"Unity of Labour is the
Hope of the World"

Two leading figures in the trade Union movement have given their backing to a 'Yes' vote in the Lisbon Treaty referendum precipitating a wider Public/Private Trade Union divide on the issue!

At the IMPACT Trade Union Conference in Kilkenny on 15th May 2008, Irish Congress of Trade Unions General Secretary, David Begg and IMPACT General Secretary, Peter McLoone both said the Charter of Fundamental Rights which is such an important part of the reform treaty was too important to be missed out on.

Their backing for Lisbon came days before the Irish Congress of Trade Unions was due to consider its position on the treaty referendum which takes place on Thursday, 12th June 2008 and the position of two such prominent leaders is guaranteed to affect the stance of Congress.

On 5th May 2008, the National Executive of the Technical Engineering and Electrical Union (TEEU) advised their 45,000 members to vote 'No' in the referendum on the Lisbon Treaty which has led to a war of words with other Unions campaigning for a 'Yes' vote.

Mr. Begg said he could understand that many people within the Trade Union movement were disenchanted with the 'European Project'.

"They regard the concept of social Europe as having been put on the back boiler at best or at worst sacrificed on the altar of neoliberalism," he said. "These fears are not irrational for the present Commission is probably the most neo-liberal ever. However, what is most important from a trade Union point of view is the Charter of Fundamental Rights."

"It would be, in my view, a serious error of judgement to miss the opportunity to give legal effect to the Charter."

Mr. McLoone said the Charter was a prize that Trade Unions across Europe had pursued for many, many years and those Unions would be amazed if the Irish Unions were prepared to risk its rejection when it was finally within their grasp.

Largest Craft Union

The State's largest craft Union, the Technical Engineering and Electrical Union, has urged its 45,000 members to vote "No" in the June Lisbon Treaty referendum.

TEEU General Secretary designate, Eamon Devoy said recent judgements by the European Court of Justice demonstrated that the pendulum had swung against workers' rights and in favour of big business.

In these circumstances, it would be "foolish" to give more power to EU institutions.

"The decision by the TEEU, which represents middle-income workers in manufacturing, construction, energy, engineering and electrical contracting, will come as a serious blow for the "Yes" side in the treaty debate, which is increasingly worried about the breadth of sectional interests showing hostility to the treaty." (Irish Times-6.5.2008).

The TEEU is one of the first major Unions to take a public stance on the referendum; a number of other Unions have said they would like to see concessions from the Government on agency workers in the National Pay talks before pledging their support.

The National Executive of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) will decide on its stance when it meets on May 18th.

The pro-Treaty group, the Irish Alliance for Europe, described the TEEU's decision as premature because, it claimed, the issues the Union wanted addressed would be dealt with in the Treaty.

Its Chairman, former Labour Party leader, Ruairí Quinn, TD, said it was "very much" in the interests of ordinary workers that the treaty be passed.

"By voting 'Yes' we will be giving unprecedented protection to Irish workers by enshrining the Charter of Fundamental Rights into EU law", he said.

Deputy Quinn predicted other Unions would support the treaty.

The TEEU Argument

Explaining the decision of his Union's National Executive, Mr. Devoy said that while recent European court judgements accepted workers' right to organise in Unions, they negated this by saying industrial action could not be taken where it conflicted with the provision of goods and services, regardless of the social consequences.

He cited the Laval case, where the Court found against Swedish workers who were preventing lower-wage Latvian workers from accessing a building site, and the Viking case, involving a Finnish company which crewed its boats with cheaper Estonian workers.

A third case, known as Ruffert, struck a particular chord with TEEU members, he said. Here, the court found that a Polish subcontractor operating in Germany was entitled to pay workers less than half the agreed minimum wage for the construction sector, because the right to provide unrestricted services took priority over collective wage agreements.

"Twice in recent times we have found Polish workers at Moneypoint in Co. Clare being grossly exploited by German contractors and paid as little as €5 an hour. In another instance we discovered Serbian electricians being paid as little as $3.81 an hour. We were only able to ensure proper rates were paid to these workers after strong pressure, including the prospect of industrial action, was exerted on the companies concerned."

The Ruffert judgement raised the spectre of similar abuses of vulnerable migrant workers in future, he said, and would make it "all but impossible" for Irish workers and companies to compete for tenders. Mr. Devoy said that "until EU states were prepared to recognise the right of workers to take industrial action in defence of living standards", the TEEU would not support "reforms that only strengthen big business".

"If the Irish Government and the European Commission want popular support for the Lisbon Treaty they must strengthen the Social Charter and enshrine its provisions in EU law," added Mr. Devoy.

However, the Civil, Public and Services Union (CPSU), with more than 13,000 members working in the clerical and administrative grades of all Government departments, has urged their members to vote 'Yes'.

They said the Lisbon Treaty would strengthen Irish workers' rights and give them legal protection through the Charter of Fundamental Rights.

They said a 'Yes' vote was 'in the interest of ordinary workers'.

Ireland is the only country that will hold a referendum on the Treaty on June 12th.

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