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2009

Communities against Cuts campaign calls for support for ICTU national day of protest on Friday 6th November

Date Released: 03 Nov 2009

The ‘Communities against Cuts’ campaign has called on all community workers, voluntary activists and residents to participate in the ICTU protest on Friday, 6th November in the eight selected towns and cities.

The ‘Communities against Cuts’ campaign represents thousands of workers who provide essential services to children, the elderly, disabled, recovering drug addicts, travellers, young people and women in the country’s most disadvantaged areas. The Campaign has been organised by the Community Sector Employers Forum together with the SIPTU and IMPACT trade unions.

Government cut-backs have already seen the closure of community projects and the McCarthy report proposals, if implemented, will result in the loss of a further 6,500 jobs in the Community sector.

“The implications for services and communities are real and devastating,” said David Connolly, chairperson of the ‘Communities against Cuts’ campaign. “We are calling on the Government to extend the recovery period to 2017 in order to protect the services and activities in the most disadvantaged local communities.”

“These services and community based activities have taken over twenty years to build. Projects that deliver vital childcare, youth support, drug rehabilitation, education, training, literacy programmes and community development will have to cut services and many will face closure as the result of the government cut-backs and the McCarthy proposals.

“These cuts are financially reckless and will end up costing the State more in the long run. The community services are needed more than ever in the current recession with growing unemployment and increased poverty and inequality. We are very concerned that the Government will view the removal of local, community run, services as the easy option in the current financial crisis. Already this year severe cuts have been imposed on drug task forces, community development projects and local partnerships, and it is proposed to end the Job Initiative programme, which employs 1,400 workers delivering vital local services in urban areas.”

“The quality of life for all communities in the country will be damaged if the Government is allowed to force through these drastic cuts in community services. We are calling on every community to support the protest on Friday, 6th November in their own area,” he said.

The Dublin Community Sector protest will assemble at Lady of Lourdes Church on Sean MacDermott Street, Dublin 1 at 1.30 pm on Friday, 6th November and join the main protest at Parnell Square for 2.30pm.





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