CATU News - Week 6, 2024

A chairde,

CATU Inchicore-Kilmainham are in the process of developing a media statement looking at how many times CATU members all over Ireland won a victory in 2023 through union pressure. That could be winning back a deposit, postponing or stopping an eviction, winning repairs, stopping a rent increase - any time where members took back the power and won.

How to submit you or your branch’s wins:

We are asking every branch to send us their wins by Monday, February 12th. You can do this by emailing [email protected] with a short message, or WhatsApp the message to Rosi on +353894900907. This message should include:

-Your branch's member success stories from 2023 and what was achieved / what housing or community issue the win related to

e.g. "2 deposits returned to members, 1 eviction postponed". Even if your branch only had one success story - we want to hear it and celebrate it!

- any quotes that members want to include.

This statement is being developed to show the value and importance of our union and to show what we can achieve for ourselves and our communities when we come together. We want this to be a celebration of our union at a time when many are trying pit tenants against each other.

CATU Maynooth are running a phone and email picket all day today - and they need your support.

A fellow member, Uzair, signed a lease with his landlord, John Connors. A rent and deposit of €2000 each were paid upfront. Unfortunately, unforeseen circumstances meant Uzair had to vacate and an agreement was reached to have his deposit returned within a few days.

This has not happened and John Connors has stopped engaging on the matter.

Please phone (+353830883916) or email ([email protected]) Mr. Connors today and demand that Uzair’s deposit is returned.

The branch also has a social post which can be shared here.

Next Thursday, Feburary 15th, an online session will be held to discuss a political education programme in CATU.

There is often discussion within the union about building a vision of the future that people can aspire to; about building communities and challenging racism and the far-right. How we can collectively develop our ideas of what a community is and what the future could look like? This initial meeting seeks to discuss the programme and begin to plan it out - so join if you have any ideas about what political education should or shouldn't look like in our union.

The meeting takes place online at 6pm on Thursday - the join link is HERE.

The IPSC’s next National Demonstration for Palestine will take place on Saturday, Feburary 17th at 1pm, assembling at the Garden of Remembrance in Dublin 1.

The organisers are seeking to make it the biggest one yet, following a record breaking turnout at the last National Demo in January.

They’re also looking for stewards to support the smooth running of the event - is this something you might be interested in and available for? If so, let me know and I’ll put you in touch.

A reminder that an organisation called Low Rent are offering banner making workshops for CATU members on Saturday, February 10th. In their own words, they use “the Irish National Land League banners and iconography as a basis for the work we address the root issues of the housing crises such as landlordism, poor housing standards, lack of affordability and state investment from the current Irish government.”

If you’d like to participate, please send me an email confirming your availability asap.

In Solidarity,

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