Motion no: 7
Conference acknowledges the importance of the increased opposition across many countries in Europe to the austerity programmes of national governments and the European Union as a significant and positive development which should be encouraged and supported by the trade union movement. Conference recognises that the intensity of the opposition to austerity varies from one country to another and calls upon the Executive Council to examine how the Irish trade union movement can: contribute in a positive way to encouraging opposition to austerity policies; support financial and economic policies which benefit the vast majority of citizens and fight to eradicate inequality as opposed to policies that contribute to the further enrichment of the wealthy in our society and a growing economic inequality in society. Conference, mindful that some individual trade unions may have specific historic political affiliations, calls upon the Executive Council to examine how the Irish trade union movement can intervene in the most effective way to harness the growing and widespread opposition to the austerity policies and programmes of both the Republic of Ireland government and the Northern Ireland administration. Conference while recognising that the trade union movement must work with all forces and interests in society that broadly support the trade union objectives is requested to be mindful of the continuing sectarian divisions in Northern Ireland society and the difficulty in maintaining trade union unity and calls upon the Executive Council to ensure that the trade union movement is not identified as being too closely associated with political movements or organisations which are regarded by many workers as mainly representing the interests of one section of the community or another.
