Siptu debate Lisbon with Jack O'Connor and Kieran Allen

national | eu | event notice Wednesday September 23, 2009 11:33 by siptu-member

Jack O' Connor President of SIPTU versus Kieran Allen, President of SIPTU' s Education Branch Debate Lisbon Treaty, Liberty Hall, Dublin, 25th September 6pm.

SIPTU Debate on Lisbon, Liberty Hall, Dublin, 25th September 6pm.
Jack O' Connor President of SIPTU versus Kieran Allen, President of SIPTU' s Education Branch.

The leadership of the largest union in the country, SIPTU, has come out in favour of a Yes vote in Lisbon - but many of its grassroots members disagree.

The SIPTU President Jack O'Connor will debate the issue with Kieran Allen, the President of the Education Branch and editor of Voteno.ie who is also a member of the Socialist Workers Party.

The debate will take place on Friday 25th of September at 6pm in Liberty Hall in front of an audience of SIPTU activists and other concerned individuals.

During the first referendum the SIPTU leaders took a neutral stance in protest at the failure of the government to pass laws which guaranteed the rights of workers to collective bargaining.

Despite the fact that there has been no change in this stance, they have reversed their stance in a light of a Labour Party pledge to introduce such laws when in government.

Kieran Allen has publicly disagreed with this reversal.

'The union leaders did not consult their members on Lisbon - even though they had plenty of opportunity to do so. The reality is that Lisbon enshrines neo-liberal dogmas in the constitution of a new Europe. It promotes increased military spending which is detrimental to society. It does nothing to reverse the attacks on workers rights which the European Court of Justice has implemented. Despite the recommendation of the union leaders, the majority of the SIPTU grassroots will oppose the Treaty.