The Northern Ireland Committee of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions has strongly condemned the two murders by so-called "dissident republicans" in Northern Ireland and has demanded that the perpetrators immediately cease their criminal violent acts and disband.
Peter Bunting, Congress Assistant General Secretary, said:
'the group behind these murders claim to be protecting 'their communities", but they speak for no-one but themselves. They are selfish egotists, and their claims fool nobody. They are exploiting the tensions of recent months, especially in north Belfast, in order to grab some attention and buy influence.
'these tiny and marginal groups have no real support in any community, and they have no right or mandate to act as judge, jury and death squad.
'the family of Kevin Kearney must be in shock and grief, and it is slanderous to make unproven claims about his reputation. The victim of the latest murder in Derry is being accused of crimes which are unsubstantiated.
"Do we really have to say, in this day and age, that these men deserved the death penalty?
'the trade union movement urges anyone with any information about criminal activity to report it to the legal authorities.
'so-called street justice was never justified during the worst days of the conflict and is especially anathema now.
'the group responsible should disband publicly and immediately."
