Saturday 29 September 2012

Dear All,

I ask as many people to attend the demonstration on Saturday in seeking justice for the Counihan family. Please srefer to the message from the Counihan Family Campaign.

Yours fraternally

Austin Harney,
Chair of CRAIC Fighting the Cuts.
Dear friend,

Brent Council's latest advice to the Counihan Family is that they should go and live in an empty field in the West of Ireland without sanitation. You can support the family by joining us on the Kilburn March for the Counihans on October 6th.

We will meet at Kilburn Square on Saturday October 6th at 2.30pm and march to the South Kilburn Estate. We will have speakers both before and after the march.

Please reply if you can come. If you are in an organisation please can you sponsor the event by emailing us and come with your banner. All organisations who support the campaign will have speaking rights.

Please let me know if you need more information.

Jimmy Mac
Counihan Family Campaign


We are on Facebook: Counihan Battlebus
You can support the Counihan family campaign by making a Paypal donation by clicking this link
http://tinyurl.com/counihan-donate

Attachments

  • October 6th poster V2.pdf
Download All

Thursday 27 September 2012

Dear All,
 
I wish to enclose details of the March in Belfast against Austerity on 6th October. As we understand the ConDem Coalition is forcing the Northern Ireland Assemby to cut its budget severely of which will hit many community groups, there.
 
I, myself, will be attending this March!
 
Yours fraternally
 
Austin Harney,
Chair of CRAIC Fighting the Cuts.
 
The Northern Ireland Public Service Alliance - the largest trade union in Northern Ireland - has today endorsed the March for a Future called by Youth Fight for Jobs in Belfast on 6th October. The protest march against youth unemployment and cuts to education will take place during the eightieth anniversary of the Belfast Outdoor Relief Strike, which united Protestant and Catholic workers in struggle against the Poor Laws.
Pádraig Mulholland, President of NIPSA, said: -
"The £4.3 billion cuts agenda of the Assembly Executive threatens to devastate the public services which we all rely upon, undermine the economy and destroy 40,000 jobs in the public sector alone - that's 40,000 fewer jobs available for young people leaving education. We already have mass youth unemployment in many areas. NIPSA is committed to fighting to protect jobs and conditions, not just for our current members but for those who will need them in the future."
"Also, at a time when sectarian division is raising its head, we need to remember struggles like the Outdoor Relief Strike and say that working-class communities - Catholic and Protestant - have the same interests and are strongest when they stand united. That's why we're supporting this excellent initiative by Youth Fight for Jobs and call on our members and all trade unionists to join the march!"
Neil Moore, Acting Secretary of Youth Fight for Jobs NI, added: -
"We are delighted that NIPSA has come behind the march. We have got great support from the trade union movement - including from Unite, the biggest union in Britain and Ireland - from community activists and young people. There is a growing momentum behind the March for a Future and it can be an inspirational event, bringing young people and workers together from across the sectarian divide to fight for our common interests."
The march will assemble at 1.30pm on Saturday 6th October in Custom House Square - where the Outdoor Relief Strike was called - before symbolically marching up the Shankill and crossing the peaceline to the Falls

Wednesday 26 September 2012

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5iAXsfoSDXk

Dear All,

I enclose a youtube version of the brutal evictions that took place in Dale Farm on 19th October, last year.

It is about time that all Irish community groups joined in these campaigns against the discrimination and evictions of Travellers.

If you have any further enquiries, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Yours fraternally

Austin Harney,
Chair of CRAIC Fighting the Cuts.

Sunday 23 September 2012

 http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/VIDEO-George-Ferguson-accused-racism-Irish/story-16935940-detail/story.html

Dear All,

I wish to enclose a statement by George Ferguson, a mayoral candidate for Bristol, that has made a slur on the Irish community. His other remarks are not only racially patronising but there are outrageous responses on twitter. It is without doubt that many of our politicians are completely out of touch with Irish issues and will continue to carry out further cuts that will hit our community groups in Britain.

Yours fraternally

Austin Harney,
Chair of CRAIC Fighting the Cuts.

Thursday 20 September 2012

Dear All,
I wish to send a message from the Facebook account of Save the Cock Tavern, an Irish Pub on a side road between Euston and Kings Cross.
Yours fraternally
Austin Harney,
Chair of CRAIC Fighting the Cuts.
 
The Cock Tavern is again under threat. Two years ago a massive campaign was successful in preventing the police from taking away Sheila's license. Now, despite having 12 years left to run on her lease, the pub's owners are embarked on a campaign of dirty tricks to kick her out.

Sheila's only "crime" is to run a successful working class pub in an area which is undergoing widespread development and gentrification. The owners want to close the pub and convert it into luxury housing for outsiders. Sheila has managed to turn the pub into a going concern without changing its nature or alienating her customers. It is that very rare thing - a genuine community pub.

The importance of Sheila, and The Cock Tavern, to the community was recently recognised by the Mayor of London. Completely out of the blue, and unsolicited by Sheila, she was awarded a certificate for services to local people. This has nothing to do with party politics, it was simply a refle...
ction of the affection with which her customers regard Sheila.

Now it's time for Sheila's friends and customers to do our bit for her - we cannot allow a faceless, offshore company to take away a vital community resource just so they can make millions through property development.

Please spread the word and support our campaign.

SAVE the COCK TAVERN!
Dear All,
I wish to forward a statement by Gerry Downing from UNITE during the month of July. Updated news will be produced in due course.
Yours fraternally
Austin Harney,
Chair of CRAIC Fighting the Cuts.

Dear Editor,
I wish to highlight the plight of the Counihan family, Isabel and Anthony and their five children, Vinnie, Aidan, AJ, Orla and Sarah have been shunted out of the Brent to temporary housing in Ealing where they have been left since April 2012 waiting for the Council to even make a decision on their situation, let alone re-house them in Brent. A 25-strong picket brought their plight at the Brent Council Executive meeting on 16th July. Of course the shortage of affordable housing in the borough is all the fault of the bad Mister Cameron, they object but a Labour Council must attempt to mobilise the workers and Labour party members to fight these attacks.
Brent Council have not only washed their hands of the family - they have begun to persecute them to drive them out. They did not tell them they had an option to remain council tenants when they moved to Ireland in 2009 and placed them in Priory Road NW6 at £690 per week when they had to return a year later. They paid £230 per week of this rent and HB the rest.
In 2010 Anthony inherited 9.5 acres in Galway from his late father. The land has no planning permission and attempts to sell it failed. They rented it to a local farmer for €1,200 per year, which they immediately declared to the Council.
How 'foolish' they were to tell the truth it turned out - only corrupt and lying bankers, press barons, police chiefs and fraudulent expenses-claiming politicians can prosper in Cameron's Britain!
Brent initially accepted the €1,200 as income but then declared the land as 'asset', cut all HB and sent them a bill for almost £70,000, later reduced to £46,000. They were evicted and put in a house in Ealing at £500. Three of the five children have developed severe stress related problems and the latest outrage has prompted Anthony to write to Perry Singh, the Brent Housing officer:
"Our youngest child who has Autism has now had his Statement of Educational needs sent to Ealing & he is a Brent child. My wife is now on Valium from her doctor. We have been in limbo now for 7 months how is anyone meant to cope with this ongoing stress?
We would have fallen a long time ago if it wasn't for the support from The London Irish Centre (Lesley Ryan) & various others supporting us including my workers union. Do you expect me to pay £500 a week rent went I barely make £400 a week driving a bus. (A key worker in Brent, London). What are you trying to do to my family, a decision has been coming for 2 months now and were still waiting."
We ask you to join us in supporting the Counihans and invite other people facing similar injustices to come forward and challenge together the vicious policies and practices of the council.
Council Leader Butt met Anthony and Leslie Ryan from the Irish Advisory Centre after the Executive meeting and agreed to examine the case personally. We hope he will be of more help than the Council has been up to now.

Sincerely Gerry Downing
Dear All,
The Irish Night at the TUC Conference went well on 10th September. We had three guest speakers: Phien O'Reachtigan from Dale Farm, Paul Maskey (Sinn Fein MP for West Belfast) and Billy Hayes (General Secretary of the CWU). Peter Bunting (General Secretary of the Irish Confress of Trades Unions) arrived. We, even, had offers from Trade Unions to fund future Irish Nights at TUC Conferences. As the website has been established tonight, I will try and broaden "CRAIC (Campaign for the Rights and Actions of Irish Communities) Fighting the Cuts. Our movement has been in operation since June 2011 and will continue to expand.
Many thanks
Austin Harney,
Chair of CRAIC Fighting the Cuts.
Dear All,

The Irish Night at the PCS Conference, on 22nd May, was a great success! We sold more than 150 tickets at the price of £5 each. Many, certainly enjoyed the music by the Saoirse Irish band from Wexford. The event took place at the Fortune of War bar on the beach in Brighton and it was, certainly, very warm that evening.

I made the introductory speech on behalf of "CRAIC (Campaign for the Rights and Actions of Irish Communities) Fighting the Cuts." The intention of our campaign is to fight the recent cuts that are affecting Irish Community groups in Britain such as the closure of Irish centres and evictions of Travellers. In addition, we are committed to fighting poverty and austerity in Ireland as well as campaigning against cuts in public services in Northern Ireland. Our main guest speaker was Mike O'Brien from the United Left Alliance who updated us on the recent austerity hitting the Irish people and there is every reason that we should encourage all our relatives across the Irish Sea to vote "No" in the referendum on Thursday.

I would like to thank everyone who came to the Irish Night as well as those people who helped in selling the tickets at conference. A breakthrough in terms of finances was easily achieved and I will provide a breakdown of the accounts at the AGM of which we have planned for the end of June.

Hopefully, I will be organising more events and intend to start expanding our campaign.

If you have any further enquiries, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Yours fraternally

Austin Harney,
Chair of CRAIC Fighting the Cuts.
We are a group of Trade Union and Community activists working in the UK, concerned about about the wlefare and security of Irish Workers but, also, the treatment of Irish people facing austerity, emigration, job cuts as well as attacks on pay and Irish culture.  If you wish to join, please visit our website. We are a non - exclusive group and any support is welcome!
Our Mission

 (1) To campaign and defend jobs and services.

(2) To highlight the disproportionate and adverse impact that the cuts will have on Irish communities in Britain.
(3) To provide a campaigning platform in order to fight against cuts in jobs and services, including any adverse disproportionate impact on Irish communities, thereby preserving their services for future generations!

(4) To work in partnership and build alliances with others facing and fighting similar attacks.

(5) To fully engage with various Irish community groups and the Irish community throughout Britain.

(6) To fight poverty and austerity in Ireland.
Campaign for the Rights and Actions of Irish Communities (CRAIC) Fighting the Cuts is a new coalition opposed to the government's plans that affect the entire Irish Diaspora in Britain. The campaign is determined to defend both jobs and services for the Irish communities that include public sector workers, community third sector organisations,  and employees in non - unionised industries. In addition, we aim to fight poverty and austerity in Ireland.

Welcome to CRAIC - Fighting the Cuts

Welcome to the CRAIC - Fighting the Cuts - website.

We will post stories about Irish communities fighting the cuts - in the UK and in Ireland.

You can contact us on email: CRAIC.Fighting.The.Cuts@gmail.com.