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Sheila Nunan, President, ICTU leads the ICTU BDC in tribute to Lyra McKee. Pictured, from left: Grahame Smith General Secretary, STUC, Patricia King, General Secretary, ICTU, Sheila Nunan, Kevin Callinan, Alison Millar, Vice Presidents, ICTU, Joe O’Flynn, Treasurer, Owen Reidy, Assistant General Secretary. Photo: Kevin Cooper, Photoline.
Celebrating 100 years of the ILO
The Irish Congress of Trade Unions biennial delegate conference unanimously endorsed a National Union of Journalists motion to strengthen the International Labour Organisation. Marking the centenary of the foundation of
the ILO, the NUJ motion called on Congress, in conjunction with the International Trade Union Confederation and affiliates to campaign for reforms to allow the ILO to make determinations in respect of employers and not only governments; to examine how best the ILO may be used to further campaigns for the achievement of gender equality and the elimination of workplace discrimination; to support the ITUC and European Trade Union Congress campaign for inclusion of health and safety standards in the list of labour rights; and to campaign for ILO action on the outcome of the ILO Global Dialogue Forum 2014, with special reference to the abuse of unpaid workers and interns in the media industry. Addressing the motion, Gerry Carson, joint
cathaoirleach of the Irish Executive Committee, told the conference, “As storm clouds gather, the global trade union movement fights to protect and develop
institutions which are rooted in the ethical values of social justice and solidarity.” Séamus Dooley, Irish Secretary and Congress executive council member, said that while the ILO has played a significant role in seeking to defend workers, the parameters within which it operates undermine its ability to hold to account multinational companies with vast resources who exercise far greater economic power than most world governments. He said that in celebrating the centenary of
the ILO, “we note with alarm the growing threat to social justice from the rise of extreme right parties and those who seek to undermine human rights, including the rights of all workers”. Noting the ongoing war against media, and
the frequent dismissal of legitimate news stories as mainstream media propaganda, Séamus said, “The fact is, the way to defeat the far right is by ammunition, by the most powerful ammunition of all, by facts.” Mistruths and propaganda must be challenged, he said. “As trade unionists we all know the power of small steps, of unity, of solidarity,” Séamus said.
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