NEWS FROM THE CELTIC LEAGUE Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) delegates stood and applauded in Solidarity with the Greek people at their conference in Ennis, County Clare today (7 July). ICTU President John Douglas called for a lifting of the debt burden in Greece. He went on to call for a European debt conference to consider the issue of debt restructuring from the social perspective of the peoples of Europe, rather than solely from the financial institutions of Europe and the ideologues of austerity. As reported in the ICTU website (link below) John Douglas also called on trade unions to recognise the importance of political campaigning. Calling on the union movement to become more active in shaping and influencing the politics in both Ireland and the north of Ireland, especially in light of the approaching centenary of 1916. John Douglas pointed to the enthusiasm generated by the anti-water charges movement which he described as the biggest mass social mobilisation since the foundation of the State. With an election year looming, he said, trade unionists had to grasp the nettle of political power within their membership bases and that no union could profess to be non-political, and their vision could never be achieved by industrial agitation alone. 'They needed to campaign for a mass mobilisation akin to what they had witnessed during the same-sex marriage referendum', he said, 'to secure the political ground to deliver the social and industrial agenda.' Link - ICTU website: (voir le site) (Source: Alistair Kneale ? Mannin) J B Moffatt (Mr) Director of Information Celtic League 07/07/15 THE CELTIC LEAGUE INFORMATION SERVICE The Celtic League was established in 1961and has branches in the six Celtic Countries. It works to promote cooperation between these countries and campaigns on a broad range of political, cultural and environmental matters. It highlights human rights abuse, monitors all military activity and focuses on socio-economic issues (voir le site) (voir le site) Share this!
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