Sinn Fein
The Week in Review
27 March – 2 April 2015

A vote for Sinn Fein is a vote against Tory Austerity
Sinn Féin MLA Martin McGuinness has said this week, as the Westminster election campaign began, that ‘a vote for Sinn Féin is a vote against Tory austerity’.
Speaking at the launch of party colleague Gearóid Ó hEára’s Westminster election campaign in Derry, Mr McGuinness said the 7 May election was ‘an opportunity to take a stand against the Westminster politics of austerity and the Tory-led assault on the welfare state and public services.’
He said the past four years had seen the Tories ‘pursuing a vicious campaign of cuts and austerity, which has been targeted at the most vulnerable in society, children with disabilities, adults with severe disabilities, the long-term sick and large families.’
He said the Conservatives were ‘absolutely and ideologically committed to the destruction of key public services, particularly health, education, welfare and social housing’. He said Sinn Fein ha ‘stood against the Tory assault on public services and the welfare state’ but warned, The Tories have made it clear they intend to redouble their attack on the most vulnerable and on public services if they are returned to power at Westminster.’
A vote for Sinn Féin ‘is a vote to oppose that agenda’, Mr McGuinness pledged.
He said the reaction from unionism had been ‘the negative DUP and UUP election pact in response to our progressive politics and our commitment to the people’ and said the DUP and the UUP were ‘pro-austerity parties, which have much in common with the Tory cabinet of millionaires.’
He concluded: ‘While we are protecting the vulnerable, standing up for hospitals, schools and frontline services, the unionist alliance is more interested in blocking equality legislation, erecting flags and forcing marches through nationalist communities in North Belfast. Sinn Féin’s policies are about putting our people first.’

Sinn Fein launch People’s Pact
Meanwhile, Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams launched the party’s People’s Pact, saying that progressive policies were the alternative to austerity.
Speaking at the launch at Belfast Castle today Mr Adams said Sinn Féin was ‘totally and absolutely opposed to austerity north and South’.
You can watch the launch, with Gerry Adams, party election candidate Michelle Gildernew and others, here.

Sinn Fein back Dunnes Stores workers strike
Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams TD, and Lynn Boylan MEP this morning joined Dunnes Stores workers on the picket line at the St. Stephen’s Green store.
Speaking to workers Gerry Adams expressed Sinn Féin’s ‘solidarity and absolute and unambiguous support for the thousands of Dunnes Stores workers who are taking industrial action today as part of their campaign for decent working conditions, wages and standard of living for them and their families.’
Gerry Adams said in his letter to the Directors of Dunnes Stores He had ‘made very clear Sinn Fein’s support for the Decency for Dunnes Workers Campaign’ and ‘expressed our total support for their right to secure hours and incomes; secure jobs; fair pay; and the right to trade union representation.’
He added, ‘The Decency for Dunnes Workers is calling for the introduction of banded hour contracts to give workers security of hours and earning; fair and consistent work; and a review of Dunnes excessive use of temporary contracts of employment.’
The workers and Mandate Trade Union had tried to resolve this dispute directly with Dunnes Management, Mr Adams said, and had ‘sought to use the State’s mechanisms for resolving industrial disputes such as the Labour Relations Commission and the Labour Court.’ However, ‘Dunnes has rejected all attempts at mediation and negotiation and have broken an existing 1996 agreement procedure for resolving industrial disputes.’
He concluded: ‘The Dunnes Workers are taking a stand in defence of their own rights but also in support of low-paid workers, part time and casual workers across this state who are victim of exploitation. Sinn Féin supports the Dunnes Workers.’

Biggest obstacle to implementing Stormont Agreement is Tory cuts
Sinn Féin MLA Gerry Kelly said last week that the biggest challenge to the implementation of the Stormont House Agreement came from the British government’s plans for further massive cuts to public services and welfare.
The North Belfast MLA, and North Belfast Westminster candidate, was speaking after he and Party negotiator Conor Murphy met representatives of the British and Irish governments and the other Executive parties.
Gerry Kelly said themeeting reviewed the progress to date of the implementation of the Stormont House Agreement. He said that progress had been made ‘across a range of issues including work to bring forward mechanisms to deal with the legacy of the past’,
Sinn Féin was also ‘continuing to work constructively on schemes to implement welfare protections for children with disabilities, adults with severe disabilities, the long-term sick and large families.’
However he said the British government’s plans to make further massive cuts to public services and to reduce welfare spending by £12bn were a major problem.
He concluded, Sinn Fein had ‘made it clear that the Tory assault on the block grant and the welfare state contributed to the current difficulties in the political process’ and that ‘the further massive cuts announced recently by the British Chancellor George Osborne are unacceptable and would undermine the ability of local parties to implement the agreement.’

Government cannot deny ‘true nature of 1916’
As Sinn Fein activists prepared to mark the anniversary of 1916, with Easter events across Ireland, Sinn Fein TD, and chair of the party’s 1916 centenary committee, Aengus Ó Snodaigh called upon the Dublin government ‘not to try and airbrush the militant nature of the 1916 Rising from history’.
His comments came as evidence emerged that the government chose not to include references to the executed leaders of the Rising, and later Volunteers, in their original launch video, which was widely derided as lacking historical content.
Deputy Ó Snodaigh said the Dublin Government had been ‘under serious pressure, and rightly so, since the debacle of the launch of its commemorative video last November’ which had been ‘widely derided’.
He said: ‘We cannot shy away from the militant nature of the Rising; these were small groups of men and women across the country fighting back against the might of an empire. We cannot sanitise this fact for the sake of sensitivities. The original minds behind the infamous ‘Ireland 2016’ thought the actual Rising was of little importance to commemorations. Since November, there has been a marked improvement in the government’s approach and attitude. I believe that Irish people should be rightly proud of the courage of the men and women who in 1916 took on the British Empire to assert Ireland’s nationhood and independence.’
He also reiterated Sinn Féin’s welcome of the decision by the government to buy the Moore Street Monument, saying he hoped this would be ‘the first step in a process that will see the whole terrace preserved and developed into a 1916 Revolutionary Quarter.’
Elsewhere, in Liverpool Sinn Fein representative Sean Oliver attended events to mark the Easter 1916 rising in the city. In addition, a number of events are planned next year to mark the Centenary. In London a commemorative committee has been established to hold a series of events in the capital, in the run up to and around the centenary in 2016. This year, an Irish historical and social commemorative walking tour around central London is taking place on Easter Monday 6 April, meeting at 12 noon at the Great Northern hotel, between Kings Cross and St. Pancras stations. Organisers advise bringing comfortable walking shoes for the 2 hour tour. A fundraising music event is planned later in May in a north London – details to be announced.

Week in Review is circulated by the Sinn Fein London office. Until May 7, you can reach us at irishunityconference@yahoo.com or follow the news on Twitter @sinnfeinireland or at www.sinnfein.ie.