Republican News · Thursday 17 October 2002

IBEC tackled on privatisation agenda

The Alliance Against Nice protested outside IBEC Headquarters on Wednesday morning, Sinn Féin's Nice Campaign Director Daithí Doolan said the reasons IBEC are backing the Nice Treaty "have a lot more to do with the privatisation agenda Nice advances than with concern for Irish jobs and workers.

"Their recent statements calling for cutbacks in wage increases shows how hollow those concerns are.

"Article 133 of the Nice Treaty will increase the EU's ability to pressurise member states into implementing sweeping privatisation measures and goes some way to explaining the motivation of the powerful big business lobbies behind Nice both in Ireland and elsewhere.

"It is to their shame that the Trade Union leadership has backed a Treaty that is such a bad deal for Irish workers and in particular public sector workers."

Ógra Shinn Féin, meanwhile, held a public auction in Temple Bar on Monday to highlight how Ireland's resources will be sold off to the fat cats.