Change in Bin Tax Tactics?

dublin | bin tax / household tax / water tax | opinion/analysis

Monday November 17, 2003 17:15

by Liam Mellowes

The main players in the Bin Tax Campaign in Dublin seem to be changing tactics.

The question of what tactics to pursue in face of a state offensive has become the top priority of Bin Tax campaigners in the last week or two. In fact the Dublin City campaign has been wracked by intense debate during the last month or so. The line up until recently was something along these lines: Sinn Fein and the SWP arguing for a more cautious or conservative position which essentially boiled down to opposition to direct action in most circumstances, in favour of the demo’s/meetings formula beloved of the SWP. The logic of this argument seemed to be that the campaign would be won or lost in next years local elections, and that what was needed now was a strategic retreat so as to keep the issue on a slow burner. The SWP came in for a lot of criticism for claiming to represent areas where they had done no real work, that creating bogus campaigns with no mass base, and this seems to have been true in some cases such as Coolock and Ballyfermot though not others such as Ringsend.

The Socialist Party on the other hand argued forcefully for militant tactics, first in Fingal later in Dublin City, on the basis that this would radicalise people and that blockades of depots and bin trucks in estates would stretch the authorities to the limit. They also vigorously pushed for people, including their own members, to challenge the authorities by going to court and if possible jail. The SP faced criticism for trying to use the campaign to build support for the party and recruit even at the expense of the campaign itself.

The non-aligned majority involved in the campaign tended to follow the lead of those who dominated their area politically ie members from Ballyfermot generally supporting the SWP line, Liberties the SP line etc. The micro-groups WSM, WCA, ISN took a similar line as the SP, sometimes acting as the shock troops of the ‘militant tactics camp’. These tiny groups often seemed to be make a principle of direct action rather than seeing it as a question of tactics.

The situation has taken an interesting twist in the last two weeks. Even though a number of people are still in prison including a number of SP members, that party seems to be changing its position. The emphasis on militant tactics has receeded, and the new emphasis on reaping the reward for their work by recruiting more openly and redirecting some of their energies to SP rather than Bin Tax activities. Interestingly a number of SP fulltimers including the editor of their paper and national organiser have apparently signed forms sent to them by Dublin City Council giving undertakings that they will not interfere with the Bin Collection. This could lead to the cynical reading that while they were prepared to push others, including their own members to go to court and jail, they deem it unnecessary to do so themselves. Rather than personal cowardice this is likely to be the result of a view that they have gained all they can from the current phase of the campaign. It may also be the result of a fear of losing control of the campaign if their fulltimers are out of the picture nor can the possibility be discounted that they may fear a reduction of their influence within the party itself and the ascendance of Clare Daly and Joe Higgins whom they distrust as potential reformists.

The SWP on the other hand, in their usual on/off attitude, have largely dropped the campaign as they divert their energies to other matters such as the ESF and the Anti War Movement. Whether these party turns have a major effect on the campaign remains to be seen.