UNION PILES PLAUDITS ON SDLP CHIEF
Union piles plaudits on SDLP chief
By Elaine Fitzsimons
MEMBERS of the general works union SIPTU have singled out SDLP leader John Hume for his contribution to the peace process.
Mr Hume, who is a member of the organisations Derry branch, was praised for his efforts in the search for peace by Union President Jimmy Somers at the Northern Ireland regional conference in Newry.
During his address to delegates Mr Somers said the Derry politician had been prepared to go out on a limb by securing the Hume/Adams agreement at a time when many in his own party believed he had gone too far.
"He had the foresight and the patience to suffer the abuse and condemnation in the short term in pursuit of the bigger prize in
the long term", he said. But he warned Mr Hume, who also addressed the conference, that the horrific tragedy in Omagh showed how fragile the peace process remains. He claimed it was at risk not only from those who still believe in violence, but from those who used anti-democratic measures to neutralise the threat of paramilitaries. The need to protect human rights featured strongly in the Good Friday
agreement and should be carried through in its implementation.
"Respect for the rule of law and the new institutions that are to be created out of the Good Friday Agreement will not be encouraged by Draconian legislative measures", he said.
Mr Somers also stressed that peace was more than the absence of violence, and said that if economic and social progresses did not follow there was a chance that violence would return.
"I believe that the trade union movement will have an important role to play in the next phrase of the process - in helping to create a positive climate for economic development and insuring that the fruits of that development are distributed fairly to the benefit of everyone in society", he said.
Commenting on the recent difficulties, faced by the North West-based company Fruit of the Loom, Mr Somers said the job losses predicted at its Donegal plant would not only have a deviatating impact on the lnishowen Pennisula but also in Derry.
But efforts were being made by the union to ensure the maximum number of jobs were retained in the north west, he said.
During the day, the conference delegates also heard from John Kennedy, chief executive of Northern Ireland centre in Europe, Brendan Curran, Newry and Mourne Council chairman, and Paul Gorecki, director of the Northern Ireland economic council.
By Elaine Fitzsimons
MEMBERS of the general works union SIPTU have singled out SDLP leader John Hume for his contribution to the peace process.
Mr Hume, who is a member of the organisations Derry branch, was praised for his efforts in the search for peace by Union President Jimmy Somers at the Northern Ireland regional conference in Newry.
During his address to delegates Mr Somers said the Derry politician had been prepared to go out on a limb by securing the Hume/Adams agreement at a time when many in his own party believed he had gone too far.
"He had the foresight and the patience to suffer the abuse and condemnation in the short term in pursuit of the bigger prize in
the long term", he said. But he warned Mr Hume, who also addressed the conference, that the horrific tragedy in Omagh showed how fragile the peace process remains. He claimed it was at risk not only from those who still believe in violence, but from those who used anti-democratic measures to neutralise the threat of paramilitaries. The need to protect human rights featured strongly in the Good Friday
agreement and should be carried through in its implementation.
"Respect for the rule of law and the new institutions that are to be created out of the Good Friday Agreement will not be encouraged by Draconian legislative measures", he said.
Mr Somers also stressed that peace was more than the absence of violence, and said that if economic and social progresses did not follow there was a chance that violence would return.
"I believe that the trade union movement will have an important role to play in the next phrase of the process - in helping to create a positive climate for economic development and insuring that the fruits of that development are distributed fairly to the benefit of everyone in society", he said.
Commenting on the recent difficulties, faced by the North West-based company Fruit of the Loom, Mr Somers said the job losses predicted at its Donegal plant would not only have a deviatating impact on the lnishowen Pennisula but also in Derry.
But efforts were being made by the union to ensure the maximum number of jobs were retained in the north west, he said.
During the day, the conference delegates also heard from John Kennedy, chief executive of Northern Ireland centre in Europe, Brendan Curran, Newry and Mourne Council chairman, and Paul Gorecki, director of the Northern Ireland economic council.
Further Information
Publisher: THE IRISH NEWS
Ref: IN/0388
Published Date: 18-Sep-98
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