A new documentary, supported by SIPTU, on Ireland’s forgotten housing rebellion of the 1970s, will be shown at the Irish Film Institute (IFI) in Dublin on Tuesday, 6th August at 6.30 pm.
“The Rent Strike” is a powerful reminder of the impact that collective action can have.
This forgotten rebellion saw over 350,000 tenants across Ireland withhold payments in protest against skyrocketing rents, deplorable living conditions and a lack of basic amenities.
Led by the National Association of Tenants Organisations, this collective action achieved a significant victory in August 1973, described in The Irish Times as “undoubtedly the most dramatic and bloodless victory ever achieved in this century by tenants versus landlords”.
Speaking in advance of the screening, CATU member and SIPTU Shop Steward, Jack Ferguson said: “Like many aspects of working-class history, these events do not appear in the established historical record and the experiences of those who took part have not been recorded.
This project aims to play its part in helping to address that and is ultimately rooted in the belief that there are important lessons to be learnt from previous successful examples of community and tenant organising in Ireland.”
The documentary, a first-time exploration of this movement, uses footage from RTÉ archives alongside interviews with the brave tenants and their families who organised and participated in the rent strike.
It celebrates the inspiring story of this working-class campaign, with a particular spotlight on the women who led the pickets and protests every day.