What type of Ireland do you want to live in?
Thursday 12 October 2017If you think you deserve a better life, then join the Another Ireland is Possible conference on Saturday, 4th November 2017.
The Right2Change campaign is about putting people and policies first.
It’s about a vision for an Ireland where 3,048 children don’t have to spend Christmas in hotel rooms because their parents have been evicted by international vulture funds.
It’s about ensuring everyone has access to a well-funded public healthcare system and we don’t have to wait 24 hours on a trolley to be seen by a doctor at times of emergency.
It’s about making sure that Irish children are no longer packed into the largest class sizes in the EU, denying them the opportunities and the future they deserve.
And importantly for Mandate Trade Union members, it’s about ensuring decent work and ending low pay across the country.
Essentially, it’s about driving a vision for a new Ireland that would bring us closer to the Republic imagined by the 1916 rebels. An Ireland of equality, social justice and prosperity for all.
Ahead of the 2016 elections, Mandate and a number of other Trade Union’s launched the Right2Change policy platform, developed by activists from within the trade union movement, political parties and independent community activists.
We wanted to have a rational discussion about housing, healthcare, education, water, debt, the environment, democratic reform, national resources, equality and employment.
Too often our media focus entirely on personalities and political parties, instead of policies. Instead of allowing space to discuss the important policies of the day, they tried to misrepresent the Right2Change campaign, portraying it as an electoral pact or a front for a political party.
It doesn’t suit many political parties and many media outlets to discuss policies, because once you do, people may realize that an alternative is available, and then they may mobilise and vote for it.
As a result of the Right2Water campaign, which Mandate Trade Union was heavily involved in, Mandate members are in a much better financial position. In a recent report presented to the National Executive, it was shown that for every €1 our Union spent on the campaign, the return for members in money saved reached €533 per annum. Now that’s value for money!
It means that instead of Mandate members having to cough up €28m every single year to Irish Water for a metering programme, advertising revenue and overpaid consultants, that money is in our members pockets, where it belongs.
This was achieved through collaboration with other trade unions who shared our perspective, through cooperation with political parties who agreed that water is a human right and in partnership with community activists across the country.
The question now is, can this be reproduced on a larger scale in a more formal setting to achieve progressive social change.
If you want to be part of that process, and want to mobilise for a fairer, more equal Ireland, come to the conference in the Mansion House, Dublin 2 at 10:30am on Saturday, 4th November 2017.
You can book your ticket to attend and participate at Right2Change.ie
