developed country." It is hardly surprising to see that the racism remains no matter how big the bank balance. The rules are written and rewritten by the ruling class to suit their needs. Investment in a faltering economy suits them but not giving refuge to people who are fleeing their own governments. The rulers have to get on with the business of ruling and people do not appear high on the priority list. It is ironic that in a country which has forced millions of its people abroad to seek work that we cannot grant the right to stay in our land to all those who seek it. Anarchists say refuge should be a basic human right. Therefore it should be granted to those who seek it. It is now very clear that Ireland is the 'island of a thousand welcomes' only if you have a million pounds. That's a fairly high price per welcome wherever you come from. Dermot Sreenan ****************** COMPANY PLEAD GUILTY PROFITS CAME FIRST HICKSON PHARMACHEM, the company at the centre of last year's explosion and fire in Ringaskiddy, Co. Cork, pleaded guilty in July to three charges of negligence and improper handling of hazardous chemical substances. The result of this negligence was a major industrial accident in the harbour area of Cork, which very nearly caused a major contamination and deaths. As a result of the guilty pleas the company was fined a total of #2,250, a sum which can only be regarded as peanuts. The prosecution brought by the Health and Safety Authority (HSA) effectively brings to an end the three enquiries initiated by the government and Cork County Council on foot of the August 1993 explosion. A number of recommendations may also be made to Hickson but, it was confirmed to Workers Solidarity by the HSA, these are confidential - "the public need not necessarily be informed". This scandalous situations comes after the admission by Hickson that it proceeded with changes to its manufacturing process in Cork without fully testing the degree of danger involved. This is despite the fact that they had ample evidence at their disposal that they were dealing with chemicals which were heat sensitive and probably dangerous. The trial also revealed that Hickson management had not completed a key safety audit of its manufacturing process, despite having over one year to do so. The reasons given for this were "it had... not... happened". The core issue was Hickson's quest for profits over and above those already being made (see Workers Solidarity no.41). It was this that motivated the excessive changes changes in manufacturing which led to an otherwise safe process being turned into a time bomb. But it must be said that it was never likely Hickson would be taken to task for this crime, given that a central plank of government economic policy hinges on "providing a stable and supportive environment for business to make money in". For workers at the Hickson plant the central problem remains. A number of them who spoke to Workers Solidarity confirmed that little has changed since the accident. "Management", as one put it, "have learned nothing". This will come as no surprise to many, but for workers and residents in the harbour area it bodes ill. The limited prosecution of Hickson and the paltry fines imposes underline, more than anything else, that responsibility for health & safety cannot be left in the hands of the state. Effective action will require an organisation linking workers in the industry with the many residents' associations. Such an organisation can be built. Now, more than ever, is the time. Kevin Doyle ****************** 37% ILLEGALLY UNDERPAID WAGES COUNCILS, which used to set minimum wages in badly paid industries like catering, in Northern Ireland & Britain are no more. As reported in the last edition of Workers Solidarity they were abolished by the Tories on February 7th. Latest figures from the Low Pay Network show that, just before their abolition, over 37% of the workplaces visited by wages inspectors were illegally underpaying staff. However there were only 12 prosecutions (so much for Tory huffing and puffing about "the law must be obeyed"). In another survey one in five vacancies offered in job centres were below the minimum wages set by the wage councils. ****************** IN OTHER SECTIONS Part 1 (Intro & Shorts) Socialism & freedom 10 years of the WSM Thats Capitalism World Unemployment Revolutionaries letter from Serbia Part 2 (Ireland & Imperialism) It was always time to go..Troops out now! When British army chiefs refused to obey orders Nationalism...No Thanks When the Falls & the Shankill fought together Part 3 (Drugs) In this section Legalise it The heroin menace Part 4 (Campaigns & Struggle in Ireland) TEAM workers told not to expect a decent job Lets get together Anti-Water charges campaign gets off ground Reasons to bin the bill *********************** Workers Solidarity currently comes out four times a year. For subscription details write to WSM, PO Box 1528, Dublin 8, Ireland. Also appearing in the near future will be a theoretical magazine called Red and Black Revolution. ***************** +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ The Workers Solidarity Movement can be contacted at PO Box 1528, Dublin 8, Ireland or by anonymous e-mail to an64739@anon.penet.fi Some of our material is available via the Spunk press electronic archive by FTP to etext.archive.umich.edu or 141.211.164.18 or by gopher ("gopher etext.archive.umich.edu") or WWW at http://www.cwi.nl/cwi/people/Jack.Jansen/spunk/Spunk_Home.html in the directory /pub/Politics/Spunk/texts/groups/WSM