Working Class Action

WCA Press Release on General Election 2002

20th April 2002

Working Class Action will challenge political neglect

An alliance of political and community activists has launched an innovative campaign in the run up to the General Election. The organisation aims to challenge candidates about issues relevant to our working class communities as well as encouraging local communities to seek suitable representatives who will remain answerable to their needs.

The group, Working Class Action, is distributing 20,000 leaflets in Dublin constituencies highlighting issues that local people want addressed by any politician canvassing our votes. WCA also point out the absolute failure of previous governments to genuinely seek to redress the imbalance in Irish society. Through corruption and croneyism they have succeeded in widening the gap between have and have nots.

WCA say that
"We have been constantly told that Ireland is basking in the success of the ‘Celtic Tiger’. For ordinary people, the reality has been vastly different. Working class communities in Dublin continue to face massive social and economic neglect due to the lack of any productive investment by successive governments."



Some of the issues of major concern within working class areas are:

WCA spokesman Cieran Perry explained:
"Activists from our group are from working class areas and have been involved for many years in issues as diverse as the anti-drugs campaigns, opposition to the bin charges, campaigns for health centres and environmental issues. Despite the strong commitment of local people in supporting political actions to highlight their problems, few long term solutions are actually achieved. When communities are angry and active enough, then the politicians will listen. We aim to harness the existing community spirit within these working class areas and we are determined to encourage local people to empower themselves to achieve gains beneficial to them and their families lives on a local and national scale."

Mr Perry continued:
" Working Class Action has come together to encourage working class voters to actively challenge each and every politician on issues of concern to their communities. We are not supporting any party or candidate. We believe that communities should be represented by locally resident candidates who are accountable to their communities. We believe in working class independence and that this can only be achieved by collective political action by communities themselves, not by relying on a politician seen only once every five years".

[ENDS] More information from:
Ph. 087- 9620940
Email: workingclassaction@eircom.net

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