|
VoteNo.ie Emergency Appeal For Funds. Help us to win Please Donate here
Latest 16.05.2008
Make Sure SIPTU does not join IBEC in
calling for a Yes Vote.
The largest union in the country is
calling an information meeting on the Lisbon Treaty. Unfortunately, the
information will be somewhat one sided . The only advertised guest speaker at
the Dublin meeting is Martin Territt, Director of the European Commission in
Ireland.
The meeting will take place on Saturday
17th May 2008 at 10.30 am in Liberty Hall. Any SIPTU member can
attend.
So far no Irish union has come out in favour
of the Lisbon Treaty because of pressure from their own grassroots. Two unions,
UNITE and TEEU, are opposed to the treaty, citing the threat it poses to workers
rights.
But the hierarchy of the unions are trying
to change that. Despite the fact that his own union has not endorsed any
position, CPSU General Secretary Blair Horan has spoken in the Yes side and the
impression was conveyed that he was speaking for the union.
ICTU leaders appear to have given private
indications to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Affairs that they
favour a Yes position, but are experiencing some local difficulties from the
membership.
Most of the SIPTU leaders are tied to the
Labour Party and that party has exerted more effort in supporting a right wing
government get a Yes vote than any other campaign it has mounted
recently.
Kieran Allen, a candidate for the General
Secretary of SIPTU, said
‘ Our union should not join IBEC in calling
for a Yes vote. Many of us remember how IBEC did nothing to distance itself from
the owners of Irish Ferries when they paid workers below the minimum wage. They
favour the Laval judgement and want to attack workers
rights.
“IBEC has stated publicly that it is
supporting the treaty because it will bring more privatisation. Why should
unions side with this neo-liberal agenda?”
“ SIPTU should stop backing up government
policy and start fighting for its members.
This should begin with a strong call for a
No vote.“
‘I call on all SIPTU members to make a
special effort to attend these information meetings and to leave the leadership
in no doubt about the anger that will grow if they call for a Yes
vote’.
|
