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ICTU and hoteliers will support Lisbon – but will their members? (21/5/08)

May 21, 2008 at 5:25 pm Leave a comment

There was a breakthrough for the ‘Yes to Lisbon’ campaign today when the Irish Congress of Trade Unions voted to support the treaty in the upcoming referendum. ICTU’s executive council voted 14 to 5 in favour of the document, with 8 abstentions, at a meeting in Dublin this morning. However ICTU General Secretary David Begg said it remains to be seen if the 600,000 members of Congress will follow its advice. Two unions, the TEEU and Unite, voted against supporting the treaty, while SIPTU, Mandate and the Irish Bank Officials Association abstained from voting at all. SIPTU, the country’s largest trade union representing over 200,000 workers, is due to make its position clear next week.
ICTU’s decision was strongly welcomed by Fine Gael MEP Gay Mitchell, who said, ‘It shows that trade union leaders are quite capable of showing leadership when the good of the workforce is concerned.’ The Dublin MEP said that Lisbon will be good for workers as it will make the Charter of Fundamental Rights legally binding, thus promoting social progress and employment and combating exclusion. This view was backed by Impact’s David Begg, who described the Charter as ‘a prize’ that European trade unions had pursued for many years.
However, the Campaign Against the EU Constitution, an alliance of groups lobbying for a ‘No’ vote, challenged union leaders to state how the Charter of Fundamental Rights would protect workers. They claimed that recent judgments by the European Court of Justice in the Laval, Viking and Ruffert cases have worsened the conditions of workers across the EU.
Meanwhile the Irish Hotels Federation today launched its campaign in favour of the Lisbon Treaty. The IHF is calling on almost 60,000 people employed in Irish hotels to vote ‘Yes’ in recognition of the importance of an efficient Europe to the hospitality sector. IHF President Matthew Ryan said, ‘The foundation of the Irish tourist brand is our people and our open, friendly and welcoming attitude. From a tourism perspective, a resounding “Yes” to the Lisbon Treaty will confirm this reputation in the eyes of the other 26 member states.’

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