The left, in general, is conscious of the need to be politically correct so it was no surprise when the allegations of widespread sexual harassment at union conferences over the years shocked the nation last weekend. SIPTU, with 200,000 members the largest union in the country, was accused by Galway delegate Elaine Harvey of harbouring male members who indecently proposition female members. And she spelled it out - sexual harassment, she said, was saying to a woman "I would like to f--k you"; grabbing her breasts and saying "I thought you were someone else" or playing with her necklace while asking "would you like to come to bed with me?" If this sort of thing didn't stop, she would name names.
The audience was stunned into silence and so concerned were the brothers who made up about two-thirds of the 600-strong attendance (particularly after they heard RTE and saw the papers the next morning) that dozens of male delegates besieged the new president and vice president Jimmy Somers and Des Geraghty. They were frantic with worry about what their wives at home would think and wanted it known that, apart from having a few jars, they personally had never indulged in any such un-PC behaviour. Somers told them that all complaints should be brought to him, even those about the food. Then equality officer Noirin Greene was delegated to investigate. She has started by interviewing Ms Harvey.