Lisbon 2 will be fought on a class basis

[Big Bobo]

74% of all manual workers voted against Lisbon last time out as did 58% of all unemployed. 65% of all 18-24 year olds voted No and it is no coincidence that this is the group that struggles the most with low wages and exploitation.

In contrast, 60% of all self-employed, 58% of all professionals and 66% of all senior managers voted ‘Yes’.

In short the real underlying factors were the working class against the rich and their poodles. The media shamefully allowed thatcherite Ganley to represent the No side in an attempt to scare workers to vote Yes. This government, Charlie McGreedy and the EU have hung working class people out to dry over the last decade. Most workers can now see the Nice Treaty for what it really was- a cynical attempt by ruling class to drive wages down.

The EU or EEC was originally formed as a free trade agreement designed to make rich men richer. We in Ireland have been slow to see the EU for the corporate club it is. Instead we seem to think the corporate eurocrats in Brussels are on our side but this is changing. Irish people are finally seeing the EU factory ships rape our waters while enforcing vicious quotas on small fishermen. People see the European Court of "Justice" side with the corporations over workers time and time again. EU competition laws have been undermining public services just to create more opportunities for the rich. The EU has enforced privatisation upon privatisation or "liberalisation" as they euphamistically put it. And of course the Nice treaty which ruthlessly pitted workers from the west against the east so that we could fight it out for the crumbs from the rich man's table.

IBEC were one of the leading members of the Yes campaign last time out although were forced into the background by the government so the yes side would not appear overly right wing. On IBEC's website they declare reasons for supporting the treaty

Through our membership of the EU many markets have been subject to liberalisation and through this process new business opportunities have been created for Irish companies.

A yes vote on the Lisbon Reform Treaty creates the potential for increased opportunities for Irish business particularly in areas subject to increasing liberalisation such as Transport, Energy and the Environment.

It's time ordinary working people stood up and said no more! The ruling class hold our opinions in utter comtempt and that is why they won't accept our vote first time around.

Vote No to low wages. Vote No to exploitation. Vote No to privatisation. Vote No to unemployment. Vote No to militarisation. Vote No to Lisbon 2!

[goosebump]

Vote No to unemployment.

Em, hasn't the rate of unemployment increased since the the No vote?

[Big Bobo]

Em, hasn't the rate of unemployment increased since the the No vote?

Yes it has. This is mainly due to our own incompetent domestic ruling class. At least we can can change them. If Lisbon goes through we can never change it.

[forest]

this arguement was made on QandAand I dont get it
"Europe" has some of the greatest worker laws in the world
In France if you have a job you are more or less garnateed it for life
The unions are stong and socilal care be it childcare or health is top notch
Same more or less for germany and the benelux not to mention scandanavian states

[mccafferty cat]

Yes it has. This is mainly due to our own incompetent domestic ruling class. At least we can can change them. If Lisbon goes through we can never change it.

Can you point me to the clause in the Lisbon Treaty which removes our sovreign right to elect our own Government?

[goosebump]

Yes it has. This is mainly due to our own incompetent domestic ruling class.

So if unemployment is a consequence of national governance, how does voting No to Lisbon improve/disimprove employment prospects?

[Big Bobo]

this arguement was made on QandAand I dont get it
"Europe" has some of the greatest worker laws in the world
In France if you have a job you are more or less garnateed it for life
The unions are stong and socilal care be it childcare or health is top notch
Same more or less for germany and the benelux not to mention scandanavian states

So because we have some decent legislation we should vote to get rid of it gradually? What is your point exactly?

The EU led by Sarkozy, Merkel and Berlesconi are dedicated to undermining unemployment law.

[Big Bobo]

Can you point me to the clause in the Lisbon Treaty which removes our sovreign right to elect our own Government?

You've mis-intrepreted that. I meant we can never roll back the lisbon treaty.

[Big Bobo]

So if unemployment is a consequence of national governance, how does voting No to Lisbon improve/disimprove employment prospects?

Well voting No doesn't improve employment prospects, it just stops them getting worse. The last thing this country needs is the EU telling us to butcher more publics services and workers. How long before they will forbid the subsidisation of our buses and postal services?

[Dillinger]

Em, hasn't the rate of unemployment increased since the the No vote?

The increase in unemployment is the result of reckless lending, and daft government policies, with a bit of "we are the greatest, we can do no wrong" arrogance thrown into the pot for good measure.