Retail workers are frontline workers, serving both the customers and supporting the various retail businesses across the sector. As we emerge from the pandemic, retail workers are demanding decency and a fair deal for retail. Join the many thousands of people who shop in Liffey Valley by demanding that your local Shop Worker in the centre doesn't have to pay these unreasonable expenses, as they continue to serve on the frontline.

As the world goes digital for all types of audio and visual entertainment, Ireland is going in the opposite direction. Radio in Ireland is stale - dominated by just a few media groups, most of which play the same music over and over again. DAB Radio stands for Digital Audio Broadcasting and can offer much more choice for the radio listener. Imagine having multiple non stop music stations of every conceivable genre? The Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI) is the body responsible for regulating radio in Ireland, however no new licenses have been issued in the last decade. When it comes to Digital Audio Broadcasting, provision has been made in section 131 parts i and ii of the Broadcasting Act 2009 to open up Ireland to Digital Radio, however in over 13 years the above Commission has sat on its laurels and failed to realise the provisions of this act. If you have come to this petition, it is most likely because you have been listening to a DAB service in Ireland which has been set up to demonstrate what could be, if our regulators embraced this technology (like most other countries in Europe) The EU have allocated 36 frequencies in the VHF band exclusively for use by Digital Audio Broadcasters - each one of these frequencies capable of broadcasting over 20 digital music services each – if we do the maths, that’s a lot of potential services available. It is now an EU requirement for every new car to have a DAB tuner on its entertainment system. on average 120,000 new vehicles are sold in Ireland each year, it will also be a requirement soon that any "portable radio" sold must also include the DAB band to receive Digital radio. In Ireland this frequency band is completely unused. When any enterprising entrepreneurs take it upon themselves to demonstrate what could be, swift action is taken by the regulators to close these services down. Ireland needs the restrictive rules around broadcasting removed. Imagine only one takeaway, or one car retailer being allowed in each town or even each county? !! well that's the way it is with radio. The BAI needs to fully embrace DIGITAL radio and to remove, completely amend or rework the existing Broadcasting Act 2009, which combined with the Wireless Telegraphy Act 1926 and 1988 completely stymies any third party from entering the radio market. This makes the overall radio experience of Irish people much poorer than their EU or UK counterparts. DAB radio is also extremely environmentally friendly - 20 stations could potentially use the same amount of electricity as just one FM service. Three of these DAB frequencies could be used to transmit every station currently on FM across the entire country. About 40 transmitting sites would be needed to provide almost national coverage. Those sites are already being used for FM. The National stations from RTE, Today FM and Newtalk currently use 6 analogue frequencies on each site. Add into the mix the local and community stations, and in many parts of the country this exceeds 10 analogue frequencies. All these could be condensed into just 3 national DAB Multiplexes. Imagine being able to select the local radio station for Kerry while on holiday or business in Donegal without the need to use mobile data and a clunky app, or being able to tune into a Monaghan local GAA match while in Cork on the Monaghan local station. With Digital radio this is all possible. Add another 3 multiplexes into the mix and we could have 60 national non stop stations bring you every conceivable music format. DAB can also be used on a local basis. In the UK this is called small scale DAB. County multiplexes could contain numerous versions of the very successful community services, local sports events, religious services and live local government broadcasts.

New Look staff in Strabane, some with over twenty years service, are being forced into redundancy by a senseless Lidl relocation from Bradley Way to Strabane Retail Park. It will bring ten new jobs but will cost up to sixty job losses. Strabane is an area of high social and economic deprivation and these potential job losses will be a disaster for a town with historically high unemployment. Four retail units will close to facilitate this Lidl development and relocation (New Look, Menarys, Peacocks, Argos). Strabane Workers Together are highlighting this redundancy injustice and are calling on all four aforementioned employers to relocate within Strabane.

Ukraine's national debt is €120 billion, that's almost 80% of their GDP. They are spending €6bn a year just servicing this debt, and have had years of austerity measures pushed as a result. This is illegitimate debt, built up due to the oligarchisation of society, the failure to tax the rich and currently increasing rapidly due to the brutal Russian invasion. Now a growing international movement is demanding this debt be cancelled. Given our own history, Irish people should be at the forefront in demanding the the cancellation of this odious debt.

Unfortunately, as a result of complaints from certain neighbours to Dublin City Council - one referencing “the sound of chatter and laughter”, we have been forced to close our Rathgar location 😞 This is obviously extremely upsetting for us, as we really feel that we have integrated so well into the community and were just after finding our feet in the area. To those that have expressed support during this situation, thank you so much. Most of you guys know that we really tried our best here and still it wasn’t enough for some people. We are one of many trailers across Dublin that so many people depended on during covid and now that covid restrictions have lifted we are being punished. 🤨 It has been a difficult couple of weeks trying to prevent this, and especially telling 4 wonderful staff members that they’ll no longer have jobs.

82% of the Irish people support neutrality in all its aspects.

CETA is a proposed trade deal between the EU and Canada. Buried in the smaller print there is the creation of a hugely problematic new corporate court that will override our current courts. CETA is a dangerous corporate power grab that gives multinational corporations extraordinary powers to sue us for millions of euros in shady, secretive tribunals if they believe our local and national government policies have put our interests ahead of their expected profits.  For example, if CETA were to be implemented and the government enacts limits on rent, as Ireland's largest private landlord (often referred to as a 'Vulture Fund') is Canadian - Ires Reit - they could sue the state to make up for any loss of profit to the Canadian company.  If we bring in more climate laws or regulation to work towards addressing some of the causes of climate crisis, companies can sue is if they think the laws will affect their profits too.  Governments have been sued in other countries who have introduced these new types of courts. This new court system, that supersedes and operates outside our own court system, would lead an already corporate-friendly government further down the road of putting business profits above the needs of Irish people and make secure, sustainable and affordable homes more out of reach. Once CETA is ratified, it allows investors to go straight to these special tribunals and sideline domestic courts and those of the European Union. Investor court decisions cannot be challenged by either the State or the EU; this is the equivalent of handing corporations a blank cheque! We must stand against this corporate takeover that will risk our efforts of addressing the climate, cost of living, and housing crises. For more info on investor courts and the damage they do, check out this information resource: https://corporateeurope.org/en/international-trade/2019/01/investor-privileges-vs-people-and-planet Image source: Avaaz

We call on TCD to boycott and divest from all companies which operate in historic Palestine or which are complicit in Israeli apartheid. This includes companies which manufacture arms or security technologies used by the state of Israel to carry out ethnic cleansing and implement apartheid against the Palestinian people. TCD currently has links with 15 Israeli organizations, including academic institutions such as the Weizmann Institute of Science, which openly collaborates with the war-industry, including many companies involved in armaments, such Israel Aerospace Industries and Elbit Systems. Furthermore, College solicits services from Tel Aviv University, which develops war technology, trains lawyers to defend war crimes and sends Pro-Israeli delegations to foreign universities. Finally, College has links with Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, which is involved with arms research and technology, cooperates with the Israeli military and openly collaborates with the Elbit corporation. This makes every member of the college community complicit in Israel’s crimes and oppression of Palestine. We will not stand for this. We call on TCD to cease all collaboration with Israeli universities in accordance with the guidelines laid down by PACBI, the Palestinian Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel. These guidelines call for a boycott of Israeli academic institutions, rather than individual academics, as these institutions have played a key role in the ongoing colonization of Palestine. We demand the immediate cessation of research cooperation with Israeli universities that is in any way connected with the security and military industries.

What is Stamp 3 visa? Stamp 3 visa is a type of residence permit that states people cannot work or engage in business, trade, or profession. This type of stamp is issued to spouses and children of general work employment permit holders as well as spouses of Non-EEA PhD students in Ireland. Why is this important to us? As skilled immigrants in Ireland we would like to be treated with equality to access employment and contribute to the economy of Ireland. This can only be achieved by removing the obstacles that we have to go through to be considered for employment in Ireland. What can you do to help? We request for your support to petition the Irish government to allow spouses & children of general work employment permit holders and spouses of PhD students to access employment without the requirement of applying for a separate work permit. Useful resources: https://reformstamp3.webador.ie/ http://www.inis.gov.ie/en/inis/pages/registration-stamps https://enterprise.gov.ie/en/What-We-Do/Workplace-and-Skills/Employment-Permits/ http://www.inis.gov.ie/en/INIS/Family%20Reunification%20Policy%20Document.pdf/Files/Family%20Reunification%20Policy%20Document.pdf https://enterprise.gov.ie/en/Publications/Publication-files/Employment-Permits-FAQs-2020.pdf https://enterprise.gov.ie/en/What-We-Do/Workplace-and-Skills/Employment-Permits/Employment-Permit-Eligibility/Immigration-Employment-Permits/

The erosion of Irish neutrality is inextricably linked to the daily use of Shannon Airport by the U.S. military for over two decades. It is effectively a forward operating base used to support their operations in the Middle East, including their ongoing support for Israel. Over three million US troops and their weapons as well as regular U.S. Air Force/Navy planes have passed through since 2002. Two Articles of the Irish Constitution have been repeatedly and consistently undermined through this misuse of a civilian airport. Article 28.3.1 says war shall not be declared and the State shall not participate in any war save with the assent of Dáil Éireann. Article 29 affirms the State’s devotion to the ideal of peace and friendly co-operation amongst nations founded on international justice and morality, and its adherence to the principles of the peaceful settlement of international disputes by international arbitration or judicial determination. Despite this, Shannon has provided direct support for ground offensives and bombing campaigns, and has been complicit in the deaths and displacement of millions of people. The U.S. Military use of Shannon Airport and Irish airspace also costs the Irish state in excess of €4 million euro a year. This is as a result of air traffic subsidies to the U.S. military, Garda policing arrangements at the airport, the use of the Defence Forces to provide additional security for the transiting warplanes. More info: https://shannonwatch.org. We demand an end to the U.S. Military use of Shannon Airport.

Seven months ago, our much loved postmistress, gave notice that she was to retire. An Post responded by putting a poster in the window looking for interested parties to take over the service. They did not advertise this in local or national press. Now, to our dismay, we have been informed that the post office will be closing on the 14th August 2021 . The Post Office service in Kinvara has been a hugely important hub of activity for many years and it continues to be a busy service. Kinvara Post Office is a core enterprise in this rural community and is responsible for the provision of vital financial services to the most vulnerable service users in our area. There is a agreement between An Post and the government that An Post must ensure that people continue to have access to financial services and are not financially excluded. One worrying result of this will be that our most vulnerable; older service users and those with physical or intellectual challenges, will now have to travel to Kilcolgan (8 km) or Gort (14.5 km) to draw their cash payments. There is also a serious lack of public transport in the area and people without cars are at a distinct disadvantage. Kinvara is a growing village and has many small businesses who both directly and indirectly benefit from the presence of our post office and the removal of this vital service will undoubtedly have a detrimental effect on these businesses. We call on An Post and Minister Eamon Ryan to reissue the call for a postmaster in Kinvara and this time advertise it so that relevant interested parties can see it.

Fashion chains are responsible for ensuring their workers are paid living wages, work in a safe environment and receive sufficient rest periods between work. However, fast fashion chains like Primark and H&M are notorious for sourcing their clothes from factories that provide none of the above. Dunnes Stores has a similar fast fashion model, yet unlike many other large retailers, has no information on its website regarding where it's clothes come from and how their garment workers are treated. The Clean Clothes Campaign estimates that garment workers in India and Bangladesh are paid, on average, 2-5 times less than is needed to live with dignity. Poor working conditions also endanger the lives of workers. In the case of the 2013 collapse of the Dhaka garment factory in Rana Plaza, Bangladesh, over 1,000 people died due to shockingly poor implementation of building safety standards. Some of Dunnes' clothes are made in Bangladesh yet it was one of the few retailers who failed to sign the Fire and Safety Accord in 2013 to improve factory conditions in the country. The sustainability of fast fashion retailers is also coming under increased scrutiny as the climate crisis accelerates. The fashion industry produces 10% of the world's carbon emissions. Two key factors in this are clothes waste caused by excess production and use of unsustainable fabrics. Retailers like Dunnes must take responsibility for sustainably and ethically sourcing the clothes they sell. If not, we as consumers must hold them responsible for the sake of our future.