Union boss says 'double standards' in way union protests treated compared to farmers

Vivienne Clarke

The general secretary of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, Owen Reidy has spoken of the “double standards” in Ireland in the way union protests are treated compared to those of farmers. His comments come as the Minister for Transport said it was not acceptable that people were not being allowed to go about their daily lives.

Reidy said: “I've been involved in many public transport disputes over the years, and we have to ballot our members for industrial action, serve seven day’s notice, and ultimately, if we don't do that, the High Court can injunct the disputes and sequester the union's funds, but it seems farmers and businesses, because the hauliers are businesses, can do as they please."

Something was happening in “middle Ireland”, he said on RTÉ radio’s Today with David McCullagh show, and said the Government had a problem because they were not responsible for the current crisis.

“It's a lunatic in the White House and a war criminal in Tel Aviv, but they are responsible for the policy choices, and that's key, and we've looked for a member of the Labour Employer Economic Forum, which is the Government, unions and employers, and that's meeting next Friday, and we'll be putting a range of immediate policy options that we think it's imperative the Government take, because I think in the cost of living crisis, which is only going to get worse, notwithstanding the welcome ceasefire last night, it's crucial that we put workers centre stage.”

The Government should be seeking to make public services cheaper for people, he said. “We think, as this crisis is only going to get worse, it's important that they make them much cheaper, and in some cases free, and that's education, health and public transport for a period of time. We think workers need to see a double indexation of the tax plans, because we didn't get it in last year's budget and we need to get it in this one.

“We think the government need to come out with a very clear statement quickly that workers who can work from home and want to work from home should have the right to do so during this crisis, and we really have to get rid of this nonsense of the VAT cut for the hospitality sector. It was always a ridiculous idea. It's even more ridiculous now.

“We need to join up social welfare and revenue so we can give targeted measures to workers who need them. Revenue and social welfare don't seem to talk to each other. We don't have the data in the administration, and of course we need to reduce our dependency on fossil fuels.

“We have to make sure we protect families and we protect workers, many of whom, before this crazy escapade of Donald Trump, have been suffering significantly. So that's the message for Government from us.”

Minister for Transport Darragh O’Brien said it was not acceptable that people were not being allowed to go about their daily lives because of the fuel protests, and called for a de-escalation of the situation.

Speaking on the David McCullagh show, he said the Government had been in discussions with “recognised national representative bodies” such as the hauliers.

“We have responded significantly already. We cannot have a situation where people’s normal daily lives are being affected. People have a right to go to work. We cannot respond to every single protest that happens.”

Costing businesses significant losses was counterproductive, he added.

“This is unprecedented, what's happening right now, and what I would ask for is a de-escalation, an end of the protest. I think we've already seen what is happening in the Middle East, finally an initial de-escalation, the first one we've seen of a ceasefire. This is a global crisis. Ireland, like every other country, is impacted by it, and we'll do our best to support people, but the way of doing that is not to disrupt our own supply chain.”

O'Brien said that it was not acceptable that small groups of protestors were causing disruption.

“What it's doing now is costing the very businesses within our cities and towns significant losses already, and that's not, that's counterproductive, like if we want to retain the resources to be able to support our people, we need to have a functioning economy, anyone who sees what's happening right now, (when supply chains are so badly disrupted, and that impacts on society, it impacts on our economy, and it's not the way to go about doing our business.”