Unions join forces in calling for no vote on austerity
treaty Three major trade unions with combined membership of more than 100,000
have issued a strong call to vote no in Thursday’s referendum on what they are
calling the austerity treaty.
The CPSU, Mandate and UNITE trade unions represent
workers across the private and public sector and a wide range of industries from
retail to transport and finance.
UNITE Regional Secretary Jimmy Kelly said:
“The Treaty is only about austerity and does not have any
provisions relating to growth.”
“It has been rushed in as a panic measure. No less than
ten Euro zone countries have now slipped back into recession.”
“The problem with the treaty is that it enshrines the
very policies that have caused that recession to get deeper and more damaging.”
“Ireland has a chance to say No, and to pull Europe back
from the brink of economic self harm it has been engaged in to disastrous
effect over the past three years.”
Mandate General Secretary, John Douglas said that the
Fiscal Treaty if passed will not create one job:
“On the contrary it will legally lock down Irish economic
activity at its current levels, and may even shrink domestic demand further
leading to mass unemployment, decades of emigration and sow the seeds for
future social conflict.
“This Treaty has nothing to do with ‘good housekeeping’
or ‘managing the household budget’; it is about copper fastening into an
internationally legally binding agreement, decades of austerity, social
exclusion, mass long term unemployment and emigration – and a continuation of
attacks on workers’ rights and the welfare system. It is not about what is good
for Irish citizens, or the citizens of Europe, it is a treaty of the Right for
the Right!”
CPSU General Secretary Eoin Ronayne said:
“The Treaty amounts to writing into law the failed
policies of the neo liberals who got us into the mess we are in.”
“Why on earth would lower and middle income people vote
to make their lives even worse than they already are”
“What the ordinary citizens of the EU need is a sustained
and comprehensive growth package putting money back into their pockets so that
they can spend in their local economies generating jobs and protecting existing
employment”
“Nothing in this Treaty will do that and a NO vote is the
only way for people to stand up and say we’ve had enough of what got us into
this crisis and that it’s time for change”
Each of the three unions has been working with activists
and workplace representatives to encourage debate among members and present a
balance to the government messaging that there is no choice but to say yes.
Mandate has produced a short video message and is mailing
25,000 members with a leaflet this weekend explaining the reasons behind the
union’s stance. UNITE is also sending messages to each of its 50,000 members in
the Republic of Ireland while the CPSU is similarly communicating that there is
an alternative to austerity.
Further information:
Jimmy Kelly, Unite Regional Secretary 087 9003217 Rob
Hartnett, Unite Press office 086 3851955 Pat Montague, Montague Communications
087 2549123 Eoin Ronayne, CPSU General Secretary 087 2520603
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