Joe Higgins TD

The strike action of Otis workers should be supported by all working people.

They are resisting 17 compulsory redundancies at a time of mass unemployment. Any workers who are made redundant will face bleak opportunities when it comes to finding another job. Every job should be defended by the trade union movement.

It is also seems clear that this attack is not simply about redundancies for Otis management. It is also an attempt to demoralise the workers and undermine their union, the Technical Engineering and Electrical Union. It is therefore also a struggle to defend the right to organise as well as opposing these compulsory redundancies.

There are reports that the union leadership has signed up to a commitment not to picket at Dublin airport under threat of a court injunction. Signing up to such a commitment amounts to agreeing to tie both hands behind your back before engaging in a struggle.

The threat of a court injunction is an attempt to scare the union and workers with the criminalisation of effective action as seen at Thomas Cook, Waterford Crystal and MTL Dockers. This represents an attempt to neuter a key tactic of workers’ struggles and must be resisted.

Workers across the country are facing attack after attack and should rally to support the Otis workers and defend the right to picket. I urge Otis workers to consider working with rank and file trade unionists to launch a call to organise mass picketing of Dublin Airport to bring pressure to bear on Otis to withdraw the redundancies.

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