Union defies opposition to support smoking ban

SIPTU members at the union’s biannual conference yesterday passed a motion in favour of the controversial smoking ban despite strong opposition from some local branches.

Following a heated debate, delegates at the union’s Galway conference voted by a majority of two to one in favour of the ban due to come into effect in January.

However, Marian Marr of SIPTU’s drinks and tobacco wholesale distribution branch said she could not support the ban in its current form.

“We need to put on record that we respect the health and safety of all citizens and for that reason we accept that the restrictions on where one can smoke should be put in place. However, we believe a total ban in every location is unreliable. There are areas where it can be controlled,” she said.

“We take this view not because we are workers in the industry but because some of us and many of you are smokers. This is a legal product and some would agree not a wise practice but a blanket ban will be difficult to enforce,” she added.

Ms Marr said she was not speaking on behalf of the smoking lobby.

“These are our genuine views and are independent of our employers and any other vested interest,” she said. Tom Donovan from the same branch also opposed the motion saying the workers in the tobacco industry had to be considered.

“This conference has never voted people out of work. It never did before and shouldn’t do today,” he said.

Lisa Halpin of the state and related Agencies branch said the tobacco lobby was primarily concerned with profits.

“They’re lining up to attack this because they care more about their profits than they do about the health and safety of workers,” she told the conference.

“This should be seen as yet another example of our Government and employers taking the opportunity to walk all over the rights of workers,” she added.

The controversial motion, which called on SIPTU’s National Executive Council to lobby the Government and insist the ban goes ahead in full, was eventually passed.