May Day Rally

On the 1st of May 2013,  there was a May Day Rally from The Garden Of Remembrance to Liberty Hall.The march was lead by a piped band, and had old banners of the Irish Transport and Generals Workers Union , and banners of old leaders of the (ITGWU) such as Larkin and Connolly. The theme of the Rally was 1913 to 2013 an unfinished business. There  was about 1500 hundred people on this march. The Dublin Council Of Trade Unions organised this event. When the march reached Liberty Hall the (DCTU) President Mick O'Reilly was the key note speaker. Mick O' Reilly in his address said "we welcome the decision by public sector workers to reject Croke Park Two".

Mick O' Reilly gives speech.

 

There was many speakers from different youth organisations, such as Paul Dillon CWU Youth, Unite youth Committee Aoife Campbell and many more spoke at this rally, and the main emphasses was on youth unemployment, and the effect that austerity is having on the people in Ireland and all across Europe at this moment in time. There was many different groups represented at the rally from Union group,s to Anti Household Tax charge. The main point of the speakers was to fight against austerity. 

 



People gather a Liberty Hall.

With this being the 100th anniversary of the Lockout this theme 1913 to 2013 an "unfinished business" was very energetic and a carnival type atmosphere. Some of the topics that where talked about was the need for legislation to be passed for unions to be recognised in all employment and negotiation rights for all members of unions. There was also some time taken to remember the workers who had did in the terrible accident in Bangladesh in which so many people low paid workers died.

One of the many banners at May Day Rally.



The Lockout

Jim Larkin in his famous pose.
Photograph courtsey of sndcdn.com

This is the 100th year since the Dublin Lockout. The strike which was organised by the Irish Transport and General Workers Union. This union was lead by Jim Larkin and he would lead the strikers for the next several months. The main protagonist in this fight was Jim Larkin and William Martin Murphy. Murphy owned the Dublin Tram company and the Irish Independent.

William Martin Murphy.
Photograph courtesy of rasset.ie

The workers of the Dublin Tram Company which was owned by William Martin Murphy where forbidden to join the ITGWU. So on the 26th of August all workers stopped working the trams and the strike began.



Dublin Police charge crowds.
Photograph courtsey of wikimedia.org

On the 30th of August the Dublin Metropolitan Police issued a warrant for Larkin's arrest and also baton charged crowds which resulted in the death of James Nolan. The next day Jim Larkin appeared in disguise at the Imperial Hotel, he was arrested and more rioting ensued.

Murphy's newspaper has story of strikes.
Courtesy of southdublinlibraries.ie

On the 3rd of September William Martin Murphy meet four hundred employers and they came to agreement not to employ members of the ITGWU and this became the lockout. On the 4th of September John Byrne a labour died from injuries he received on the 30th of August. The meeting with the employers was the start of the lockout which affected over 20,000 workers and their families.

Food ships bring food to the hungry.
Photograph courtesy ucc.ie

By the 27th of September food ships  where arriving from Britain with food parcels for striking workers.  The strike moved along with no compromise on either side. In October plans where being made to send children to Britain. By the middle of November Larkin and James Connolly had organised the Irish Citizen Army to try and protect workers from over zealous police.




James Connolly.
Photograph courtsey of wsm.ie

The Irish Citizen Army would also play a part in the 1916 rising. In December of 1913 the workers and their families had more or less had  enough and the strike and Lockout would come to an end in January 1914 and went back to work.

Irish Citizens Army.
Photograph courtsey ucc.ie