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DELEGATES AT CONNECT Trade Union’s conference have today called for the legal right for workers to refuse to assist genocidal regimes.
Connect held its biennial conference in Athlone today. The trade union represents workers from engineering, electrical, and technical sectors, including apprentices.
Connect activist, Frank Keoghan, who proposed an emergency motion on the issue, said: “This Union will support, through the [Irish Congress of Trade Unions], the moves by political parties in the Dáil for the immediate insertion in labour law of a right for workers to refuse to assist in any way regimes which stand accused of war crimes and genocide by the International Court of Justice.”
The motion was supported unanimously by delegates.
Keoghan said that in Ireland, there is currently the “unacceptable situation” in which Irish workers who refuse to handle, transport or otherwise engage with goods that could “possibly assist regimes” are subject to disciplinary action.
Connect General Secretar Paddy Kavanagh said the union was not enforcing restrictions upon workers, but seeking respect for workers who do not want to be “in any way associated with assisting regimes that may be carrying out a genocide.”
“We understand that the Labour Party will shortly present a Bill to the Dáil which seeks to amend existing labour law to allow workers to ‘conscientiously object’ to co-operating with the transport or production of goods which could assist a regime accused at the International Court of Justice of genocide,” he said.
He added that the union was calling upon the ICTU, the national trade union centre, and all political parties to support the Bill.
Delegates and guests observed a moment of silence for those killed in conflicts in Palestine, Lebanon, and Israel.
Among those who addressed the conference were Fórsa General Secretary Kevin Callinan, Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald and the Palestinian Ambassador to Ireland Dr. Jilan Wahba Abdalmajid.
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As long as they don’t go on strike over Xmas I don’t care as I’m flying home with them then. However they have lost me as a customer from now on as I’m sick and tired of strike threats I will fly with Etihad from now on.
Etihad? But Aer Lingus don’t fly to Abu Dhabi?
Code share, look it up, if you fly from the Middle East with Klm you get on Aer Lingus in Amsterdam
Unless of course their on strike
They’re
If DAA go on strike none of the airlines will be going anywhere, at least not from Dublin
The usual pre-christmas strike action threat from the Shamrocks
Belfast
Another possible strike involving Aer Lingus? Do the staff ever work? Give me a job and I will work and I won’t even miss a day to be sick!
The quicker this Aer Lingus crowd are completely privatised the better. Overpaid,underworked, jumped up malingerers. They should all be sent to work for Ryanair for a few months. There wouldn’t be a word out of them when they came back.
It’s the DAA ye should be worried about if this strike goes ahead( which it won’t) Aer Lingus staff can’t shut the airport down…. All the Ryanair, easyjet flights won’t take off either then……
There is no easyjet flights
Rodrigo you’re a d1ckhead
Sounds like your new to town,workers have paid their own money into pensions ,some people which have 30yrs service,they will be lucky to see 20% of that!understand now?
I think we’ve all had quite enough of Trade Unions holding the country to ransom.
Explain.
Oh my goodness……how rare!!!
Can someone please explain to me why in this age of employment law and measures in place to protect employees rights we need unions at all?
Fat cat salaries for the elite union officials sends to be the only reason left.
Can someone please explain to me why in this age of employment law and measures in place to protect employees rights we need unions at all?”
– how about static or declining wages – and conditions- – zero hour contracts.
We have never needed Unions more – pity they became part of the Establishment – at least some did – but that can be changed .
I can’t understand why SIPTU has a problem with the separation of SNN from the DAA. Since the airport has went its own way there has been nothing but good news coming out of there regarding new routes and frequency increases on existing routes. This week alone Aer Lingus Regional announced the reintroduction of the route to Bristol and also the basing of a second aircraft at the airport which may lead to even more routes being introduced. Couple all that with new Ryanair routes and increases to transatlantic things seem to be going in the right direction.
Lockout please but wait until jan :)
Big Jim is turning in his grave at union fatcats who are now self serving as opposed to serving their members.
What the feck do unions know about whats good for a business, they commented on the separation last week…….it happened weeks ago……someone must have disturbed their hibernation…go back to sleep you moron…..
It’s worth remembering when people are condemning ESB workers for defending their pensions that the DAA and Aer Lingus denied any future short fall in the pension fund only a few short years ago. The airports won’t close because SIPTU will not allow it to happen. Unfortunately the employers and the government know this so how effective this ballot will be is questionable.
have your say