Meath Sinn Féin Denounce Recent Killings



Meath Sinn Féin Councillor Joe Reilly has denounced those behind the killing of a PSNI officer in Craigavon and two British Army soldiers in Antrim. Councillor Reilly said “This is an attack on the peace process. It is wrong and it is counter productive and I would extend my condolences to the families of the dead men. I want to make it clear that these people are part of a tiny group that is fragmenting almost on a daily basis. Their agenda is not Irish unification. Their agenda is to bring British soldiers back on to the streets of Ireland. Some of these people have been exposed in recent times as being involved in drug dealing and turf wars.



“This is a time for strong political leadership and cool heads. It is a time for all political parties to recommit to the principles which have underpinned the peace process and delivered the stability of recent years. Again I offer my condolences and wish to make it clear that these groups represent nobody but themselves.”

Defend Workers Rights - Vote No to Lisbon

Sinn Féin Dublin MEP Mary Lou McDonald and Workers Rights Spokesperson
Arthur Morgan TD today launched the party's 'Defend Workers Rights -
Vote No to Lisbon' national leafleting campaign, in advance of this
week's May Day celebrations.

Speaking at the event Meath Sinn Féin's spokesperson on the Lisbon Treaty Cllr Peadar Toibín said:

"Recent decisions by the EU have marked a clear shift away from the
European Social Model. The Lisbon Treaty underpins this direction. If
ratified this Treaty will deepen social exclusion throughout the Union
and will fundamentally undermine workers rights.

"Successive surrendering of workers' rights by EU institutions at the
behest of a weighty business lobby continues to leave millions of
workers throughout Europe with decreasing employment security. Hard won
terms and conditions are being stripped away and workers are pitted
against each other in what is now popularly referred to as the race to
the bottom.

"The Lisbon Treaty fails to address the core issue for workers in
Ireland and beyond. It offers no remedy for the consistent running down
of wages and social protections for workers in the European Union

He added:

"Failure by European leaders to agree a Temporary Agency Workers
Directive which could protect Europe's low income low skilled workers is
scandalous particularly in light of recent European Court of Justice
judgments. Hard won rights which took decades of struggle to achieve are
now being frittered away not for competitiveness but to appease share
holders and fund increasingly hefty wage increases of those already in
the top income bracket.

"The Protocol on the Internal Market and Competition Protocol within the
Lisbon Treaty mandates the EU to ensure that 'competition is not
distorted'. This provides the EU with a mandate to remove 'distortions'
from the provision of services. Such distortions could include workers
rights regulations, as well as protective markets, state 'monopolies and
public funding.

"Article 16(b) of the Treaty will subject public services to new
'economic and financial conditions' including healthcare and education
making such services subject to the rules of competition. It is worth
noting that just yesterday (April 29th) IBEC stated at the National
Forum on Europe that 'A yes vote for the Lisbon Treaty creates the
potential for increased opportunities for Irish business particularly in
areas subject to increasing liberalisation such as Health, Education,
Transport, Energy and the Environment.'

"Article 2(2) introduces Price Stability as an aim of the European Union
for the first time. Naturally we do not object to measures to curb
inflation however if it were used as a tool to limit member state public
funding or to restrict member state budget deficits then we believe this
would play a negative national economic role. If Price Stability were to
conflict with other aims such as full employment or social progress, it
would be the ECJ who would determine which aim has precedence rather
than national parliaments.

"This combined attack on the provision of public services and workers
rights completely undermines the European Social Model.

"The Charter of Fundamental Rights offers no extension of EU law in
relation to fundamental rights as stated by Minister of State for Europe
Dick Roche on the 4th of March 2008. He added that the Charter 'does not
extend the field of application of Union law or establish any new power
or task for the Union'. The Charter does not guarantee the right to
strike and states (Article 2 that workers have the right to collective
bargaining and to take strike action only 'in accordance with national
laws and practices' In light of the recent ECJ judgments this already
weakened 'right' is further undermined.

"The Lisbon Treaty is a bad deal for workers. Europe deserves better."

Send Government Back to Secu