Union calls for no vote in treaty referendum

Government hopes of securing a yes vote in the looming EU referendum were dealt a double blow as a major trade union came out against the fiscal compact treaty, and it emerged more than half of voters have little or no idea what they are meant to be deciding on.

Retail workers’ union Mandate, which represents 45,000 people, has called for a no vote, reflecting growing unease in the labour movement ahead of the May 31 poll.

General secretary John Douglas said that a yes vote would “copper-fasten” austerity and could tip the country over into depression.

Referring to a leaked briefing paper ahead of an Irish Congress of Trade Unions meeting this week that unions may have to endorse the treaty because the EU was “holding a gun” to the country’s head, Mr Douglas said: “Just because someone has a gun to your head is not the right reason to do something.”

The intervention comes as it emerged 32% of people do not understand the treaty “at all” and a further 23% do not understand it well, according to the B&A poll for the Sunday Times.

Mr Douglas insisted a yes vote would not create jobs and would imperil those in work.

“The fiscal treaty, if passed, will not create one job; on the contrary it will legally lock down Irish economic activity at its current levels, and may even shrink domestic demand further, leading to mass unemployment, decades of emigration and sow the seeds for future social conflict. We strongly urge all our members not only to vote no to the treaty, but to get involved in their local no campaign.

“Voting yes will lead to more job losses and a contraction in the economy, hitting the retail trade even harder. It will copper-fasten austerity and make it impossible for the economy to grow.

“This treaty is no good for Ireland or Irish workers and could indeed lead to depression.

“You can’t cut your way out of recession, there is no evidence of a stimulus package at the moment.”

Lucinda Creighton, the Europe minister, ruled out a “bidding war” to get trade union support, dismissing such calls as “fantasy”.

Ms Creighton said union leaders were not “living in the real world”.

“This is a treaty of absolute direct consequence to safeguarding our currency which pays the salary of these workers and it’s all about confidence and investment.

“They are presenting a doomsday scenario. They have admitted that not a single job will be created by voting no,” she told RTÉ.

Social Protection Minister Joan Burton, who is heading the Labour Party’s yes campaign, said Mandate’s move was “disappointing”.

“It would have been preferable to have a discussion on the pros and cons of this treaty before taking a position,” she said.