National News

ICTU Biennial Conference, Tralee : 7-10 July 2009

The ICTU Biennial Delegate Conference was held against the background of the worst recession in living memory, with unemployment now heading for 1/2m and the government pumping billions of taxpayer/workers money into failing bank, while at the same time cutting public services to pay for this.

The Conference was held on the week that the first sign of a fight back by a Trade Union against the employers reaction to the recession - pay cuts or freeze, occurred, with 10,000 electricians, members of the TEEU commencing strike action on Monday 6th July 2009. This was because of the failure by electrical contractors to honour pay increases totalling 11% due to them under their registered agreement. The employers instead wanted to impose a 10% pay cut on the electricians.

The mood of the 600+ delegates at the Conference was a mixture of anger and fear. Anger at the way the Fianna Fail/Progressive Democrat/Green Governments of the last twelve years had squandered the boom of the so called " Celtic Tiger" by it's implementation of neo liberal economic policies which favoured the rich over workers and their families, and private over public enterprise, and fear of what the future will bring given that the government has committed billions of Euro to bail out the banks and property speculators, both of whom were the principal causes of the recession.

This was reflected in the 72 motions before the Conference, over half of which related to the economy in both Northern Ireland, and in the very comprehensive report from Congress Executive to the BDC.

The Executive Council report was scathing of government policies on the economy since 1997 and referred to where the Trade Union movement had over that time pointed out to the government where it was going wrong and had urged for a change of policy to a more sustainable and equitable economic path but to no avail. A case of we told you so.

The outgoing ICTU President Patricia McKeown (UNISION) in her opening address to Conference called on the Trade Union Movement in both Northern Ireland and the Republic to go on the offensive to counter the policies being pursued by Governments and business. This she said would include direct action. In this regard she paid tribute to the former Visteon workers in Belfast who occupied their factory for several weeks in pursuit of better redundancy terms and for their pension fund to be put on a secure footing.

She also pledged the support of ICTU to the striking electricians of the TEEU.

Patricia McKeown also referred to a number of international struggles in her speech including Palestine and how she had led a delegation from ICTU to the occupied Territories and Israel last year and that ICTU was the first European Trade Movement to call for a boycott of Israeli goods and disinvestment from Israel. She said that over €100,000 had been raised by Trade Union Friends Friends of Palestine for relief medical work in Gaza and the West Bank.

She congratulated Cuba on the 50th anniversary of the Revolution, condemned the US blocade of Cuba, and called for the release by the US of the Miami Five.

She also referred to the plight of Trade Unionists in Colombia and welcomed the Director of Human Rights of the CUT Luis Alberto Varagas as a fraternal guest to the Conference.

TSSA's motion, no. 14 which called for ethical considerations to be taken into account by the National Pension Reserve Fund when making investments was proposed by myself and seconded by the delegate fro Kildare Trades Council and carried unanimously by the Conference.

Other motions on Global issues included ones on the Lisbon Treaty, which was referred back to the Executive following a lively debate, Palestine, Sri Lanka and Colombia. This called on the EU to end special trading status for Colombia because of it's appalling Human Rights record especially in regard to Trade Unionists.

There were a number of Guest speakers including Sheila Bearcroft of the TUC, Grahame Smith of the Scottish TUC, Martin McGuinness, Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland, John Monks of the ETUC and Taoiseach Brian Cowen, who got a cool reception from delegates and a dressing down from ICTU Gen. Sec.David Begg following his speech.

The speaker who got the best reception of the Conference was Luis Alberto Varagas of the CUT, Colombia.

Luis Alberto spoke of the daily terror from right wing terrorists and government death squads he and his members suffer.

He complimented ICTU for it's support and called for greater solidarity from European unions with Colombia.

There were a number of fringe meetings at the Conference including ones on Palestine and Colombia.

In his closing address incoming President Jack O'Connor of SIPTU spoke of the importance of Trade Union unity at this time and warned that a long battle lay ahead for workers against both employers and the government to fight proposed cuts in pay and services.

John Bowen: TSSA Delegate

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