SIPTU hires barrister in account probe

A BARRISTER is to be hired by SIPTU to investigate its employment relationship with one of the signatories of a controversial account used to fund 31 foreign trips and to channel money to unions.

A report into the fund by SIPTU yesterday revealed that its national industrial secretary Matt Merrigan had opened and operated the account without the official authorisation of the trade union.

The trade union’s report into the skill training scheme fund concluded that the fund’s accountability was “not sufficiently robust”.