....we should keep events in perspective.
Our regular readers will be aware that myself and four other girls are due to fly out in the next few days for a two-week holiday in New York ; this is not our first holiday in NYC , so we are well aware of just how good a break it is. All five of us work fulltime , have children (and all the responsibilities and expenses that accompany them !) and we have been saving-up for this holiday for the past six months. Due to the generosity of good friends and comrades 'over there' , we had obtained the use of an apartment in the Bronx , for one week , and another apartment had been gifted to us in Queens for our second week - all free of charge , which is how we could afford to stay for two weeks. Also , we had secured 'storage space' elsewhere , again FOC , for our shopping because , as you can imagine , five young Ladies , with money , in NYC equals bags and bags of 'Goodies' !
It now looks like we won't be going , as an industrial dispute seems set to put paid to our escapade - so the five of us had a 'meeting' today to discuss developments and , not surprising - as we are friends that share more than a liking for just shopping and sight-seeing in NYC - all five of us were instantly in agreement that our holiday is less important than the rights of workers.
Management in Aer Lingus are attempting to force new terms and conditions on their workforce and those employees are attempting to fight back , to defend and hold-on to their present work practices , using the only 'weapon' they have at their disposal - their labour.
We fully support those workers , and urge them not to be swayed by their management , the media or , indeed , by their own Union , should it come to that , into giving up the fight : pressure will be applied on them to do so , they will be shouted at in relation to 'how lucky they are to have a job in the first place' etc and they will be projected to the public by anti-worker/right-wing elements as 'troublemakers' : the anti-trade union 'establishment' will attempt to present them as 'ungrateful' and 'greedy' etc but , for what it's worth - here are five members of the public , five Aer Lingus customers , five working-class women , advising you , the Aer Lingus workforce , to stand firm : fight for your right, fight 'to hold what you have' , fight to improve on that which you already have - in our opinion , the outcome of your fight will have much wider consequences for other workers , as their management/boss/owner attempts to increase the profit margin by reducing , financially , that which they pay out in wages etc.
Although the five of us are disappointed that we probably won't get away for our two-week break - having booked holidays from our jobs , arranged for baby-sitters , cancelled the milk (!) etc , we recognise that our holiday was a short-term gain , for us , whereas your needs , as workers , are greater ,in the longterm, for society as a whole : so persevere , Aer Lingus workers - don't let yourselves be traded cheaply. You have support 'out here' from those of us who have our perspectives in order.
Thanks for reading ,
Sharon.
