People Before Profit Cllr Shaun Harkin,
“Workers rights supporters and trade unionists are dismayed that Alliance and the UUP joined forces with the DUP to narrowly vote down People Before Profit MLA Gerry Carroll’s Trade Union Freedom Bill this week in Stormont.
Carroll’s private member’s bill would have repealed aspects of reactionary Thatcher-era rules restricting workers’ rights.
If legislated on, the bill would have extended trade union rights to help workers get organised, take action for pay rises and better treatment, and, to show solidarity.
It’s simply astonishing that any party voted against a bill that would strengthen workers’ rights at a time when so many are demanding real pay increases amidst a cost of living crisis.
Many people have been shocked to discover these reactionary laws are still on the books even though they’ve been devolved to Stormont for decades. None of the Executive parties, including Sinn Féin and the SDLP, lifted a finger to remove them.
It wasn’t until the election of People Before Profit MLAs Eamonn McCann and Gerry Carroll to Stormont that undoing Thatcher’s shackles and strengthening trade union rights was made a priority.
Having socialist representatives in Stormont has put a spotlight on the way the entire Executive prioritises elites and the politically connected.
The message from this vote is clear, we cannot expect justice from Stormont without doubling down on demands and campaigning.
This vote shouldn’t deter anyone from taking action now to address hardship and spiralling inequality. In fact, it underscores the need for people power action. People Before Profit will continue to make undoing these draconian Stormont rules a priority.”
