(en) Workers Solidarity Movement (Ireland) - A year of class war

Last year at the Dublin Anarchist Bookfair, Dave Douglas spoke about the miners' strike 
and the state repression that accompanied it. At the time, it seemed in the distant past. 
How things have changed in less than a year. If that talk were on today it would seem more 
immediate. The idea of our society being engulfed in class war, seems less abstract, 
mainly because now we're fighting back and the other side are reciprocating physically. 
The attacks on our rights aren't just economic any more. ---- We've got working class 
communities in revolt, we've a high level of rank and file organising, we've got state 
repression, we've got growing distrust of the cops - to the point of no return. ----- What 
is missing however is union solidarity. Sure, some unions are involved in Right2Water, but 
the best they've come up with is to attempt to build some sort of an electoral alliance at 
a time when arrests are happening en masse and when their muscle could stop it right now. 
That is what feels post-miners strike, post-partnership about this. The Irish state is 
weak compared to Thatchers Britain. A little bit of union muscle and a lot of solidarity 
could go a long way towards defeating the water charges, bringing down the government and 
beginning the reversal of austerity.

Here's the talk in full, it's well worth a watch:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DiasO_uMWeM