Developers used 'slave labour from Poland'

NO CAMPAIGN:DEVELOPERS USED "slave labour brought in from Poland" during the economic boom, a campaigner against the Lisbon Treaty has claimed.

Úna Bean Mhic Mhathúna, who previously campaigned against the introduction of abortion and divorce, has confirmed she is involved in anti-treaty group Cóir.

She describes the Government’s Lisbon campaign as “scaremongering” and says voters are deeply disillusioned.

She told The Irish Times: "People are extremely angry at how the Government crashed the country to pay back all of that €54 billion to bail out the bankers and developers.

“Developers made money by using slave labour from Poland and placing them on minimum wage or less.”

She said the minimum wage is the issue people are talking about most at the doors.

“The €1.84 issue is very hot. The fact of the matter is it is the average minimum wage across accession states,” she said in reference to a Cóir poster which suggests that Irish workers could face a drop in pay rates.

Yes campaigners have countered that the treaty will do nothing to affect Ireland’s minimum wage of €8.65.

Social and ethical issues such as euthanasia are also being raised by voters on the door, Ms Mhic Mhathúna said.

Ms Mhic Mhathúna feels that the power balance of the EU has changed since Ireland joined.

“I remember it well in 1972. We were an equal partner and it was said that it would never be politicised, but now it is a power grab.”

If the treaty is passed, the “Constitution will be gone and the laws of the new federal Europe and the federal constitution will be superior to all member states”, she claimed.

She is confident that there will be a strong No vote on October 2nd. “Our canvass is going very well and the No vote seems to be holding up,” she said.