United Left Alliance demand ICTU call for NO vote on Austerity Treaty

European Trade Union confederation (ETUC) & 3 major Irish unions call for
no vote; ICTU must follow

? Austerity Treaty will result in major increase in job loses

The United Left Alliance today held a lobby at the meeting of the Executive
of ICTU to call for a No vote on the Fiscal Treaty Referendum.

Three Irish trade unions, Mandate, Unite and the TEEU have already come out
against the Austerity Treaty. The European of Trade Union Confederation
(ETUC), which represents 60 miliion workers across Europe has also come out
against this treaty.

This treaty will mean massive austerity across Ireland with a minimum over
?5.7 billion worth of cuts on top of the ?8.6 billion already planned. It
will mean over ?166 billion of cuts across Europe. This will have a
devastating effect on the lives of millions of workers and the unemployed,
as well as turning the economic crisis into a deep depression.

Paul Murphy MEP for the United Left Alliance today said:

?Since the first Lisbon referendum, and the ?Yes for Jobs? promises, nearly
80,000 jobs have been lost. This treaty will result in further job losses.
It will result in permanent austerity ? more cuts, more taxes and more
money going to bondholders. If ICTU are serious about wanting to protect
jobs they should be calling for a No vote by their members. That they even
have to discuss this at length is a sad reflection on how far removed from
their members the leadership of the trade union movement have become.

Richard Boyd Barrett TD said:

?Three Irish trade unions have already called for the rejection of this
treaty. They have correctly come to the conclusion that this treaty will
result in more austerity. Austerity has failed and will continue to fail.
This treaty will rule out any measures to invest in the economy and will
certainly rule out the type of major investment that is needed to create
jobs to get people back working. The responsibility now lies with ICTU to
come out and campaign vigorously against this treaty.

Joan Collins TD commented:

?For the first time ever ETUC has come out against a European Treaty, they
have seen the effect this will have on workers across Europe. Workers
cannot continue to carry the burden of austerity that this treaty will
impose. ICTU must follow the lead of its European partners and come out
against this treaty to protect jobs and living standards in Ireland and
Europe.?