CATU News - Week 42 - All Out for Palestine

A chairde,

Last week’s turnout for the IPSC’s march to the Israeli embassy in Dublin was huge - but it needs to be even bigger this week.

CATU members will be gathering from 12:30 tomorrow outside the Hugh Lane Gallery on Parnell Square ahead of the march kicking off at 1pm.

Keep in touch with the IPSC for updates on upcoming actions and events. There is also a march to the BBC happening in Belfast tomorrow at 3pm, assembling outside Belfast City Hall.

Also, a new group - Dublin for Gaza - has come together to call for direct action and long-term justice for the people of Palestine. The EU Commission’s Dublin office was occupied yesterday in protest at the EU’s open support for the genocide we are witnessing. Follow them for news on follow-up actions.

A reminder that applications are currently open for the role of Munster Organiser.

In this role, you will support our branches, members and pre-launch committees in their development, building power in local committees and growing our union in the region.

The successful candidate will have community organising, union or grassroots campaigning experience (paid or voluntary) as well as being well organised and an excellent communicator.

We currently have active branches in Clare, Cork, Limerick and Waterford, and the role will also involve building towards ongoing member support and development in Kerry and Tipperary.

The deadline for applications is midnight on October 26th and CVs and cover letters should be sent to [email protected] on or before this date.

You will find a full job spec HERE - please contact me if you have any questions.

You will have received an email on Tuesday about the union’s Trade Union survey. There has been a great response since then but if you haven’t had the chance to contribute, please do so HERE. The deadline for submissions is next Friday, October 27th.

This Saturday sees the launch of two publications: The New Tenant newspaper and the Rent Strike 1970-73 pamphlet. The launch will take place at Connolly Books at 6pm.

The story of the 1970s rent strikes is recounted for the first time in the pamphlet Rent Strike 1970-73: Reclaiming the History of the Irish Tenants’ Struggles by Dr. Fiadh Tubridy. Based on interviews with people who organised and participated in the movement, it details the results of the research and provides valuable lessons that we can draw from today in militant mass organising around housing.

The New Tenant is a broadsheet newspaper inspired by The Tenant, the newspaper of the National Association of Tenant Organisations. The newspaper contains reporting about the 1972-73 rent strike, but also about current CATU campaigns and organising practices, and analysis of housing politics.

In addition to the launch, we want to give branches the opportunity to get copies of The New Tenant so that committees can get them to their members as a form of engagement, and hopefully strengthen their branch. We will co-ordinate the collection of copies with whoever your branch nominates. If your branch would like copies of The New Tenant for your members, please let us know HERE.

In Solidarity,

Naoise Faogáin
National Administrator
Community Action Tenants Union - CATU Ireland
www.catuireland.org