25 NUJ, ICTU, stand in solidarity with Lyra
Delegates to the ICTU biennial delegate conference from SIPTU (above) and Unison (below) stand in solidarity for the moment of silence in memory of Lyra McKee. Photo: Kevin Cooper Photoline.
Trade unionists from across the country stood in silence and solidarity with the late journalist Lyra McKee at the biennial delegate conference of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions in Dublin in July. In remarks to the conference before calling for the moment of silence, Séamus Dooley, Irish Secretary, moved a special motion calling on ICTU to champion the issues Lyra cherished, including mental health and the provision of adequate funds to tackle the growing problem of suicide in Northern Ireland. “In her short life Lyra sought new horizons,
refusing to accept that change is impossible. A pioneering and inveterate user of social media, Lyra represented the new, modern face of Northern Ireland; a prophetic voice who rose above tribal differences and sought to promote a more inclusive society, free of sectarianism, bigotry and intolerance,” Séamus said. Séamus, a Congress executive council member, also called on the politicians who attended Lyra’s funeral in Belfast to end the political impasse in Northern Ireland. He said, “Leadership means more than the politics of the last photo opportunity. We should
by now have moved beyond the politics of the last atrocity.” Calling for a more inclusive approach to
politics in Northern Ireland, Séamus said, “The voice of workers, of victims, of long-suffering communities deserve to be treated with respect. We in the trade union movement have been shunted to the sidelines for too long and our voice must be heard.” The motion was seconded by Alison Millar, vice president of ICTU and general secretary of NIPSA.
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