Labour ready to loosen trade union ties

LABOUR leader Eamon Gilmore last night signalled the party was ready to loosen its ties to trade unions.

In what could herald an historic shift, Mr Gilmore insisted the relationship between the two needed to redefined as a key part of updating Labour’s outlook and appeal.

After a successful debut conference as leader, Mr Gilmore also firmed up his stance on electoral pacts, ruling out any formal accord with Fine Gael or others.

Labour grew out of the trade union movement 95 years ago and a cooling of relations with organisations like SIPTU would help rebrand the party in the eyes of voters, some senior strategists belive.

“There is a need for us to have a dialogue with the trade unions and redefine our relationship.

“We now have a situation where three out of four workers in the private sector are not in a trade union and Labour needs to provide them with a voice as well,” Mr Gilmore said.

Labour receives some €40,000 a year from affiliated trade unions, mainly from SIPTU and Unite.

The three-day Wexford conference voted to set up a far-reaching commission intended to overhaul party policy and organisation as part of a modernising agenda being pushed by Mr Gilmore following Labour’s poor showing in the May election.

Mr Gilmore used his keynote address to warn an apartheid-style system of segregation was being allowed to flourish in Irish education.

“We now have schools being opened on an emergency basis to cater for the children of immigrants. Did we witness the end of apartheid in Africa, only to see the day when, here in Ireland, a baptismal certificate would become a latter day pass book?” he said.

Mr Gilmore also strongly attacked Taoiseach Bertie Ahern for betraying the legacy of previous Fianna Fáil leaders with controversies over his personal finances.

“Eamon De Valera would never have taken fistfuls of cash in a suitcase. “Sean Lemass, if he had the money they now have, would never have tolerated the inefficiency and waste in the health service. And Jack Lynch would never have turned his back on Shannon,” he said.

Mr Gilmore indicated the party would also reassess its attitude to welfare, by using the system to create ways out of poverty for people, rather than increasing the benefits culture.

Mr Gilmore also stressed Government economic incentives needed to be switched from property speculation towards investment in small-scale business start-ups to create extra jobs.

The last day of the conference saw delegates demand more help for refugees.