EMPLOYMENT:THE LABOUR Party and senior trade union leaders have argued that the rejection of the Lisbon Treaty could have a negative impact on jobs and on the economy.
Speaking at a press conference organised by the Charter Group yesterday, the general secretary of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, David Begg, said a rejection of the Lisbon Treaty, allied to the return to power of the Conservative Party in Britain, could see Ireland “boxed in an Anglo-Saxon, Eurosceptic, northwestern corner of Europe”.
“We would be effectively cut off from the mainstream of economic activity in Europe and that would be a very foolish thing for us to allow to happen,” he said.
Mr Begg also said that in recent months the European Central Bank (ECB) had provided about €120 billion in liquidity to the Irish financial system. He asked how easy it would be for Ireland to go back to the ECB in future to seek further support if the country rejected the Lisbon Treaty again.
“In essence my view is things are bad enough in the country, why do we need to make them worse? That must be the question every worker has to consider and on that basis we have to vote Yes,” he said.
Mr Begg said there was nothing in the Lisbon Treaty that was inimical to workers.
Labour Party leader Eamon Gilmore said the passing of the Lisbon Treaty would help restore and enhance international confidence, as well as investor confidence in Ireland, and that this would be good for investment and the creation of jobs.
“I have no doubt at all that if the Lisbon Treaty were to be rejected on this occasion, no matter how much anybody dances on the head of a pin as to what Article 52 means or whatever other detail somebody has made an issue of, it will be interpreted internationally – and particularly by those who make investment decisions – as Ireland pulling back from the EU and becoming somehow semi-detached and that that will have a negative impact on investment and employment here,” he said.
Mr Gilmore said it baffled him how any trade union leaders or anybody who professed to represent the interest of workers could turn around and ask them to vote against putting into the European treaties specific provisions that would improve the rights of workers.